TIMES-REPUBLICAN

Habitat for Humanity of Iowa staff and volunteers have mobilized disaster recovery response to assist families after tornadoes struck Marshalltown on July 19.

Within 24 hours after tornadoes destroyed parts of the city, Habitat personnel were on the ground assessing the damage and handing out more than 500 tarps to neighborhood residences. Once crews cleared the streets to make the areas safe, they started clean-up efforts in affected neighborhoods on Tuesday.

Since then, they have organized volunteer and staff crews from Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity, Cedar Valley Habitat, Iowa Valley Habitat, AmeriCorps and other organizations to clean up debris and board and tarp broken windows and damaged roofs.

Habitat’s Impact as of Thursday:

• Organized crews for 247 volunteers.

• Made initial sustainability repairs to 55 houses.

• Met with 271 families at the Multi-Agency Response Center providing information on housing resourced throughout the state and in Marshall county. The Red Cross estimated around 616 people visited the MARC in the two and a half days it has been open.

Donations for Marshalltown relief efforts can be made through our website: iowahabitat.org.

Habitat for Humanity of Iowa Supports Policies That…

• Help families in need of decent, affordable housing. Habitat supports eliminating barriers to adequate, affordable housing through programs such as the State Housing Trust Fund and Individual Development Accounts.

• Expand Iowa’s volunteer base. Habitat supports the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service and other programs that increase volunteerism across Iowa.

• Encourage donor support. Habitat supports tax incentives that generate contributions for affordable homeownership.

• Build strong neighborhoods. Habitat supports policies and systems that focus on collaboration between private and public entities.