We are approaching the one-year anniversary of Greater Than Goods coming up in July 2009. This milestone has made us pause to think about our first cause. It was the Embrace Iowa fund, which inspired the “Greater Than Any Storm” shirt to raise money for disaster recovery and relief assistance to victims of the tornadoes and devastating flooding that took place throughout Iowa in the spring and early summer of 2008.

Our goal for Greater Than Goods has always been twofold: to raise funds for nonprofit organizations and provide a communication channel to help them spread the “good” and raise awareness. Visitors from 22 states ordered our “Storm” shirt, thereby spreading exposure for the Embrace Iowa cause from coast to coast.

As grateful as we are to everyone who bought the shirt, we need to continue on our mission. There is more that still needs to be – and can be – done to provide assistance to the people whose lives were changed. Just in the Cedar Rapids area alone, 7,198 land parcels were affected by the flood:

• 5,390 residential
• 1,049 commercial
• 84 industrial
• 51 agricultural
• 486 non-profit organizations
• 138 other

…and 72,428 tons of debris were collected and removed as of August 2008. Now the rebuilding process is underway and volunteers are needed! Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity says they are extremely shorthanded, and a blitz build of 20 houses was to begin construction in June.

So think about it, what could be better than a summer vacation helping the good go around by creating fresh starts for flood victims in Iowa?  For information on how to volunteer, follow this link: http://corridorrecovery.org/Volunteer/habitat.asp.

If coming to Iowa to volunteer is a little out of the way, you can still help with a donation we’ll make from your purchase of a Greater Than Any Storm t-shirt too!

Thanks for all you have helped us accomplish in our first year. Let’s keep doing good together!

There is good inside everyone. Sometimes you can even find it in your own backyard.

RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across Iowa, brings visitors to our state from all over the world. Riders unplug from their daily lives and plug into the spirit of the small towns across the state. This year, Ames (our home) was proud to be one of the host cities.

One team of bikers - the Whiners, 30-year veterans of RAGBRAI - found themselves camping at a park in my family’s backyard. Light introductions were made. Water for showers was offered. The subject of Greater Than Goods came up. (This is where the good begins.)

The Whiners were moved by our story. Inspired, they held an impromptu auction of authentic Aussie goods donated by a DJ from the land down under. They asked that the proceeds go toward our cause, to help Iowa recover from the summer storms. They, too, wanted to benefit the 2008 Disaster Fund.

On that night, people from across the country (New Hampshire, Florida, Connecticut, Michigan, etc.) and halfway around the world (Australia) came together to express the good that lives inside each of us.

Thank you, Whiners, wherever you are!