CEDAR RAPIDS – Even though Cedar Rapids historic flood happened more than a year ago, the effects linger on.

Now, one organization is trying to help flood victims stay afloat.

What started out as a few items stashed away in a garage has become a full-size warehouse of donations.

"We have families that come in who just need a few items and those that lost literally everything,” founder Karla Goettel said.

Flood victim Melissa Erlacher said, "It's helped us a lot."

Erlacher can't imagine how she would have made it without help from "Flood them With Love."

The warehouse has just about anything you might want or need for your house, but they're running short on dressers.

Goettel plans to start a drive for dressers soon, but in the meantime, she's partnered with Bill Bills, Jr. to help people replace flood-damaged mattresses.

"A person has to have something to sleep on. We had people sleeping on floors, sleeping on old, used mattresses and couches,” Bills said.

Bills used his connections with Restonic Mattresses to purchase 100 beds for a third of the cost.

"I don't think people function well unless they have a good place to sleep,” Goettel said.

Goettel says she's lost some sleep because donations have dried up over the past few months.

"I do think there's donor fatigue and flood fatigue in the community, but I want to remind people to drive through the neighborhoods again,” she said.

Most furniture flood victims have in their FEMA trailer belongs to the government. When they return home, many own nothing but a few pieces of clothing.

"The flood is not over. I honestly think this year, the flood victims are suffering more than they were a year ago,” Goettel said.

Now, the challenge is to convince the community to keep those donations flowing even though the river has returned to its banks.

So far, several generous people and organizations including Wendee and Les Deal, Steve and Kay Dummermuth, Bill Bills and Ogden and Adams have made large donations to the organization.

But, “Flood them with Love" is in desperate need of more help. Right now, the organization only has about eleven dollars in its bank account.

If you'd like to donate furniture or household items in excellent condition contact Wendee Deal at WPDeal@aol.com.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, mail a check to Horizons at 819 5th Street SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401. But, be sure to include the words “Flood them with Love” in the memo portion of your check.