Individuals who are members of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans can have their gifts matched for maximum impact. Please go to www.thrivent.com/fraternal/katrina.html for more information.Updates on the progress of LDR’s work in response to this disaster can be found at www.ldr.org.

Those individuals who are willing to volunteer or make in-kind contributions of materials or capacity are asked to send detailed information specifying what is being offered and contact information to ddr@elca.org, or to go to www.lcms.org and follow the links for offering various forms of voluntary assistance.

New Information:

The Department of Health and Human Services today announced the availability of a toll-free hotline for people in crisis in the aftermath of the hurricane. By calling 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), callers will be connected to a network of local crisis centers across the country that are committed to crisis counseling. Callers will receive counseling from a trained staff member at the closest certified crisis center in the network.

People Need Homes

A second focus is caring for people whose homes have been devastated. This involved a quick move to places of safety away from the disaster zone. Tens of thousands of displaced Americans have been moved to mass shelters in Baton Rouge, LA and several cities in Texas. Others are staying in temporary quarters ranging from motels to friends' basements. Recognizing that this is a short-term solution, various governmental agencies have been at work exploring the best options for longer term relocation of these displaced Americans. The media has been replete with news of many states and cities agreeing to relocate sizeable groups of people to their areas, and more announcements are being made daily. This is, in essence, a transitional move from one mass shelter to another. While it is a necessary step, it is clear that the work of relocation is much longer term.

Plans will need to be put in place to assist these persons for a period of months with issues such as housing, medical care, transportation, and employment. While a variety of options for longer term assistance are being evaluated, one common element is the recognition of the important role of nonprofit and religious organizations. Lutheran social ministry organizations in several communities have been asked to assist and have expressed a willingness to help. As specifics of the relocation process become clearer, other social ministry organizations will find opportunities to offer their expertise and experience. LSA continues to convene daily conference calls with representatives of the ELCA, LCMS, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Disaster Response, and other partners to share information and coordinate responses.

As federal and state governments and others decide next steps:

Individuals and families displaced by the hurricane should be given as much choice as possible. Ideally, this means assessing people and reviewing options with them rather than randomly assigning them to locations in other cities and states.

The process of getting people back on their feet would be well-served by a temporary liberalization of government funding and regulations that might impede forward movement. It will be important, especially in situations of secondary migration, that the dollars follow the person until they are "home". This will also require good information tracking across organizations.

Special care needs to be exercised to ensure that the needs of individuals who are elderly, developmentally disabled, mentally or physically ill, or separated from family members are recognized and met.

Communities of welcome need to be well-prepared to receive people from the Gulf Coast in order to achieve positive outcomes for the newcomers and for the local citizens, regardless of the length of stay

Lutheran social ministry organization updates

Specific updates include:

Lutheran Social Services of the South continues to be the point agency for immediate response in Texas and Louisiana, coordinating local support for people temporarily sheltered and making plans for clean-up and recovery work. They are putting forth extraordinary effort and welcome your prayers.

The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society has begun receiving displaced Americans at its facility in Alamogordo, NM, and has facilities in Wisconsin that will be receiving people soon.

California Lutheran Homes/Front Porch has a retirement community in Alexandria, LA that was spared the brunt of the damage. It is reserving all available beds in this facility for persons displaced by the stor

Lutherans and Episcopalians have jointly committed to providing meals in the Houston Astrodome during the last week of September.

The circumstances are changing rapidly as people across the nation mobilize to offer support. Lutheran organizations will continue to be at the forefront of that effort. Please check this website on a regular basis for the latest information and to find out how you can help.

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For the latest information and to learn more about how you can help you are encouraged to visit the Lutheran Disaster Response website at www.ldr.org.