Reach Out WorldWide teamed up with the Sirens Project organization after a surprise and strong derecho windstorm swept through the Midwestern region of the United States. Wind speeds reached up to 140 mph, the same wind speed generated by a category 4 hurricane. The storm left great destruction and entire regions of Iowa and Illinois without electricity for up to 7 days, and in some areas, even longer. Our objective was to provide much needed supplies to the residents of Marion, Iowa, which was hit hard and hadn’t had a lot of emergency response. Quite often residents of small towns must come together and help each other recover after a natural disaster or other emergency strikes.
We rallied with our Official Disaster Relief Partner Lowe’s Home Improvement for a much needed haul that included miscellaneous building supplies, tarps, wood, and back-up power generators. The team filled a large trailer and made their way to Marion. The building supplies, tarps, and wood were used to repair homes to make them safer to allow residents back inside. The power generators were used at assisted living homes without electricity. With the generators, the caretakers and staff were able to utilize the kitchens and feed the 200+ elderly residents.
We’d like to thank the local volunteer teams in Iowa, Officer Shane Bonebrake of the Woodstock Police Department, the Sirens Project, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and His Hands Church for a quick and essential effort in the Marion, Iowa and surrounding areas.
