Flood Recovery Efforts Supported Through Private Philanthropy
Over 60 businesses, organizations and individuals contributed to assist with our community’s recovery from the September 2016 flood.
Three funds were activated at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation to assist in flood recovery efforts: the Flood Fund was established to assist flood-impacted households; the Nonprofit Recovery Fund was established to assist flood-impacted nonprofits; and the Jobs and Small Business Recovery Fund was established in partnership with the City of Cedar Rapids, the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, and the Small Business Development Center to assist small businesses.
In total, over $400,000 was raised through the three funds. Funding was distributed to HACAP to serve households, to 21 flood-impacted nonprofit organizations, and to the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance Foundation to assist 91 small businesses with lost revenue and expenses related to flood mitigation.
The Rieckhoff family business, the Great American Popcorn Co., was a recipient of grant funding. For them, the funding offered valuable replacement for lost revenue used to pay their full-time employees as well as rent, utilities and other expenses. Bill Rieckhoff says, “This funding is yet another symbol of people working together to make Cedar Rapids the best place in American to live, work and play. It was truly an amazing and historic effort that joined a prepared city government, with a cooperative business community and a courageous group of citizen volunteers and donors to save our city. We’re grateful to all who made the grant program possible.”
2016 Flood Recovery Donors:
ORGANIZATIONS:
Aetna Foundation, Inc.
Alliant Energy Corporation
Bankers Trust
Bradley & Riley PC
Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust Co.
City of Cedar Rapids
CRST
CliftonLarsonAllen
Diamond V
Downtown SSMID
Commission
Evans Enterprises
The Gazette
Greater Cedar Rapids
Community Foundation
Hall-Perrine Foundation
Humanists of Linn County
Integrity Mutual Insurance
Company
Lil’ Drug Store Products
Linn County
McKinley Middle School
MidAmerican Energy
Raining Rose, Inc.
Rockwell Collins
Ryan Companies
St. Luke’s Hospital
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Security Equipment, Inc.
Shuttleworth & Ingersoll
Toyota Financial Services
Transamerica
TrueNorth Companies
US Bank
United Fire Group
Wells Fargo Bank Iowa
World Class Industries
INDIVIDUALS:
David Beatty
Jennifer Byers
Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust Co.
Employees
Patricia Connell
Patricia and Patrick DePalma
Darrell and Dorothy Fisher
Marjorie Fletcher MB and Glenn Freeman
Doug Grawe
Margaret Haag
Shirley Harris
Jill Hellmer
Gail Hill
Cheryl Hoch
David Hollander
Wayne and Anna Holstine
Jean James
Christine Jennings
Paul and Laura Kammarmeyer
Laura and John Locher
Robert and Louise McMaster
Dick and Kate Minette
Carolyn Moershel
Ron and Sue Neil
James and Geri Pettitt
Christopher Pothoven
Eleanor Streletzky
Cherryl and Ronald Thomason
Josie Velles
Carmen and John Wasta
Mary Zeran and Jeff Schipper