Restore McGregor eyes community center to replace fallen building.
Just a few short months after a destructive storm, the community of McGregor, IA is starting to rebuild.
Restore McGregor recently received a $10,000 grant from The Native Fund to support a concept design for a new community center. The new building will be located at the former site of the INKspiration Tattoo property at 330 Main St., which was reduced to a pile of debris when an EF-1 tornado ripped through downtown McGregor on July 19. The property was donated to the city of McGregor by former owners Fred Peterie and Melanie San Fillippo.
“We’re hoping that dollars from this grant from The Native Fund will jumpstart our plans for a new community center,” said Duane Boelman, McGregor Director of Economic Development. “There’s a lot of rebuilding going on right now, and this is just a small part of those efforts.”
The Clayton County Foundation for the Future (CCFF), an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (CFGD), launched the Restore McGregor 2017 Tornado Fund less than 24 hours after the storm and collected over $40,000 in donations from all over the country. The fund is being directed by a five-member citizen committee and will assist residents and businesses with grants of up to $1,000 to address storm damage and direct community projects to rebuild downtown.
“Another role of the Community Foundation is to connect communities like McGregor to partners like The Native Fund to help create help improve lives in our community,” said CFGD Director of Affiliates MJ Smith.
Smith added that community foundations frequently engage as philanthropic centers for disaster recovery because of their unique ability to bring together service providers, community-based organizations, businesses, government and others—as well as their capacity to distribute funds from donors. “Disaster preparedness is just one way of the many ways that community foundations take the long view for their communities,” she said.
Cheryl Meyer, CCFF donor connections coordinator added that it’s difficult to imagine what struggles Clayton County will face in the future. “We have no idea what issues Clayton County will face years from now,” said Cheryl Meyer, CCFF donor connections coordinator. “Our greatest strength is the ability to ensure that the dollars you give today can help form a foundation for future generations when they need it the most.”
CCFF will continue to partner with the City of McGregor Disaster Assistance Committee and existing nonprofit and governmental agencies within the areas affected to provide funding for the services these agencies are delivering to meet the needs of victims.
That partnership is something Boelman appreciates. Just last week, dollars from the fund supported awards to more than 40 local businesses and residents. “The Restore McGregor Fund is going to help people do things they couldn’t have done alone,” he said. “It wouldn’t have happened without the Community Foundation’s help.”
Ways to Give
Online
Gifts can be made online with a credit or debit card at www.dbqfoundation.org/mcgregor.
In person
Those who wish to help can give in person at two Central State Bank locations:
Marquette Location, 205 Edgar Street, Marquette, Iowa
McGregor Location, 214 Main Street, McGregor, Iowa
Donors can also give in person at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, 700 Locust Street, Dubuque, Iowa.
Via Mail
Donors can mail checks made out to “Restore McGregor 2017 Tornado Fund” to:
Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, 700 Locust Street, Suite 195, Dubuque, IA 52001
The Community Foundation can accept gifts of various types including cash, check, stock gifts, and more.
For more information or assistance in making a donation, please visit our website at www.dbqfoundation.org/mcgregor, contact Cheryl Meyer, Clayton County Foundation for the Future Donor Connections Coordinator, at 563.380.0989, or email ccff@dbqfoundation.org.