Just one year ago, many communities in southeast Minnesota were under water. In one dramatic weekend, floods raged through seven counties, damaging the homes, schools, farms, and businesses of many of our friends and neighbors.

More than 5,200 homes were damaged in the floods of 2007. Total damage is estimated at $94 million. In Winona County alone, flooding affected 1,113 homes at a cost of $28.5 million in property damage. Seven lives were lost, and many communities, such as Stockton, Minnesota City, and Rollingstone, still bear the scars of the disaster.

What takes floodwaters a few days to destroy can mean years of rebuilding for families and communities. Millions in state, federal, and private aid have been distributed, but the gap in flood relief funding stands at $33 million. More than 110 households in Winona County still need recovery assistance.

Helping families rebuild their flood-damaged homes means a stronger
community for all of us. Recovery assistance helps them:

• Stay within livable debt burdens
• Save their homes from possible foreclosure
• Remain stable, productive, and contributing members of the community

By contributing to Winona Wabasha Interfaith Disaster Response you can help a family return home, and rebuild their hopes and plans for a bright future.