Source/Bigstock

Source/Bigstock

The Illinois REALTORS® Relief Foundation has set up a crowdfunding effort to help those affected by the July floods that inundated the small community of Watseka.

Doug Carpenter

IAR President-elect Doug Carpenter

The IRRF, which is the non-profit disaster relief arm of the Illinois Association of REALTORS®, has set up the GoFundMe site in an effort to raise $20,000. As of Wednesday afternoon, the just-launched initiative had its first donation, $50 from IAR President-elect Doug Carpenter.

The request for aid from IRRF came from the Kanakee-​Iroquois​-Ford Association of REALTORS®, which has members serving the Watseka area. The small community saw nearly a quarter of its housing stock affected by the flooding which occurred when the Iroquois River surged five feet above flood stage.

IRRF is a non-profit foundation which has already sent more than $100,000 to Illinois communities struck by two separate tornado outbreaks. Applicants can receive up to $500 to go toward daily living needs and the cost of getting to and from work.

The form for those interested in applying for aid is here.