UPDATE: Bridge Under the Bridge gets vehicles back

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - A church donation and GoFundMe helped a Cedar Rapids non-profit get back their food truck and support vehicle after it was unexpectedly towed.

Bridge Under the Bridge, a local nonprofit founded after the 2020 derecho to help feed people in need, was forced to move last year from underneath the I-380 bridge. It had temporarily parked at the Relevant Life Church near the home of its founder, Bridgette Robinson.

“We live on the same block as Relevant Life, we’ve always come and passed by here and there, so we’ve known them since we’ve moved into that house,” said Bridge Under the Bridge Founder, Bridgette Williams-Robinson. “They came and knocked on the door one day and said, ‘Hey, we don’t mind putting the trucks and trailer there.’”

But then the trucks were towed with no warning. The tow company told TV9 the property owner called to have them towed. TV9 tried to reach Relevant Life Ministries. Their listed phone number is disconnected and the website listed on Facebook is invalid. We have not received a response to our private Facebook message. Church members contacted TV9 to say the Relevant Life Church has not operated there for years and that the pastor had moved away. However, property records still list Relevant Life Ministries as the property owner.

The tow company lowered its fees to help Bridge Under the Bridge get them back while covering their costs. Prairie Bible Church also stepped up to help Bridge Under the Bridge afford those fees as Bridge Under the Bridge asked for donations to help via a GoFundMe.

Robinson says she’s undeterred in her mission despite the recent challenges.

“It’s always going to be worth it,” said Williams-Robinson. “We wouldn’t have made it this long if it wasn’t worth it. There’s always a bigger purpose. There’s always going to be somebody less off than you, and if you can just give them a hand up, it’s not always going to be a handout because a lot of the people we help are regular people.”

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