Special Flood Fund Money Getting to Area Non-Profits
By Dave Franzman, Reporter
Aerial of flooded railroad tracks looking southeast towards Interstate 380 and downtown Cedar Rapids from the air on Thursday, June 12, 2008. (Perry Walton/P&N Air)
By
Dave Franzman
Story Created:
Oct 10, 2008 at 4:45 PM CST
Story Updated:
Oct 10, 2008 at 4:48 PM CST
CEDAR RAPIDS- Nearly $1-million dollars in money contributed to a Flood 2008 Fund is already in the hands of 14 Cedar Rapids-area non-profits. And there's much more to come.
The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation started a special flood fund for obvious reasons even before the water had receded. And to date, the foundation has given out $915,000 to agencies requesting assistance.
While some of the checks are still in the mail, some organizations have the money and are already putting their requests into recovery action.
One example is the National Czech and Slovak Museum. That organization's building took a direct hit from the Cedar River to the tune of millions of dollars in June. And that amount of damage isn't something you can repair with the $25,000 flood fund gift from the foundation.
But that grant will help the museum open a temporary meeting and exhibit space at Lindale Mall on October 24th. It will provide a place for a museum gift shop and help generate at least some income while the organization gets back on its feet.
Gail Naughton, Czech and Slovak Museum president said "this is a gift that helps us continue to operate, maintain staff and build out an interim location at Lindale Mall. So this is a gift, one of several, that we're marshaled together to replace that lost revenue."
The biggest single flood gift from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation has gone to the Linn Area Long Term Recovery Coalition. That amounts to $550,000. Approximately $1.4-million dollars remains in the special flood fund and plans are to continue making gifts for at least a year.
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