A few weeks ago, Lisa Kuzela of Cedar Rapids was thinking about abandoning her flood damaged home. Now, she’s hoping to move back in just in time to celebrate the holidays. Kuzela is one of several flood victims receiving help this week from a non-profit group called Eight Days of Hope .
“I was at an all-time low before I heard from them,” Kuzela said. The 1,300 volunteers all from all over the country. Volunteer Butch Buettner is from South Dakota. “We home-school our kids, so this is just part of their education, I guess,” Buettner said.
On Monday, the volunteers restored electricity to Kuzela’s home for the first time since the flood. “It’s kind of a cool symbol because now there’s more light in my life and more hope,” Kuzela said. The volunteers plan to work on about 100 homes in Cedar Rapids and 50 in the Palo and Vinton area.