August 30, 2008, Cornell College students work various sites, Cedar Rapids.

Two groups of Cornell College (Mount Vernon, Iowa) students chose August 30 as a day of flood-recovery service. Some chose to pick up debris in southwest Cedar Rapids.

Others to muck and tear out flood-affected homes in all four quadrants of the city.

About 100 were assigned to muck and tear out houses in all four quadrants of Cedar Rapids.

Trained AmeriCorps VISTA members, and others from National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) were assigned to each site to oversee the college volunteers.

AmeriCorps VISTA yearlong member Curtis DeVetter instructs Cornell College students in mucking, tear out and yard clean up.

AmeriCorps VISTA summer associates Julie Glazer and Ben Vermie team up to haul an air conditioner to the curb.

Need anything? AmeriCorps VISTA member Phil Cooke stops by a northwest Cedar Rapids mucking site to check.

At a second site, also started by Coe College students the previous weekend, AmeriCorps VISTA members Curtis DeVetter and Brittany Zemlick led a team of Cornell College students in mucking and gutting.
Inside, students tore out walls and flooring, shoveled debris and hauled it to the curb. The change since the previous week was noticeable in the ripped-off siding and new piles of debris at the curb.
“They’re a hardworking group of kids,” said AmeriCorps VISTA yearlong member Curtis DeVetter.