Dear Friends of Iowa Museums and Cultural Organizations,
 
You are receiving this e-mail because you have indicated you wish to help Iowa's museums recover from the floods and storm damage they have recently experienced.  While we are still receiving damage reports, it is important to begin getting supplies and help to those who have been allowed back in their facility.
 
Mail and delivery services as well as e-mail, telephone and cell phone communication, are spotty in some areas at this time.  For that reason we have decided to concentrate delivery of supplies to two main areas at this time.  More will probably be added as we are able to determine where the need for help exists.
 
The organizations in Cedar Falls/Waterloo and in Cedar Rapids have been or are starting to be allowed back in their buildings.  In some clean up and recovery has begun.  You will find attached a list of supplies (You may email me at [log in to unmask] for the list) that I am aware of that have been vital to beginning this process - if you know of others please let me know and I will add them to the list.  The supply items listed are merely suggestions - if you would like to donate money, a fund has been set up by the Iowa Museum Association which will be distributed to those affected.  Funds may be sent to IMA at the address below.  If you would like to donate your time and talents, you will need to contact the individual museums and see if it is safe for you to travel to that area and how you can best assist.  Again, my personal experience has shown that it takes many hard-working volunteers to begin the recovery process, so "helping hands" may be the greatest blessing you can offer.
 
The two collection points have different volume needs based on facilities identified to date that are in need of assistance.
 
 In Cedar Falls/Waterloo, affected museums are the Ice House Museum, the Dan Gable Wrestling Museum, the Waterloo Center for the Arts and Hope Martin Theatre.
 
In Cedar Rapids, affected museums are the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, the Science Station, Ushers Ferry Historic Village, Seminole Valley Farm historic building complex and the Mother Mosque of North America museum.
 
The collection point in Cedar Falls will be the Cedar Falls Historical Society, 308 West Third Street, Cedar Falls, Iowa  50613.

The collection point in Cedar Rapids will be Brucemore, 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403.

Please ship all supplies via FedEx or UPS.  In each box, please include your name, contact information and a complete list of supplies you are sending.
 
Area museums will be asked to send a representative to the two collection points to pick up supplies that will aid their recovery efforts.  Donated supplies will be available to any museum or cultural organization that needs them, not just those listed above as identified to date.
 
Thank you very much for your offer of assistance!
 
Sincerely,

Cynthia Sweet
Executive Director
Iowa Museum Association
mailing address: 1116 Washington Street
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
(319) 239-2236

Mission:  The mission of the Iowa Museum Association is to provide quality training and development to Iowa museum professionals and volunteers, advocate for support of member museums, and build a strong community of museums in Iowa.

 

 

 

I work at the University of Iowa Paleontology Repository and luckily we have stayed dry during the flood.  I know some museums in the Cedar Rapids area did not fair so well and I and others from the Department of Geoscience/Museum Studies program were wondering if there was any way we could be of assistance to any of the museums.  I wasn't sure exactly who to contact so I thought I'd try this method.  I-380 opened today so we can now make it from Iowa City to Cedar Rapids and hopefully help some museums out!

Thanks,
Holly Berg
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