T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY
Junk Relief Owner Jake Rowley, heart, flanked by Marshalltown Mayor Joel Greer, Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown workers, ARL Board Member Cindy Brodin and representatives of the businesses he partnered with for the “Pickup for Paws” fundraiser, poses for a photograph after donating almost 7,850 kilos of cat and pet food to the ARL on Tuesday morning.
When somebody wants assist — whether or not it’s in his home group of Marshalltown or midway throughout the nation — Jake Rowley by no means hesitates to reply the decision.
The native businessman, who owns and operates Junk Relief, was getting back from a trip at Lake Okoboji after the Fourth of July weekend when Jim Sams, a member of the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown’s board of administrators, known as him and stated they had been working desperately low on pet meals. Sams puzzled if he may haul some up from Des Moines, however, as he typically does, Rowley determined to go above and past and switch it right into a fundraising alternative.
“Naturally, with us being contractors and me having a junk removal service, I thought ‘What can we do that is our normal daily labor so that we can raise these funds by doing what we do best to be able to raise money to get as much food as, hopefully, they would need for a while to try to get them ahead?’” he requested.
From there, he reached out to a number of of his associates within the native business group — Exterior + Home Remodeling, CJ Construction, Speedy Auto, The Mopsters and State Farm Agent Jeff Linton — and got here up with a plan. Residents may join prematurely to have something they needed off of their properties hauled away for a payment of $75, and all proceeds would instantly profit the ARL. They named it “Pickup for Paws.”
In all, there have been 34 addresses when Rowley and his crew went out for pickup on Sept. 16, and so they stuffed eight dumpsters and 4 dump trailers.
“There was a lot on some people’s curbs,” he stated.
Junk Relief raised $2,550, and Exterior + matched, that means $5,100 went towards buying cat and pet food — which, it turned out, lined almost 7,850 kilos purchased from the native Menard’s and Theisen’s shops. Rowley was fast to shout out Theisen’s for offering a 20 p.c low cost.
Mayor Joel Greer swung out to the ARL on Tuesday morning for the presentation and stated the trouble was a win-win because it helped a beloved native nonprofit and in addition inspired additional cleanup and beautification efforts inside Marshalltown.
“We know we need help on the cleanup both with junk vehicles and disposable things that need to be picked up, but Jake has demonstrated a real commitment to Marshalltown when it needs help and to other communities when they need help,” Greer stated. “So whenever Jake calls, I answer, and I appreciate what he put together here.”
The ARL is at the moment housing 76 dogs and 150 cats, and Interim Director Deirdre Gruendler stated they’re on a waitlist for house owners to give up consequently.
“Marshalltown (and) Marshall County are just tremendously generous, and this is one example of how the community comes together to support the organizations that are essential to its health,” Gruendler stated. “And if we weren’t here taking these animals in, imagine what it would look like on the streets. It would just be so much chaos, so it’s really an essential service. And I’ve been so impressed by the commitment of the staff and everybody who’s working to make this happen.”
For Rowley, it all the time boils right down to doing the appropriate factor first and worrying in regards to the money later — whether or not he’s serving to out after pure disasters in faraway locations like Kentucky and Louisiana or proper in his personal yard. And it’s by no means a one-man present.
“I have a team of people that are standing behind us right now that care about this community, and I’m the dumb one that asks them to do stuff for free. That’s the way I look at it,” he stated with amusing. “I’ve really always looked at a way, I guess, every day, to use the things that I’ve been blessed with — the connections, the people that I know and the friends around me — to be able to do as much good as we can. And I guess I’m always just kind of a hyper-focused guy. I don’t really sit down and relax too well, so for me it’s always just having something to do. And then also, it’s always good for my business and I hope it’s good for my people around me, businesses around me.”
ARL Board Member Cindy Brodin described Rowley’s altruism in a extra succinct method.
“We call Jake, and Jake will run. Seriously, he has a heart of gold for this town, and he does run. He does work hard for it,” she stated.
While the donation of almost 4 tons of meals is way appreciated and welcomed, it’s solely projected to final the ARL a few month. To donate money, meals or different wanted provides or to inquire about adopting an animal, go to the workplace in particular person at 1921 Taylor Ave. (simply northeast of Marshalltown off of Garwin Road), name (641) 753-9046 or go to
——
Contact Robert Maharry
at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or
