Help from Minnesotans, North Dakotans Badly Needed for Iowa Flood Relief

Three weeks later and Cedar Rapids, Iowa is still a war zone.

In early June the Cedar River drowned 100 city blocks of the population 125,000 town, forcing 4,000 households to evacuate. Gargantuan piles of smelly debris continue to litter block after block. Downtown and residential streets are abuzz with thousands of cleanup workers, some of whom spend entire days wading through basements filled with sewage.

The Minnesota Salvation Army has embraced the Cedar Rapids community and needs your help.

Lots and lots of your help.

“What’s so sad is when you see people dragging all their worldly possessions, all destroyed, out of their homes,” said Dennis Flom, Salvation Army Incident Commander for the disaster. “The muck, the yuck, the smell, the emotion of the people going through all their stuff…it’s very tough to see. There is much work to be done and we need more help.”

The biggest need right now, Flom said, is for money and bleach. Both can be donated through July 31at the six Twin Cities metro area Northwestern Bookstores listed at bottom.

Donors can bring their own bleach or buy it at the bookstores. People purchasing bleach at the stores have the option of writing on a message on the bottle(s) they buy.    

Money can also be donated by clicking here, or by mailing a check marked “Midwest flood relief” to The Salvation Army, 2445 Prior Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113.

Money is needed so The Salvation Army can continue providing quality service and supplies: Flom and the hundreds of Salvation Army staff and volunteers he leads – many from Minnesota and North Dakota – provide food, drink and emotional care to up to 6,000 people a day. As of July 1, The Salvation Army has touched the lives of more than 100,000 survivors and relief workers in Cedar Rapids and Linn County.

Salvation Army teams are serving via five mobile feeding kitchens (canteens), three fixed feeding sites, and from a makeshift operations center located in a vacant Econofoods grocery store.

The operations center is filled with pallets and pallets of cleaning kits, food, drink, hygiene products and more. Flood-affected residents can pick up supplies and also receive needs assessments, information, referrals and pastoral support through trained emotional and spiritual care counselors.

The center opened to the public June 30, yet is already running low on supplies such as diapers, flashlights, batteries, fans and sun screen.

The center was donated by wholesale food distributor Nash Finch Co., which is also paying all utility costs.

Flom estimates the center will be open through August.

“This is going to be a long ordeal,” he said. “The donations we’ve received so far have been greatly appreciated. But please, keep them coming.”

The Salvation Army is grateful for local businesses that have donated so far. The businesses include:

● Dakota Growers Pasta Co.: The New Hope, Minn. branch of this pasta and noodle producer donated an entire semi-truck full of pasta.

● SuperClean Brands Inc.: This Eagan-based cleaning products company donated 560 bottles of bleach.

● Morsekode: Employees of this Minneapolis-based ad and media agency pooled their resources and donated a hefty load of bottled beverages. 

● Northern Tool and Equipment: Donated a power washer.

● Home Depot: Donated a power washer.

Northwestern Bookstore Collection Sites
Burnsville
Cobblestone Court
14150 Nicollet Ave. So. Burnsville, MN 55337

Coon Rapids
Riverdale Crossing
13040 Riverdale Drive NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433

Edina
Yorkdale Shoppes
6819 York Ave. So. Edina, MN 55435

Maple Grove
Arbor Lakes Mall
12985 Elm Creek Blvd. Maple Grove, MN 55369

Minnetonka
Ridge Square North
13029 Ridgedale Drive Minnetonka, MN 55305

Woodbury
Valley Creek Mall
1750 Weir Drive Woodbury, MN 55125