Yumans step up after flooding

I sat in front of the television watching the flood waters devastate my hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa this summer. It was heartbreaking for me to watch as the streets of my childhood slowly disappeared underwater.
 
Feeling the loss but also wanting to help, I sent e-mail messages out to many of my friends and co-workers asking for donations of clothing and household items. My plan was to ship whatever I received back to Iowa. The response was much greater than I expected. I received so much in donations that I could no longer afford to ship it all. I rented a U-Haul, loaded up and off I went.
 
While I was home, I was able to drive around and see all of the damage left behind. Street after street of gutted homes that had been lived in by family after family for nearly 100 years. All of the destroyed belongings piled near the street. Many of the homes were marked for demolition. But at the same time on those same streets were new U.S. flags flying from the porches to commemorate the Fourth of July.
 
In the downtown area, there were businesses all boarded up and disaster clean-up crews working off generators. One business owner, not directly affected by the flood, started a program whereby a non-flooded business adopts a flooded business to assist the flooded business to get back on their feet. Many more businesses have joined this program.
 
The news reported that at one time there were nine square miles of Cedar Rapids underwater. To compare that to Yuma, I drove nine miles east from Avenue D and ended up at Avenue 6E. I then drove eight miles south from 1st Street and stopped at County 15th.
 
I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to those people, some I know, some I don't know, who donated to the flood victims in my hometown. This letter is to thank you for your generosity and kindness and to let you know a little about how you have helped the people in Cedar Rapids and now they are helping themselves.
 
I have always been proud of my Iowa connection and now I can say I have given a little of my Yuma pride back to Iowa. Thank you all.


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DEANN SANDRY
Yuma