wfn.org | ELCA African American Delegation Visits U.S. Virgin Islands

[ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG]

June 13, 1996

AFRICAN AMERICAN DELEGATION VISITS VIRGIN ISLANDS (87 lines)
96-14-043-BW

     ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Island (ELCA) -- The Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America sponsored the church's first African
American delegation to the U.S. Virgin Islands, May 13-20.
     Many groups have visited the islands since Hurricane Marilyn
struck last September.  Most have dealt with financial needs and
"brick and mortar" work.  This ELCA delegation sought to deal
specifically with the emotional and mental devastation caused by
Hurricane Marilyn.
     The purpose of the trip was to address the "human needs of
the people" here, said Loretta Horton, director for social
ministries for congregations, ELCA Division for Congregational
Ministries.  "It was our hope that the people of the island would
willingly and readily identify with other persons of color and
speak openly and honestly about the problems they are
experiencing," she said.
     The group visited congregations on St. Thomas and St. John
and spent time with the staff of Lutheran Social Services of the
Virgin Islands (LSSVI) on St. Croix.
     They toured the islands to get an idea of the work that has
yet to be done.  The group met with members of Frederick Lutheran
Church and Lutheran Church of the Reformation on St. Thomas, and
Nazareth Lutheran Church on St. John.  Members of the
congregations voiced their frustrations about  the various post-
hurricane problems they are having.
     The Rev. Harvard W. Stephens, Jr., Frederick Lutheran
Church, arranged meetings with the other Lutheran congregations
on the islands and with LSSVI.  Stephens also arranged for
meetings with faculty, staff, students and parents of a local
area high school, some of whom are members of Lutheran
congregations.
     The Rev. Judith A. Spindt, Lutheran Church of the
Reformation, and members of her congregation are holding worship
services under a temporary tent.  Two walls and a cross were the
only things left standing of their sanctuary after Marilyn
ravaged the island.  The group visited Reformation's "Project
Hope" (Helping Our Children Excel) -- a before-and-after-school
tutoring program.  Project Hope is a faith-based program for
children in the community; area residents do not have to be
Lutheran to participate.   While at Reformation a member of the
delegation repaired the program's computer system and acquainted
some of the teachers with software that will allow them to assist
to the children they tutor.
     According to Spindt, members of her congregation #try to
keep their spirits high in spite of all the problems they are
experiencing# with rebuilding, water contamination and
unemployment.
     The Rev. Carlyle O. Sampson, Nazareth Lutheran Church, said
members at his congregation feel the same way.  Although the
hurricane did not hit St. John as severely as St. Thomas, the
effects were just as devastating.  Members of Nazareth are
"experiencing problems with unemployment, financial difficulty in
their rebuilding efforts and the emotional stress of having to
rebuild their lives once again," he said.
     The hurricane robbed many people of their jobs.  Some
businesses are still closed and many of those that have reopened
are not operating at full capacity, so people who once held full-
time jobs are either working part-time or not at all.
     Many of the people of these islands had just recovered from
Hurricane Hugo that struck in 1989.   All of a sudden it#s all
lost again, said Sampson.  "It is very frustrating to feel that
you have gotten all the pieces put back together only to have
them destroyed."
     Lutheran Disaster Response, with the aid of  volunteers from
Lutheran congregations across the United States, is making
repairs when and where they are able on St. Thomas, St. Croix and
St. John.  The residents face many obstacles -- attempting to get
repair work done to their homes, having no hurricane insurance
coverage or being underinsured, or waiting on responses to
request for grant money from the Federal Emergency Management
Administration (FEMA).
     Many of the homes on St. Thomas and St. John still have blue
FEMA tarps where roofs should be.  About 85 percent of the homes
on the island received some type of damage from the hurricane.
Less than 10 percent of the damaged homes have had any repairs.
     Many people are feeling isolated and forgotten.  The message
they sent back with the delegation was simple: "Please don't
forget about us.  We still need help from the States.  There is
still much work to be done here."
     The delegation included individuals who work in the area of
social work, computer technology, education and environmental
concerns.  Co-leader of the delegation was Charlotte Williams,
director for cross cultural advocacy, ELCA Commission for Women.

For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312) 380-2958; Frank
Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955; Lia Christiansen, Asst. Dir., (312) 380-2956