For the past seven weeks, GoServ Global has lead volunteer efforts in flood cleanup in Hamburg, IA. GoServ Global has worked in more than 25 homes and public structures, mucking, gutting, and cleaning at no cost to homeowners, including John and Leisha.
On the day the levee broke in Hamburg, Leisha had just come up from her basement when all of a sudden a water surge blew out the sidewall leading to her basement, filling the house with water. Leisha and her 15-month-old granddaughter along with two dogs were rescued by canoe from her front porch.
GoServ Global volunteers have dug out the couple’s “mudroom” – their basement that filled with mud from the floodwaters. Today, the wall is fixed and the basement has been cleaned.
“Everybody that’s here is just amazing,” shared Leisha who has worked for the past 33 years as a hospice aid. “Without them, we would have never been able to get the debris removed and cleaned. Thank you so much!”
“What you all have done is absolutely amazing,” shared John with a GoServ Global team. “You have just been a god-send!”
GoServ Global’s Disaster Relief Team provides immediate assistance after a natural disaster, targeting the forgotten or neglected towns, neighborhoods, and families. Our mission is to be the hands and feet of Christ by addressing the physical needs of people’s homes as well as sharing the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
The work is far from over in Hamburg. City officials estimates as many as 40 homes will need to be removed.
Many of these homeowners will receive no assistance in removing their home. Others have received some funds but need that money to purchase their next home.
“We are looking to spend about 10 more weeks in Hamburg assisting families with flood damage,” according to GoServ Global Domestic Director Dennis Anderson. “One of the biggest needs is removing whole structures.”
GoServ Global plans to assist these families by removing their condemned home free of charge. Doing this allows homeowners to move forward in their recovery to purchase their next home.
Serving at a disaster site for 17 weeks brings many expenses. Fortunately, GoServ Global has partnered with a local church for free housing and the community is providing a good share of meals for the team.
However, there are still a lot of other expenses that need to be covered including fuel, food, safety equipment, tools, clean-up supplies, parts, repairs, etc. GoServ Global is in need of funding to continue to help families like John and Leisha.
There are two ways you can bring hope to those in need through GoServ Global:
By Donating: https://goservglobal.org/give/ & Choose “Domestic Disaster Relief” in the dropdown.
By Volunteering: call Dennis Anderson at 712-887-0862