When disaster strikes, whether near or far, Iowans repeatedly answer the call for help. When 100+ mph winds from the Midwest derecho hit parts of Iowa, hundreds of people flocked to aid in the clean up process, including the people of GoServ Global.
After the unexpected storm passed through Huxley that fateful day of August 10, the director of GoServ, Dennis Anderson, received a call from one of their supporters who lives in that community. He described the destruction not only to his own home, but so many around his community. He asked if the people of GoServ could come and help…and they did. But in true GoServ form, this caller did not just ask for help, he gave it too by offering all of the crew who came to assist a place to stay.
“That family (James and Susan Devig) became our home-base. We had as many as 13 people staying at their place at times,” said GoServ Executive Director Paul van Gorkum.
They somehow managed to feed all of them despite the fact that they, like many other, had no electricity for days.
Upon their arrival, the GoServ volunteers got busy clearing debris. They were happy to have the help of James’s son who has his own tree trimming business to clear a path for them.
“There were huge trees, some 30 – 35 feet long, that snapped off and hanging from other trees,” said van Gorkum. “Since James works for the DNR, and his son being a tree trimmer, it was nice to have their expertise.”
van Gorkum noted how they discovered all kinds of “side stories” about people and their desire to help while serving in Huxley. For instance, one GoServ volunteer, Bob, came from as far away as Sibley, Iowa to help. But that’s not the amazing part of the story – what is is the fact that he is 82-years-old. Don’t be fooled, he was a lot of help as he is in great physical condition. While assisting in the clean up process, he shared the story of how this summer has been a disappointment for him. He usually bikes 3,000 miles every summer, but due to COVID, his travels were cut back to only 800 this year.
Another story van Gorkum shared is how they needed a tire repaired on one of their pieces of equipment. The gentleman they were referred to to fix it was an 81-year-old man. He insisted on fixing their tire for free as a thank you for them coming to Huxley to lend a hand to people they didn’t even know.
In two weeks time, the people of GoServ helped 35 families. They will continue to do whatever they can to help for as long as needed.
Although the goal of GoServ is to help others, van Gorkum said they were thrilled to receive some inadvertent help of their own during this time. Zach Johnson, known as the Minnesota Millennial Farmer, has more than half a million Youtube followers. When he showed up in Huxley to survey the damage from the storm, one of the people he talked with was the GoServ director, Dennis Anderson
“We got a lot of publicity from that,” said van Gorkum. “That next Monday, we had all kinds of first-time donations come in. They came from Canada, Norway, Australia, and more.”
Although grateful, von Gorkum wasn’t really surprised by the financial support after the story was uploaded because he said people always respond when there is a disaster. After all, in essence, that’s how GoServ Global was started in the first place – in response to the earthquake of 2010.
GoServ has also had a big response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We had money coming in from all over the world,” van Gorkum said.
The money they have received during this pandemic has been sent to around the world who have used it to purchase food and water for families in need. But they also made sure to use some of the donations to take care of the families right here in Eagle Grove that also needed help. Thanks to the continued generosity of so many contributors, the reach of GoServ help is near and far.
GoServ was started by an Iowa farmer. They are a faith-based ministry who brings in resources and people to help whenever and wherever needed. Perhaps one of their biggest recognitions is the assistance they have given since the hurricane in Haiti. Not only did they go to help with clean up efforts, but they have since donated and built Sukup homes for the people to replace the shelters they lost in the devastating storm.
“God loves us and we’re passing that on,” said Anderson.
GoServ volunteers are currently working in the Marshalltown area. More volunteers are always needed. If you would like to help, please contact van Gorkum at GoServ Global in Eagle Grove or reach out to them through their Facebook page.
