First National Bank of Omaha, Neb., is partnering with its community in 2020 to award grants totalling more than $825,000 for flood recovery in Nebraska, western Iowa and southeastern South Dakota.
The Heartland Disaster Recovery group was awarded $35,000, which is one of several grants to be awarded in the following year by the Rebuild Heartland Community Fund.
The fund was established in partnership between FNBO and the Nebraska Community Foundation in response to the floods that devastated the area in the spring and summer of 2019.
Best practices for disaster recovery programs indicate that a significant period of waiting is necessary to fully understand the community’s needs and in order to coordinate state and federal resources that could become available, said Alec Gorynski, vice president of community development and corporate philanthropy at the $23 billion bank.
“The remaining funding is expected to be awarded to other flood recovery programs in the first half of 2020,” Gorynski said.
The $35,000 grant is a required match to a $500,000 grant awarded by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. The funds will contribute to restoring homes for families in Wood River, Neb., where 80 percent of the community’s homes were impacted by flooding.
One hundred percent of the $825,000, which was raised from individuals, families and organizations across the country, will go towards supporting the long-term recovery of the flood impacted communities. The Rebuild the Heartland Community Fund is still accepting donations.