Press Release Archive

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Governor Thanks Those Donating To Tornado Victims

Homeland Security officials urge donations of cash as opposed to items

(Parkersburg, IA)— Today, Governor Culver thanked Iowans for their generosity and outpouring of support to those families devastated by the tornado that swept through northeast Iowa on Sunday. Dave Miller, administrator for Homeland Security Emergency Management encourages those wishing to help, to make cash donations to a charity or any of several disaster organizations.

Many well-meaning citizens have responded by donating new and pre-owned items.  While these types of donations may be useful, the number of items donated at this time has become overwhelming.  Semi-trailer loads of donated materials are showing up at the edge of town. Storing and warehousing these donated goods can quickly become a challenge for responders who are already taxed taking care of basic recovery needs. Managing unrequested volunteers who show up to help can also present issues because the volunteers must be housed and fed.

Governor Culver said, “Iowans historically open their hearts and wallets when their fellow neighbors are in need, and the outpouring of support in response to this disaster is no different. That spirit of giving is what makes Iowa special.” The Governor noted that many residents are still sorting through their belongings to find any personal effects that are salvageable.

Homeland Security officials offer a few guidelines when donating following a major event like Sunday’s tornadoes:

Do

  • Give cash donations.
  • Give to a reputable charity or faith-based organization.
  • If you’d like to volunteer, contact the Iowa Concern Hotline at 1-800-447-1985 to ask how you can help.

Don’t

  • Don’t show up at the disaster site. There are often curfews in effect. Also, residents and law enforcement personnel are usually the only people cleared to enter the disaster site. On-site volunteers must be approved before entering the disaster area.
  • Don’t donate new and used items unless they are specifically requested. Storing and managing these items can tax responders who are addressing basic recovery needs.

Homeland Security’s Dave Miller said, “We understand and appreciate that Iowans want to help immediately. At this time, the best way to assist is with cash donations to disaster relief organizations and faith-based organizations that help with these types of disasters. The people of Parkersburg will have long-term needs to rebuild and that’s when donated items and volunteers will be very useful.”

Iowans can also call the Iowa Concern Hotline at 1-800-447-1985 if they have an item they would like to donate to help the Parkersburg recovery efforts. That list of items will then be forwarded to Parkersburg and the donators will be contacted if their resource is needed. For a list of organizations that are providing disaster assistance, go to http://www.iowahomelandsecurity.org and click on the May 25th Tornado link on the right side of the home page.