Field of debris

Lutheran, The, Oct 2004 by Weitzel, Thomas L

Lutherans respond with aid after hurricanes hit Florida

Mile after mile. Block after block. Yard after yard. Hardly a square inch of ground was not covered with something-tree limbs; shingles; insulation; downed power lines and poles; pieces of metal, glass, wood, brick, concrete-when Hurricane Charley hit Florida's west coast Aug. 13, before moving inland to Orlando.

ELCA congregations and members were among the affected. Peace Lutheran Church, Port Charlotte, sustained significant damage-estimated at least a half million for repairs. Large gaping holes at each end allowed water damage into the youth room, library, narthex and sound control room.

"We'd been praying for carpet," Edward Struebing, pastor, said somewhat dismayed. "I guess we're going to get it."

Struebing's home also suffered damage to five windows, doors, most of the shingles and dry wall. During the hurricane, he and his family hid in a bathroom with mattresses. "Stuff came in and just bounced all over the walls," he said. "We heard a door go flying down the hallway."

Working together

Among relief efforts locally, members of St. Paul (Sarasota) and Christ (Englewood) Lutheran churches helped Holy Trinity contact unaccounted-for members and pitched in with carpet removal and cleanup. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Venice, sent two truckloads of water, and St. Paul sent food and supplies.

Volunteers from Trinity Lutheran Church, Bradenton, also helped put a tarp over the house of Ken and Andrea Barrios, pastors of Holy Trinity, to cover holes in the roof.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans challenged its members to raise $2 million or more through local chapters to help hurricane victims (www.thri vent.com/fraternal/charley.html). Thrivent will add an additional $1 million in aid if the challenge to members is met, for a total of $3 million. In addition, more than $170,000 from the Thrivent Disaster Response Plan was allocated to relief efforts.

A truck of relief supplies from Iowa City arrived Aug. 20 at Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Haines City. Dwight Dubois, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Iowa City, gathered the donations from area churches and residents.

"I was serving a church in downtown Charleston, S.C., in 1989 when Hugo blew through town," wrote Dubois in an appeal to the Iowa churches. He said he gratefully remembered the "semi-trucks from churches all over the country pouring into town in the days immediately following the storm, bringing much-needed relief supplies. ...We now have the opportunity to provide the same kind of relief...."

ELCA Domestic Disaster Response and Lutheran Disaster Response, a ministry of the ELCA and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, are working with emergency management authorities and ecumenical partners to plan recovery efforts. Both are providing crisis counseling and spiritual support for survivors.

LDR also is helping facilitate conversations between state, federal and county mental-health authorities. LDR volunteer coordinators are assisting in local recovery and cleanup efforts and helping identify the most vulnerable.

Frances takes its toll

Emotional and spiritual care continues to be an emphasis for LDR since Hurricane Frances hit the Bahamas and the eastern coast of Florida Sept. 4, before moving inland. At presstime, LDR was assessing damage and needs.

Damage reports from Florida churches were being compiled at presstime. Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Stuart, lost its sign and cross. The ceilings of the exterior breeze-ways were badly damaged, and water was in the nave and sanctuary. Lisa Barry, pastor, says only a few members, including herself, have homes that are uninhabitable.

Frances hit the Bahamas the hardest. Ninety percent of Grand Bahama suffered damage, said Janet Albury, a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Freeport. "Hundreds of people had to be rescued," she said. "Most of the shelters did not stand up either. Our structures here are so weak that even the safe places weren't safe."

Church president Greg Smith was more graphic in his assessment of the aftermath: "It looks like Baghdad after the war!"

The island faced no power, and had little potable water and food. "Our storehouses for food and building supplies were hit hard," Albury, said,"and it's going to be some time before supplies can be shipped in." Also hit hard was the city's airport.

Our Saviour suffered damage to the roof over two offices with leakage in the preschool area, but the sanctuary seemed to be intact.

Although Albury indicated that "we're pretty well-humbled" on Grand Bahama Island, she was able to say: "We know we're lucky. Every day we see it get better. Main roads are cleared, water is being turned on intermittently, and the radio station is on sometimes and helps us know what's happening. There are so many needs here now, but we're just going to have to exercise patience."

For more information see www.fb synod.org. To help, send checks earmarked "Hurricane Relief to ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, PO Box 71764, Chicago, IL 60694-1764; call (800) 638-3522 (with a major credit card) or visit www.elca.org/giving.