Title: Lutherans Participate in Tornado Cleanup Efforts in Northwood, N.D. ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 31, 2007
Lutherans Participate in Tornado Cleanup Efforts in Northwood, N.D. 07-149-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- A church building of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and a Lutheran-affiliated health service center in Northwood, N.D., sustained major damage from a tornado that swept through the town Aug. 26. Preliminary damage assessments carried out by the American Red Cross indicated that more than 90 percent of the homes in Northwood sustained damage, according to Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR).
LDR is a collaborative ministry of the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Northwood, a community of about 1,100 residents, is located southwest of Grand Forks, N.D.
Northwood Lutheran Church, a congregation of the ELCA, sustained major roof damage, according to Joan Buchhop, LDR in North Dakota, Grand Forks. "Cleanup and repair will take place in the upper level of the church. The goal this week is to make the basement of the church available for worship," she said.
Staff of LDR in North Dakota started volunteer coordination. "We're assessing which homes need interior repair and cleaning, and connecting volunteers with homeowners," said Buchhop. The next step will involve case management to determine the resource needs of people, she said.
"On Monday I walked around town and heard there were 345 truck loads of trees and debris collected. On Tuesday I was able to drive around town and heard that 1,000 truck loads of debris had been collected," said Buchhop.
Many businesses, the local hospital and a school have all sustained damage, according to Bonnie Turner, Fargo, N.D., LDR coordinator and president of the North Dakota Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. "Primary power lines in town are down, leaving the town dependent on generator power for the time being," she reported.
Buchhop and Turner are assisting other disaster response organizations in performing initial damage assessments and in establishing a volunteer reception center, said the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, assistant director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response. "The first volunteers were scheduled to begin cleanup work" Aug. 29, he said.
Northwood Deaconess Health Center, a Lutheran-affiliated health care and aging services center, experienced damage to the roof and windows, reported Massey. "All residents and staff in the center were safe, thanks to tornado drills," he said. - - -
Volunteer information is available at http://www.ldr.org/volunteer on the Internet.
DOMESTIC DISASTERS:
Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds to aid survivors of major disasters inside the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, please include: ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764 Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522 Credit card gifts via Internet: http://www.ELCA.org/disaster
For information contact:
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