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VISTA Flood Recovery and Block by Block
VISTA Corridor Recovery and CCIA are teaming up with Block by Block to help rebuild Cedar Rapids one “Block” at a time.
Founded in July 2009, Block by Block is a grassroots organization that focuses on building neighborhood relations and identifying personalized solutions for flood-affected homeowners. Before Block by Block begins rebuilding work in a neighborhood, at least 60 percent of the house on the block must sign a neighborhood covenant and agree to attend regular block meetings, and the staff meets with each homeowner individually to develop a plan for the property. After a construction plan is developed, Block by Block uses a mix of private and public funding, volunteer and paid labor to rehabilitate the homes in the neighborhood.
Shelby Colwell, who started as a summer intern with Block by Block, has been working as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member since the fall. Shelby assists the Rev. Melissa Bracht-Wagner, Block by Block’s Volunteer Coordinator, in coordinating and recruiting volunteers. She also supervises volunt
eer groups in the field and serves as the primary contact person for AmeriCorps*NCCC teams working with Block by Block. To help meet Block by Block’s growing recovery efforts, two additional AmeriCorps*VISTA members, Shea Henry and Casey Westlake, began working with the organization in January.
Shea was brought onto the Block by Block team full-time to fill a need with their tools and inventory system. The organization has recently been working on purchasing a warehouse and they wanted a VISTA who has had experience in flood recovery to help set it up. Shea brings seven months of experience as a project coordinator for the Linn Area Long Term Recovery Coalition (LALTRC) to this project. Until the warehouse has been purchased, Shea is running tools and materials to volunteers and houses that need them, and organizing the trailer system that Block by Block is using until everything can be moved into the new warehouse.
Casey, who will be working with Block by Block part-time in addition to other VISTA projects, will be assisting with communications and other office tasks, including researching current and prospective blocks, updating the Block by Block Web site, writing homeowner profiles and creating photo albums of each block.
Right now, Block by Block is working with eight blocks on Cedar Rapids’ West side. Of the 102 homes in this area, they have identified a solution for 98 of them. In 2010, they hope to complete an additional 12 to 16 blocks. If successful, this would be a revitalization of 20 percent of the flooded blocks on the West side that are outside the construction zone.
By Casey Westlake