(FORTUNE Magazine) – Most big Midwest corporations escaped major damage from the recent floods, so , they're busy sending victims what they know and do best: their own products and services. Contributions range from the mundane -- press releases from Maytag in Newton, Iowa, on how to deal with waterlogged appliances, and frozen bagels and cheesecake from Chicago-based Sara Lee -- to the more esoteric: Principal Mutual Life is volunteering lawyers and actuaries to help hometown Des Moines assess damages. Perhaps the most useful donation: dry ground. Waste Management of Oak Brook, Illinois, let local farmers graze their cattle and store equipment atop one of its landfills near St. Louis, high above the floodwaters. -- J.M.