wfn.org | Lutherans help rebuild homes in New Orleans' Little Woods neighborhood

[<NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

>ELCA News Blog

>May 21, 2009  

Lutherans help rebuild homes in New Orleans' Little Woods neighborhood

>by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service

More than 500 volunteers worked on rebuilding 12 homes in
the Little Woods neighborhood of New Orleans in one month's
time.  Four years ago Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S.
Gulf Coast.  About half of the homes in Little Woods remain
untouched.  In an effort to assist homeowners there move
back into their homes, Church World Service spearheaded a
rebuilding initiative called "Neighborhood: New Orleans"
April 19-May 16, 2009.  The 500 volunteers, organized in
teams serving one week each, represented 10 Christian
denominations across the United States, including the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Lutheran
Disaster Response (LDR) contributed $50,000 towards the
initiative.  LDR is a collaborative ministry of the ELCA
and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Gloria Mouton opened the door to her like-new home in
Little Woods May 13.  A special ribbon-cutting ceremony
took place, featuring a brass band and a parade of
well-wishers.  According to Church World Service,
homeowners who received recovery assistance had exhausted
their resources and all other possibilities. The agency
hopes its initiative will spur more rebuilding of
hurricane-damaged homes along the Gulf Coast.

"Despite the ongoing headlines about failing companies
and struggling investment portfolios, the partners of
Church World Service have come together to make an
investment in the continued rebuilding of affected
communities on the Gulf Coast," said Michael Nevergall,
assistant director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response.
"Through the power of hundreds of volunteers who have made
investments of their own, we have shown the power of
people of faith working together.  Faith-based groups
and volunteers, working together, can accomplish even
more amazing things than each can separately." Nevergall
and the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, director for LDR and ELCA
Domestic Disaster Response, participated in the initiative
May 11-15.  The ELCA participates in the work of Church
World Service.

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog