TRACY — Recovering from a flood is a huge task. But volunteers and organizers gathered at the Veterans Memorial Center in Tracy said they wanted to help make that task a little easier.

All around the center’s gymnasium, there were tables set up for area agencies, covering everything from cleanup supplies to questions about disaster relief, all under one roof.

It’s called the Multi-Agency Resource Center, or MARC. And while it wasn’t crowded on Thursday afternoon, volunteers said a steady stream of people had been coming in.

“There were people here when we opened,” said Katelyn Gorman, disaster program manager with the American Red Cross in southwest Minnesota.

The MARC is set up a little like a job fair, Gorman explained, with tables representing different area resources and organizations. On-site child care and kids’ activities are available, to free parents up to talk with agencies at the resource center.

The MARC will also be open today from 1-7 p.m. for area residents who have been affected by this summer’s flood events.

Tables set up at the MARC on Thursday included county emergency managers, the Red Cross, the Farm Service Agency, Lutheran Social Service, United Community Action Partnership, and more. Gorman said a representative of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in Minnesota was also available to answer residents’ questions.

Gorman said a total of 16 partner agencies were present.

“The idea is to be kind of a one-stop shop,” she said.

While many of the agencies at the MARC were regional, there was also a local presence. The Tracy Long Term Recovery committee had a table in the gym.

“We are just getting started,” said Tracy LTR committee member Pam Anderson. The group is going through the process of officially becoming a nonprofit, and working out their role in helping Tracy recover from the July flood event, she said.

The general idea for Tracy LTR is to continue on as a local resource to help Tracy residents after disasters like the flooding. If a resident or family still has recovery needs after using other resources, Anderson said, the committee step in.

“We will help get people back to their new normal,” she said. The group has a Facebook page titled “Help Tracy, MN 2018,” with more information and ways to donate.

For Tracy LTR, the MARC was a chance to answer people’s questions about the organization, and to network with agencies and people who can help, Anderson said.