Severe flash flooding and levee failure in Northwest Iowa prompted urgent evacuations on Saturday. Hundreds of homes are flooded, and more than 1,000 people have been displaced as the devastation continues. God’s Pit Crew is working with ministry partners onsite to assist with ongoing relief efforts.
A semi-load of Blessing Buckets, cleaning supplies, bottled water and Gatorade is being sent to Rock Valley, Iowa, from God’s Pit Crew headquarters in Danville, Virginia. The five-gallon buckets containing non-perishable food, water, hygiene items, first-aid kits, flashlights, Bibles, and much more will soon depart the distribution warehouse. Once in Iowa, the supplies will be unloaded at First Christian Reformed Church and be distributed to anyone in need.
“If you’ve never seen a flood, just imagine everything that people have worked for in complete ruin. Imagine having your home fill up with multiple feet of water,” explained Chris Chiles, God’s Pit Crew Immediate Disaster Response Coordinator. “That is the reality for these communities in Iowa right now.”
This response comes just days after the ministry dispatched relief supplies to Roswell, New Mexico, to aid in relief efforts for the ongoing wildfires ravaging the state. In the midst of back-to-back disaster scenarios, God’s Pit Crew President, Randy Johnson, expressed the importance of being prepared to respond at a moment’s notice.
“Our committed volunteers, donors, and partners make it possible for us to respond with urgency,” said Johnson. “All donations received for disaster relief efforts allow our ministry to aid disaster victims with life-sustaining supplies that are prepared and ready to go when needed – and we are so thankful for that support.”
As the ministry looks to restock their inventory of Blessing Buckets to keep responding and providing the much-needed materials to survivors, anyone interested in sponsoring a Blessing Bucket – which cost $35 per bucket to fill – or to support their ongoing immediate disaster response efforts is encouraged to visit GodsPitCrew.org or call (434) 836-4472.