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Disaster relief team filing for nonprofit status to help more people

Dream Team Disaster Relief is filing for nonprofit status and wants to help more people in need throughout the year.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — A disaster relief group that's been around since 2018 and helped hundreds of people in times of need is now working to become a nonprofit. 

Jacob Rowley, founder of Dream Team Disaster Relief, hopes the new status allows them to help more people on a regular basis. The group, which consists of six core people, has helped in disasters in Marshalltown, Nebraska and Missouri.

The group filed to become a nonprofit this month.

"We really like to see our help go to people that really deserve it or really need it or people that have helped others throughout their life and they really deserve it," Rowley said.

He noted even though it is just a status change, he wants it to be the start of other big changes for the relief company. Like trying to get to the hardest-hit areas sooner.

"To be able to make that response within 48 hours and not seven to 10 days and so really getting everything geared up and everything ready," Rowley said.

Another change the group is working on is a website. That's expected to be dreamteamdisasterrelief.org.

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He said the URL should be live later this week.

Through the website, people can sign up to volunteer. One goal is having past receivers of help sign up to help new victims of the catastrophe. 

"As we grow our outreach to other parts of the country it won't just be Marshalltown or central Iowa that's helping these victims, it can be all corners of the country," Rowley said.

The website will also include a  place for people to send money.

"People are going to be able to set up like reoccurring donations and so you'll be able to donate as little as 10 dollars a month just like your Netflix subscription."

Rowley also hopes to eventually earn an income from dedicating all of his time to the organization's work, using 10 cents of every dollar for his pay.

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