September 30, 2005 (Baltimore, MD) - Long Term Rebuilding Effort Begins in Gulf Coast region

Update

Nearly a week has passed since Hurricane Rita made landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border. The good news is that the destruction was not as massive nor as severe as was feared, yet many homes and businesses were destroyed or badly damaged, and more people are now displaced as a result. But there is another sort of good news too. In the midst of tragedy and chaos the Holy Spirit has been at work, inspiring and enabling the people of God to love and care for one another. Dr. Kurt Senske, CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the South - the Lutheran Disaster Response affiliate in Texas and Louisiana - writes: "Everyday this past month seemingly brought new stories of personal tragedy, personal triumph and inspiring examples of compassion and courage". In the Social Ministry Organization Updates section below you can read the stories of some remarkable people Dr. Senske has encountered.

As Christ's people seek to embody the Good News of the Gospel by becoming good news for people in need, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and their partner organizations (Lutheran Disaster Response, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Lutheran Services in America, and Lutheran World Relief) are meeting to map out the components of a coordinated Lutheran strategy for long term response. The strategy will address the needs of those in the Gulf Coast area as well as persons who have relocated to other parts of the country.

Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) continues to work through Lutheran social ministry organizations along the Gulf Coast to address immediate needs and lay the groundwork for the longer term effort ahead. As each step in the recovery effort is completed, it enables the next step to begin. Already, more than $8 million dollars has been contributed to LDR for this relief effort – and 100% of this money goes directly to relief work.

Lutheran Social Ministry Organization Updates

• Lutheran Social Services of the South is touching the lives of thousands of people in Texas and Louisiana.. Here are just a few of their stories:
  Faith, a single mother, with 18-month-old Chloe, who was evacuated from New Orleans to the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX, along with three residents of Peace Lake Towers, LSS's independent living facility for low-income and disabled seniors in east New Orleans, and some of their extended family. After rescuing Faith and Chloe from the Convention Center, LSS helped her get to family in Atlanta. She recently called to say thanks for helping her in her time of need.
  Jana, a three-year-old foster child who a year ago had a heart transplant because of a birth defect. Outwardly she appears to be a normal child, playful and with a brilliant smile. She was one of 21 medically fragile foster children who LSS evacuated from the Houston area when it appeared that Hurricane Rita was going to strike Galveston. The extraordinary efforts that the foster parents made, loading up children with all kinds of medical equipment and spending up to 22 hours to move those precious children out of harm's way, was a testimonial to their commitment and to the dedicated staff of LSS.
  Carolyn and Larry, an amazing couple in Baton Rouge, who have made the children of Bethlehem Children's Center of New Orleans a personal cause. When the 45 children evacuated to Trinity Lutheran Church in Baton Rouge, Carolyn single-handedly tried to clothe and find shoes for every child. Late at night, she would be out shopping for food or organizing other members of the church to do the same. Though the children have since been relocated to Corpus Christi, TX until the agency can rebuild the children's center, Carolyn and Larry still call to check on "our kids", making sure they are being cared for well


• Lutheran-Episcopal Services of Mississippi is doing remarkable work in leading the LDR response effort in Mississippi. After only three weeks the work has shifted in emphasis from immediate recovery to rebuilding, and it is gaining momentum daily.


• Lutheran social ministry organizations in many parts of the country are mobilizing local congregations and volunteers to assist displaced persons who have found their way to these communities through formal and informal channels. Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri, for example, reports that there are 12,000 hurricane victims in that state and that the organization has hired case workers and a volunteer coordinator, and has set up a disaster office to coordinate efforts throughout the Missouri Lutheran community. If a government sponsored relocation plan for large numbers of displaced Americans is put into place, there will be an urgent need to replicate this effort on a large scale. Lutheran Services in America is engaged in ongoing planning with other Lutheran partners to prepare for this possibility.

ELCA Domestic Disaster Response
P.O. Box 71764
Chicago, IL 60694-1764
Phone (with credit card) 800-638-3522
www.elca.org

OR

LCMS World Relief and Human Care
1333 South Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, MO 63122-7295
Credit Card Gift Line: 888-930-4438
www.lcms.org