Charity Group Fighting to Help Beat the Heat

By John Doetkott, Reporter

Fans are stacked up in the storage room of the Salvation Army in Cedar Rapids. Due to the rising temperatures, more people are turning to the Salvation Army as a cooling center, and to receive fans. (Ellen Reiss/SourceMedia Group News)

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By Ellen Kurt

Story Created: Jun 29, 2012 at 6:12 AM CDT

Story Updated: Jun 29, 2012 at 12:26 PM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- As temperatures get higher across Eastern Iowa, one local charity is running dangerously low on supplies to help keep people cool.

Officials with The Salvation Army in Cedar Rapids say they have almost run out of the box fans they’ve been giving away to people in need.

On June 4, The Salvation Army began giving the fans away at their office located at 1000 C Ave NW in Cedar Rapids. Since then, officials say they’ve given out between thirty and forty fans a day.

“They’re just flying out of here. We could really use some help from the community,” Lindsay Hand, Director of Social Services for The Salvation Army, said.

Hand said some of the fans were purchased with money that has since run out, while others were donated by companies like Walmart.

For those unable to get a fan, The Salvation Army will operate a cooling station while temperatures remain high. They will provide a place to cool off and a cold glass of water during their normal business hours, from 8:30a.m. to 4:30p.m..

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