An Open Letter to www.corridorrecovery.org

On Friday, June 13th, 2008 the Cedar River, which runs through the heart of our city at an average depth of 7 feet, crested over its’ banks at 31.12 feet. As the river receded, the statistics left behind were staggering. 5,390 flood-affected homes with 25,000 people displaced in Cedar Rapids and 1,300 city blocks (9 square miles) were hit, leaving a vast array of business and residential properties with extensive flood damage! The recovery and rebuilding efforts here in Cedar Rapids are massive and will take years to accomplish. The toll is not only in property damage, but more importantly, there are countless individuals and families who have lost nearly all their earthly belongings and worldly treasures.

Yet as this disaster hit so many so hard, it’s important for all of us to remember that HOPE was not washed away with the flood. HOPE springs eternal, the saying goes, and here in the Heartland, it’s important for all of us to pull together in HOPE as we walk this long road back to normalcy in Cedar Rapids and Linn County.

So what does HOPE look like? Certainly it is more than just a smile and a friendly wave towards those who have lost so much. As I see it, the most perfect specimen of HOPE is one that offers a helping hand to those in need. HOPE is best expressed by getting a bit dirty alongside a neighbor who needs help tearing out drywall or power-washing a basement. HOPE is stepping out of our comfort zones, offering a bit of sweat-equity to a co-worker who is working hard to get their home restored before winter.

In the months ahead, let’s work together, hand-in-hand, making HOPE a practical expression of our care for one another in our City of Five Seasons.

~ by Marty Boller on August 19, 2008.