Local Church Offers Free Groceries

Nearly two weeks after the devastating derecho, many are still without power in Eastern Iowa.

If you're among those who lost power and had to get rid of a lot of groceries from your refrigerator and freezer, a local church has sprung into action to assist you. A grocery giveaway continues today until noon and then resumes this afternoon at 4, until supplies run out.

The location for Springs of Life Foursquare Church and their grocery giveaway is 2300 26th St. NW in Cedar Rapids. Chicken and veggies to pantry items will be available while supplies last. Donations have come from as far as South Carolina and Georgia to help Iowans in need.

Corrine Ortega is one of the organizers, and said to KCRG, "as people are getting their power back on we’re really trying to help those people who have lost things, help them replace that without having to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff. So we’re just trying to help where we can."

One thing we've known long before this massive storm and its aftermath, is that "Iowa Nice" is a real thing, and now we're seeing it translate to help being paid forward to us from other parts of the country.

The Iowa Derecho Storm Resource Page on Facebook has become a widely used source of information and help to those in need in our community since its inception shortly after the storm. They have a donation center set up, too, at 5001 1st Ave. SE in Cedar Rapids.