Response to Indiana Flooding
and Storm Damage
Flooding and wind damage have hit communities across our state hard, and many of our neighbors are dealing with losses that will take months to sort through. We've put together a few different ways for you to jump in, wherever your time, hands, or resources allow.
1. Volunteer Your Time
There are two ways to serve right now.
Serve with SERVE Village
SERVE Village is a coalition of Hamilton County churches, businesses, and organizations coordinating volunteer response to the flooding. They're running morning and afternoon shifts out of the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Noblesville, and all it takes to get started is building a quick volunteer profile on their site.
Serve with Ravenswood Neighborhood & Surrounding Areas Flood Response
This effort is organized by neighbors in the Ravenswood community, coordinating volunteers and donations out of a tent and donation center on site. Lunch, and often dinner, is served to volunteers and residents every day, with Connection Point showing up as a steady supporter of those meals.
2. Donate Items
We're collecting supplies that have been requested by several local relief organizations. Our goal is to pack the bus and get these items delivered by next Wednesday, September 2.
Items Needed:
5-gallon buckets
Box fans
Brooms
Contractor size trash bags
Crow bars and hammers
Dehumidifiers with built in pumps
Foam cleaner
Latex gloves
Lysol
Rubber boots
Sump pump
Toilet paper
Totes with lids
Utility knives
50-100ft extension cords
Wet/dry shop vacuums
Wheelbarrow
Drop off items Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at either campus. On Sundays, during service, or anytime the office is closed, drop off is only available at the Mud Creek campus, in the airlock of the main entrance.
3. Give Financially
Money given here will go toward items requested and needs identified by local relief organizations, as well as Disciples of Christ churches in the affected areas.
You can give in these ways:
By check, made out to Geist Christian Church, with "Flood Relief" in the memo line. Mail or drop off at either campus:
Mud Creek Campus, 8550 Mud Creek Road, Indianapolis, IN 46256
Promise Road Campus, 12756 Promise Road, Fishers, IN 46037
Online, here, making the gift "Flood Relief" in the required notes field.
Every dollar given goes directly toward relief efforts.
4. Resources for Church Members Affected by the Storms
If your household has been impacted by the recent flooding damage, there is help available to you through Week of Compassion.
Financial Grants
Household Solidarity Grants: A $250 grant per household from our wider Disciples of Christ family to help with immediate needs caused by the recent storms and flooding.
To apply or ask questions, contact Michael Shepherd at michael@weekofcompassion.org.
5. Resources to Know and Share
Legal Resources
Attorneys are available to assist with legal issues including FEMA appeals, insurance claim denials, home repair scams and fraud, unemployment insurance, SNAP benefits, homeowner and tenant rights, Medicaid and Medicare, and other civil legal matters. A lawyer can explain what legal rights a survivor has after a disaster, help draft letters, complete official documents, and assist when benefits are denied.
Learn more here, then scroll down to Legal Assistance and Toolkits and Other Helpful Information.
Insurance Help
The NAIC Post Disaster Claims Guide walks homeowners through the entire insurance process after a storm, from securing your property and reporting a claim to working with an adjuster and understanding how your settlement is calculated. It also covers what replacement cost versus actual cash value means for your payout, how to avoid contractor scams during rebuilding, and what to do if you disagree with a settlement offer. It's a helpful reference whether this is your first claim or your fifth.
6. Attend a Benefit Concert
The Vogue on Friday, August 28, will host a special benefit concert supporting Broad Ripple area neighborhoods impacted by the recent flooding.
In partnership with the Broad Ripple Village Association (BRVA) and co-presented by DKGR and Versa Broad Ripple, the Flood Relief Benefit Concert brings the community together for an evening of live music featuring Dizgo and Hyryder.
Tickets are $10, and 100% of ticket proceeds go toward the relief effort. Additional donations are encouraged and will support the same fund.
Come enjoy great live music, bring your friends and neighbors, and help support our Broad Ripple community when it needs it most.
If you're not sure where to start, reach out to the church office and we will help you find the right resource or point you to someone who can.
We're grateful for a church that shows up for people. Thank you for whatever part of this you're able to take on.