Matthew 25 is offering to perform free repairs on homes damaged by the Aug. 10 derecho.
The Cedar Rapids nonprofit began accepting applications for the program on Sunday. Initial projects will be selected by Friday, Aug. 28. The application can be found online.
To be eligible, applicants must:
• Own their home
• Have damage that insurance won’t cover
• Earn under 80 percent of median income
Repair projects might include repairing roofing and siding, replacing broken windows and cleaning debris. More projects will be added as volunteers and funding become available, according to the nonprofit.
Matthew 25 was started in 2006 with a mission to “strengthen and elevate neighborhoods on the west side of Cedar Rapids,” according to its website. The nonprofit’s name comes from a Bible passage that stresses the importance of helping those in need. The organization focuses on food, housing and education in its efforts to transform neighborhoods.
Individuals who would like to sign up to volunteer can go to Matthew 25’s Facebook page to see current opportunities or sign up for the Aug. 31 to Sept. 4 Transform Week that will focus on derecho home repair projects. There will be another Transform Week in October that will focus on repair and maintenance projects in the Taylor and Time Check neighborhood.
Transform Week has grown each year since it began, the nonprofit’s Development and Communications Director Jana Bodensteiner told Little Village last year. There were six projects and 50 volunteers for the first event in 2016. The following year there were 12 projects and 160 volunteers. In 2018, 300 volunteers helped with 18 projects. And in 2019, there were 22 projects completed by 325 volunteers.
