volunteer efforts going strong in cedar rapids

Yesterday I traded in my cushy job sitting behind a desk, for a wrecking-bar and shovel. I spent my entire work day as a Corridor Recovery Volunteer, cleaning up the mess left in the wake of the 2008 floods. I thought I was prepared for what I was about to witness, but I was sorely mistaken.

We [our team] placed our efforts at Eden United Church of Christ. They requested help removing plaster, lath, and wire mesh from walls and ceilings; removing hardwood flooring in their basement; and removal of a water heater and window air conditioners. We estimated this would have taken them nearly a month to accomplish on their own due to their shortage of resources.

Our goal was to accomplish everything on the list before the end of the day. We had 14 AEGON employees and roughly 5 or so additional church members to lend a hand. One church member, on leave from Afghanistan, came to spend the day helping with the clean-up effort. I was very impressed by this young man who gave up his vacation to work as a volunteer at his hometown church.

There was an idea in my head of what we were walking into. I had seen the pictures on the Internet. I had seen all the footage on the news. I had even passed through some of the neighborhoods as I drove to and from locations on either side of the river. So to be honest, I really thought I was prepared for what we were about to see…I was wrong. Not only was everything covered with sludge and black mold, there was a smell that was stale - damp - rotten - festering - - - truly nasty. It was like being inside a sewer. Not even the 95% masks could shield us from the smell. It was awful, absolutely awful.

Over the course of 8 hours, we made incredible progress. Hours of busting down walls of plaster and carrying out the scraps in 5 gallon buckets really takes a toll - both a positive impact on the church and a negative impact on our bodies. Two of our team membes suffered injuries - one man busted his nose and had to go to the hospital, the other was a woman who stepped on a rusty nail. To be honest, under the circumstances, I’m surprised there weren’t more injuries. Our cloths were soaked in mold and grime, so much so, I decided to throw my jeans, socks, and shoes in the garbage.

I’ve been a volunteer many times before, but I can honestly say I’ve never worked as hard as I did this day. We were all exhausted, filthy, and ready to drop from the heat. But none of us, not even once, lost our drive and determination. The spirit of the community, though a little tattered, remains positive. I expected to see broken spirits, but that just wasn’t the case. There were several members from the church with us that day, including the pastor of the church. Several members came to feed us [the volunteers] and to thank us for our help. Not once did I hear a defeatist attitude. I was truely humbled by this experience.
 
Before I forget, let me extend my thanks to my employer for giving all of us at AEGON the opportunity to step-up and volunteer in the cleanup effort. From what I’ve heard, AEGON was able to organize an effort of over 700 employees in 15 person teams to help in the community. They are allowing us to have up to 4 additional paid days off to volunteer in our community. Not only does this show the strength and character of our community, it shows that corporate America is not all bad.

I hope the citizens of Cedar Rapids continue to come out and volunteer to help their fellow Cedar Rapidians. There’s so much work yet to be done, and many of the impacted do not have the resources to do it alone. So if you’re thinking about volunteering, call up your boss, request a couple days off, and sign-up. You won’t regret it, and the people you help will never forget it.

- the UB