Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas are devastated by the recent derecho storm. If you’re reading this, you’re probably hoping you can help contribute to the recovery effort. Not sure where to start?
Here is a list of places where you can donate or volunteer for Derecho Relief:
Donate
– Keller Williams is coordinating daily volunteer efforts by serving hot meals and distributing items in CR. Venmo (iowaderecho) or PayPal (info@derecho2020.com) Join the Iowa Derecho Storm Resource Page for updates on how to help!
– EMBARC helping apt complexes that were destroyed (mainly full of refugees). Include CR Derecho Relief in your memo at donation.
– Horizons (Meals on Wheels)
– HACAP (food assistance)
– Purchase a t-shirt from Raygun
– Willie Ray’s Q Shack serving hot meals free of charge! Venmo (willieraysqshack) to help support his efforts!
– Operation BBQ Relief serving meals throughout the city.
– Catherine McAuley Center coordinates resources and relief for immigrant populations and is temporarily housing people from destroyed apartments. They also sustained great damage.
– Provide rakes, gloves, etc to a young boy cleaning up CR
– Feed Iowa First is a local nonprofit that gives Iowans in need fresh produce. You can donate to them here.
– Table 2 Table is a nonprofit that redistributes food to populations in need. You can donate or sign up to volunteer via their site here.
– IC Compassion is a faith-based organization that provides services for immigrant populations. They’ve been coordinating COVID-19 relief. You can donate here.
– The American Red Cross is organizing disaster relief. You can donate to them via their website.
– The Salvation Army of the Heartland is organizing disaster relief efforts as well. You can donate here
– The Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank is donating diapers and wipes to families in need during the disaster. You can donate here. Or you can purchase supplies off their Amazon wish list.
Volunteer
-Sign up to help with community cleanup August 22/23 at JustServe.org
-Work w/members of the Iowa Derecho Storm Resource Page on FB at 5001 1st Ave SE 102A Cedar Rapids, Iowa
– Serve meals (CR) at one of 11 locations in town. Lunch and dinner shifts are available.
– Vets Memorial Shelter downtown needs daily volunteers. Shifts are 8 AM-12 PM, 12 PM-4 PM, 4 PM-8 PM. If interested, email p.pestel@cedar-rapids.org and show up (brief training required)
– Serve meals w/ Mercy Chefs (CR)
– His Hands, a faith-based, nonprofit that offers free medical services in Cedar Rapids, is in need of volunteers for indoor cleaning (refrigerator from stuff that went bad), painting metal doors from items ripped off in the storm, reinstalling signs and picking up debris. Contact is Kim Junge, kim@hishandsclinic.org or calling 319 200-5078
-Be the Light Iowa is a faith-based non-profit that is working to deliver aid to areas of Linn County in need. You can volunteer or find ways to donate through their website.
Donate Supplies
– 5001 1st Ave SE 102A Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403 from 9 AM – 8 PM
– Food donations at the Salvation Army
– Teamsters Local 238-5000 J Street SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
– 1105 7th Ave in Marion Square Plaza beginning at 8:30 AM
It’s been amazing to see Iowans pull together and help contribute to the derecho relief effort. We are #iowastrong, but with each other, we can make it through and come out on the other side even stronger!
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