For those who were impacted by the flooding that swept across Nebraska and Iowa earlier this year, the disaster is far from over.
Though floodwaters have subsided in some areas, many Nebraskans and Iowans are only just beginning to rebuild their homes and their lives. To aid these individuals, United Way of the Midlands (UWM) has invested an additional $700,000 to assist with long-term recovery efforts.
UWM has provided this funding to 15 agencies who will be providing behavioral healthcare, rental and utility assistance, legal representation, mobile pantries and assistance with home rebuilding for flood victims:
• Boy Scouts, Heartland Chapter
• Lutheran Family Services
• Fremont County Community Foundation
• Mills County Community Foundation
• Food Bank of the Heartland
• Nebraska Legal Aid
• Habitat for Humanity
• New Visions Homeless Services
• Heartland Hope Mission
• Omaha Rapid Response
• Iowa Legal Aid
• The Salvation Army
• Kings Garden, Inc.
• United Ways across Nebraska
• Lift Up Sarpy County, Inc.
“We are very grateful to each and every person and organization that contributed to the flood relief fund,” said Shawna Forsberg, president and CEO of UWM. “The flooding may be receding, but much of the damage remains. Thanks in part to our donors’ generosity, local nonprofits can continue to provide flood victims the help and support they’ll need in the months to come.”
In total, UWM received more than $1.1 million in pledges to its Nebraska and Iowa Flood Relief Fund. More than 2,500 individuals and 90 companies contributed, with donors hailing from 48 states and as far away as Puerto Rico and France.
In April, UWM released $450,000 of these donations to agencies like the American Red Cross, Food Bank for the Heartland, Habitat for Humanity of Omaha and Legal Aid of NE/IA for immediate crisis response and to local United Ways across Nebraska for distribution in their communities.
A report detailing the full impact of these donations will be released in the end of September of this year.
About United Way of the Midlands
United Way of the Midlands (UWM) has served the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro for more than 95 years. Guided by best practices and community input, it approaches poverty in a specific way – a “united” way. With the support of volunteers, community partners and donors, UWM invests 92 cents of every donated dollar in our local community. These dollars fund basic needs, education and financial stability programs at local nonprofits, creating a circle of support for people in need. Please visit unitedwaymidlands.org for more information.
Download full press release HERE