A Panora resident is currently at work assisting those who were deeply impacted by floods in southwest Iowa.

Panora Mayor Patrick Parker is the District Governor for the Lions Club International’s southwest district in Iowa, and has applied for and received an emergency grant of $10,000. He says those funds, as well as approximately $6,000 in donations, will be mainly used for Mills and Harrison counties, “So what we’re looking at is partnering with the county health organizations to identify those families over there that are already living paycheck to paycheck that may need some assistance with some groceries. A lot of the canned goods they can get but a lot of times what they can’t get is the produce, the meat, the vegetables, and the bread. So we’re going to work with them to identify some families that we can go in and assist with some costs that aren’t being covered by other means right now.”

Parker says the Lions Club Southwest District only has 30 days to spend the emergency grant, and he is currently developing a plan to best use those funds. Lions Club International is also seeking donations to help fund more emergency grants for disaster victims. You can donate to Lions Clubs International Foundation, Department 4547, Carol Stream IL 60122-4547.