Jane: Volunteers in Cedar Rapids

Volunteers are all around Cedar Rapids, helping with flood cleanup.

We saw a group of young women, high school and college age, at the Y today. Their chaperone said they were a group called "Good Samaritans," from Denver, and would be staying a week. "We're helping people clear out their houses," she said. They were staying at a church, and came to the Y for showers.

I thanked her and the young women for coming to Cedar Rapids. "It was so devastating to see the pictures of the flood on TV," she said.

When we went to Culver's for ice cream later that evening, we saw a bus outside--it had a sign saying it was disaster cleanup volunteers. Another crowd of young people, tired and dirty from working.

It's odd to be the site for mission trips.