The blessing of volunteers

On Thanksgiving Day, many of us count our blessings. This community and others hit by Iowa's epic flood nearly 18 months ago have good reason to put volunteers, and many volunteer agencies, near the top of their appreciation list.

Volunteers came and still come from far and near to sustain and keep hope alive in many flood victims for whom the wheels of government disaster assistance sometimes turned too slowly.

Volunteer organizations, despite suffering flood damage themselves, maintain vital services to those in need.

At the anniversary of the flood in June, numbers documented the immense value of volunteerism:

By then, more than 10,000 volunteers had donated more than 167,000 hours of labor valued at more than $2.6 million.

More than 1,000 houses had been cleaned and gutted, and many rehabilitated.

Their efforts continue.

As of early November, the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation had received $5.62 million in donations and awarded $4.4 million to 60 local non-profit agencies, many of whom rely on volunteers. They provided food and shelter, supplies for cleanup, child care, free legal assistance, basic home furnishings and counseling.

Volunteers have often came in waves organized by local and national groups. Serve the City, an ecumenical faith group, activated 1,200 volunteers in the hours immediately before the flood's crest, and kept on serving well beyond.

Hands On Disaster Response, Eight Days of Hope, AmeriCorps/VISTA, American Red Cross, Salvation Army and dozens of faith groups enlisted resources and people.

The community flood response included creation of Linn Area Long Term Recovery Coalition, partnership of more than 70 local health and human service providers, government agencies, funding sources, faith-based groups and others supporting long-term recovery efforts to rebuild the lives of flood victims.

Volunteer initiatives keep coming, such as Block by Block, with its focus on restoring targeted neighborhoods and building relationships among neighbors.

Remarkable stories of individual dedication abound, such as Curt Liscum, 55, who put his career on hold for 11 months and was given paid leave by his employer to work as program manager for the United Methodist Church's flood recovery team.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Iowa Recovery Center in Urbandale praises Iowans' volunteer spirit. In a letter issued last week (and published elsewhere on this page), Director J. Kay Phillips says Iowa's disaster recovery “continues to be a model for volunteer response in other states.”

To the many volunteers, churches and organizations, may your own blessings match those you have provided.