CONCORDIA RESIDENT ASSISTANTS HELP FLOOD DISASTER RELIEF IN IOWA
ANN ARBOR, Mich., August 26, 2008- Resident Assistants (RA) from Concordia University Ann Arbor (CUAA) traveled to Iowa from Sunday, August 17 through Thursday, August 21, to assist with the relief efforts for flood victims in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In total, 16 members of the Concordia community (14 RAs, 2 Resident Directors) helped the relief efforts in cooperation with organizations such as Hands On Disaster Relief and Corridor Recovery. A report estimated that there were 5,000 affected homes and 12,000 displaced citizens in Iowa.
When area waters in Cedar Rapids rose, pollutants and sewage flowed into homes. As the water level recedes, a residue along with general muck, as much as a foot deep, settles on the floors and in basements. The insulation, flooring, and drywall become a breeding ground for mold. The volunteers entered homes and removed all damaged materials, which included personal belongings, carpets, flooring, and walls. Homes were gutted entirely in order to be treated with an anti-mold solution and then rebuilt.
Stephen Bornheimer, Concordia University RA Chair, described the emotion and lasting imagery of the trip, “I will never forget the piles of belongings left on the sides of roads, thrown out like they were nothing. Entire lives seemed to be washed away in days. And now what do they have? They have each other and the hope that people care enough to just come and help in anyway they can. This won't be over soon. It is possible that it could take over a decade for this city to fully recuperate. This event may not be on the scale of Hurricane Katrina, but it is a crisis to everyone affected. As RAs, we were just happy to be able to go and serve in anyway possible. To me, that is what being a leader is all about: stewardship and serving others wholeheartedly.”
During their travel, the group was housed at Bethany Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The trip was a mission of the RA staff at Concordia, and designed to begin the year focused on serving others, both on campus and in the community. Concordia University is located at 4090 Geddes Road in Ann Arbor, MI, just west of US-23 at exit 39.
Concordia University Ann Arbor is a liberal arts institution of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. With a Christian environment and an academic community dedicated to excellence, CUAA offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. CUAA is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) and by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). CUAA Family Life Program is approved by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). CUAA’s Athletic Program is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Champions of Character institution. CUAA is listed as one of America's Best Private Colleges®. For more information on CUAA, visit: www.cuaa.edu.
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