CEDAR RAPIDS – A Cedar Rapids couple has donated one-million dollars to a new program designed to rebuild flood damaged neighborhoods.

It's called, "Block by Block" and if all goes well, some blocks could return back to normal by the end of this year.

By the time volunteers are done, the 1300 block of Eighth Street Northwest between L and M Avenues just might look even better than it did before the flood.

"It's so exciting. It's a big ray of hope for us,” Tricia Sheldon said.

John and Dyan Smith have wanted to help flood victims for awhile, but were overwhelmed by the billions of dollars of damage and didn't know where to begin.

"Now that we've been at it a year, we've seen some money coming in and by putting a little more in, it really can make a big impact,” John Smith said.

The "Block by Block" program will help flood victims put finishing touches on their homes they might not have otherwise been able to afford.

"To think they thought the community had forgotten them is just heart-wrenching to me,” Dyan Smith said.

Program leaders hope to have about eight blocks basically back to normal by the end of this year.

"You get to a point where you feel like you're never going to get done,” flood victim Susan Burns said.

Unlike government-funded programs, "Block by Block" takes a look at each individual homeowner's needs and will help them with everything ranging from painting to paying the bills.

"The homeowners have such individual problems..each one needs something different,” Dyan Smith said.

Burns said, "It's great to think there's going to be an end in sight.”

The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, United Methodist Church, Matthew 25 and Four Oaks have also contributed money and resources.

To learn more about "Block by Block," visit the following website:
http://www.blockbyblockcr.org/

E-mail Mark Geary at Mark.Geary@kcrg.com or follow him on Twitter.