Private philanthropy is critical for flood recovery

In the days leading up to and immediately following the Cedar River's crest in September, we saw the full force of the charity of our community. People rolled up their sleeves and got to work - helping friends, neighbors, and complete strangers, as well as at-risk businesses and non-profits. We can never thank each other enough for coming together when it mattered most. We were relieved to see dry downtown streets and businesses back to work in the weeks following the flood.

While we certainly deserve to breathe a sigh of relief, the reality is that our recovery is not complete and will look different from it did in 2008. A full account of the structural damage to homes and businesses is not yet known. Neither are the costs associated with flood-mitigation efforts, evacuation, or business disruption. However, we do know that affected households and communities likely will not receive federal or state funding for recovery.

While we avoided another catastrophe, the rising water still had a notable impact. Many households incurred costs associated with evacuating their homes. Businesses incurred costs associated with business disruption as well as with evacuation. Many non-profits incurred additional expenses in order to continue to serve their clients, and take on new ones, during the flood preparation and recovery. Horizons' Meals on Wheels was able to continue to provide meals, even with so much impeding their efforts. Others in the flood zone had to move, and quickly - we've all seen the photos of volunteers removing the seats from the historic Paramount Theatre. Still other non-profits incurred additional expenses as they expanded their services to provide support to impacted households.

With resources more stretched than ever, it's important that we support recovery through year-end giving. Private funding offers flexibility to organizations to put your support where it counts most - whether that involves repairing flood damaged facilities, giving staff the ability to offer services to more clients, supporting organizations in their efforts to repair damaged basements and house structures, or helping small businesses save jobs and defray the costs of business disruption.

We know the people and organizations that are most affected are typically those where our gifts can have the greatest impact. Our downtown neighborhoods are regularly the homes of small businesses and new start-ups, and rural communities are occasionally overlooked. If we are going to support full recovery for the entirety of our communities, we need to put our continued support behind those who are most in need. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to do that. Help us make sure all needs in our community are met. Make a strong commitment to year-end giving. Please support a local non-profit, United Way, an agency fund or one of the flood funds at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, so our community can fully recover and continue our trend of growth and vibrancy.

' Lois Buntz is president and CEO of the United Way of East Central Iowa. Les Garner is president and CEO of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation.