Iowa

Meet Anthony

Anthony had lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, through the floods of 1993, and the water had never touched his home. So when the river started to rise again in June 2008, he was sure that everything would be all right. But about a week later, the water was almost waist deep at Anthony’s house.

The floods of 2008 were historic, not only in Iowa but all across the Midwest. Many people were left to face the long process of cleaning up and rebuilding. This past spring, Lutheran Disaster Response, supported by your gifts to ELCA Disaster Response, teamed up with others to perform an ecumenical “blitz build.” Over the course of six weeks, more than 500 volunteers spent nearly 14,000 hours rebuilding 13 homes in and around Cedar Rapids.

We cannot predict when disasters might strike, but we can predict that when they do, Lutherans will be ready and willing to serve. Even long after a disaster has happened, Lutherans are in it for the long term, bringing help and hope to those with ongoing needs. And for people like Anthony, that means finally getting to go back home.

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