Title: Lutheran Congregations Along Gulf Coast Call for Volunteers ELCA NEWS SERVICE
November 1, 2007
Lutheran Congregations Along Gulf Coast Call for Volunteers 07-179-FI
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- More than two years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita battered the U.S. Gulf Coast, the area shows a few signs of healing, but years of work remain. Congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) from Port Arthur, Texas, to Ocean Springs, Miss., organized a "blitz" to attract volunteers in November and December.
"Things are still pretty desperate on the coast," said Suzie Harvey, camp manager, Camp Victor, Ocean Springs, Miss. "We have 700 people on a waiting list to get their houses rebuilt, and that's just for our camp."
In the past year Camp Victor has restored 100 homes, Harvey said, pointing out that her waiting list has about seven years of projects. "All the agencies on the coast are just as busy, and a lot of them are no longer taking new clients. There are clients out there that are not even on lists yet," she said.
Lutheran congregations along the Gulf Coast have established camps or created space and facilities for volunteers coming to help restore the area. Camp Victor, related to Christus Victor Lutheran Church, Ocean Springs, is one of a dozen sites involved in the blitz.
Together the sites have waiting lists with more than 5,500 work projects. They've been warehousing donations of food, clothing, bedding, furniture and appliances, building supplies and tools.
The sites offer a total of more than 900 beds for volunteers. Each site has kitchen, dining and shower facilities. All have space to relax, and some have Internet access. Most ask for donations to help cover room and board, but organizers don't want that cost to deter anyone from coming.
"If there's any way, just come and see. Even if you can't come and work, just come and see," said the Rev. Jim Shears, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Chalmette, La. "See what it's like here, and see what are the opportunities for ministry. See how committed the people are that are going to be doing the ministries," he said. "We're doing ministry for people by people who have all been through the exact same thing, which gives us a level of understanding that nobody else can have."
"Katrina is the largest disaster we've ever faced. A lot of things did not go well, but there's one thing that did go well, and that's the church," said Leon Philpot, lay minister, Grace Lutheran Church, New Orleans. "The church has always been great in its response to disasters around the country and around the world for that matter," he said.
"This blitz is very important but is not the end-all to our recovery. It is the signal to say there is work to be done for years," Philpot said. "Our greatest fear right now is that we will be forgotten, and there is still a lot of work yet to be done," he said. "There is much to be done in helping people rebuild not only their homes but their lives." -- -- --
Information about the blitz is at
http://www.futurewithhope.org/blitz.html on the Web.
A video report on this story is at http://www.ELCA.org/news/video.html and audio clips from several of the interviews are at http://www.ELCA.org/audio/ on the ELCA Web site.
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