Volunteers at work in the United States. Photo: Charles Macdonald

CORALVILLE - An Iowa City church is housing people from across the country who want to volunteer in flood clean-up and repair. And do not think for a minute the worst is over in Johnson County. One Coralville neighborhood is weeks behind others when it comes to clean up.

The Sherwood family is cleaning out a garage on Edgewater Drive. It's hard labor. And more than the clan from Jackson Hole Wyoming anticipated. Lynn Sherwood, the mother of the group, said, "We have mold and mushrooms, and a strong crew to help."

The family traveled 1,200 miles to help Johnson County. The garage they are cleaning is just one step. They, and others in their group, are staying at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City. Sherwood said, "St. Andrew's has been unbelievable with helping us, feeding us, keeping us strong, so we can help others."

Jack Sales owns the garage the family is cleaning. He said, "Shows there's still a lot of good people in this country."

It took a lot longer for the water to recede from the river front properties. Edgewater Drive is about three weeks behind other parts of Coralville and Iowa City. Heather Woodin works with St. Andrew. She said, "They're mucking which means they're pulling out all the wet icky stuff that's been sitting here for three or four weeks."

The volunteers say they can smell the mold through their masks. Living so close to the water, Sales says sometimes you have to give way to a higher power. So are these volunteers answering the call to help complete strangers who live half a country away.