Matthew 25 receives $100,000 grant for derecho home repairs

Matthew 25 receives $100,000 grant for derecho home repairs

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KWWL) — Matthew 25 has received a $100,000 grant for the PATCH (Providing Assistance to Community Homeowners) Program, which helps provide derecho home repairs for low-income homeowners in the Cedar Rapids area.

The grant was provided by the McGrath Family of Dealerships and Skogman Companies. They’re the latest in a growing list of community partners to be involved in the PATCH Program, which was created by a group of non-profits.

Matthew 25 says low income homeowners have had an especially hard road to recovery from the August derecho. The PATCH Program fills the gap between insurance, FEMA and government assistance programs to get homes repaired to a point where they can get through the winter.

“As two family-owned, community focused businesses, McGrath and Skogman reached out to us and said they wanted to find a way to make a significant investment in the community that drives their success. We know the need is great, so these funds will be put to good use,” Clint Twedt-Ball, Executive Director at Matthew 25 said.

Area non-profits have been building the capacity to take on repairs through community partnerships, additional staffing and software, monetary and supply donations, and in-kind services in order to help the maximum number of families possible. Matthew 25 is in the process of receiving approximately $140,000 worth of shingles donated by Good 360, a national non-profit.

Financial assistance from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, United Way of East Central Iowa, World Class Industries, and Alliant Energy have made it possible for Matthew 25 to hire two new employees to manage the repair projects and purchase necessary supplies.

HACAP, Habitat for Humanity, Housing Fund for Linn County, Iowa Legal Aid, Neighborhood Finance Corp, the City of Cedar Rapids and Linn County, have also been instrumental in getting the PATCH Program off the ground.

In a partnership with Waypoint, those in need of repairs can call 319-366-7999. Waypoint staff will assess the needs of the caller and determine eligibility for PATCH services, or if another program or organization would be a better fit.

Matthew 25 is in need of skilled volunteer groups and contractors to complete repairs. Volunteer groups interested in helping yet this can click here to fill out the volunteer registration form.

Other organizations that are interested in supporting the PATCH program can click here or call 319-326-2214.

Published at Fri, 11 Dec 2020 02:48:20 +0000