As the waters recede, the recovery has begun. Numerous volunteers have started the heart-breaking clean up process. Financial and volunteer assistance is needed immediately.
Here's how you can help. There are numerous opportunities to hold fundraisers or pass the hat, volunteer your time, offer your talents or send materials.
Hold a benefit musical concert or dinner and obtain area merchants as sponsors, such as banks, car dealers, grocery stores or restaurants.
If you want to volunteer in Iowa to assist in disaster recovery, get a group together and tell us when you’re coming. Recovery operations will be ongoing for months. Please contact the Fraternal Department for updated information on locations where you can help or distribute goods. If you would like to travel to other states to help in disaster recovery, contact the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the local Chamber of Commerce, local churches or other national groups that serve the area. You can also call United Way’
s call center at 211, or check the internet.
Volunteer with the Red Cross or the Salvation Army. In disaster recovery areas, volunteers are handing out cleaning supplies, food and water every day at malls, churches, schools and in the neighborhoods where residents are cleaning up their homes or businesses.
If you want to send material donations to Iowa, please contact the Fraternal Dept. and we will distribute your contribution of goods to the Salvation Army Distribution Center, Red Cross sites or to other assistance groups such as churches. Materials especially needed are rubber gloves for washing (latex and non-latex) because the stores are out of them daily. Survivors also need black rubber boots for contaminated areas, cleaning supplies including squeegees and face masks, personal hygiene items, non-liquid items that are easily packed and mailed, nonperishable food items and disposable kitchenware, large heavy duty garbage bags, storage bags and totes, bug spray and sunscreen. Call us for a more complete list of requested items or check the internet. For Iowa, see corridorrecovery.org, cedarrapids.org, gazetteonline.com, or kcrg.com.