Katrina Update September 21, 2005
Iowa District East and West are combining efforts to adopt three Lutheran churches in Louisiana. The three churches have been contacted. Faith Lutheran in Harahan and Bethel Lutheran in New Orleans are not able to accept our physical help at this time. Rochelle Kurncur from Village Lutheran Church in Lacombe, LA shared the needs established after their church service on Sunday.
Their faces lit up when she told them that churches in Iowa will be sending help and supplies. She explained that many are very tired and really will appreciate any help.
There were 30 families who shared needs. Some members are living in shelters, some with relatives and some are still disbursed. Many more needs will be shared with us at a later time. One family returned to their home and found only a slab where their house used to be. Another reported that she is living in a tent in her front yard with her 5 year old. Many members need help to clean out furniture, mud, insulation, sheetrock, etc. from their home and 21 families need help to remove trees from their houses and yards.
She said that they have enough clothes at this point.
What does Village Lutheran need now?
1. Immediate help! If you wish to go to Louisiana to help with the clean up, contact ellie.menz@idwlcms.org We plan to coordinate groups to go from Iowa. Volunteers need to be self contained'. Motor homes, RV's or 5th wheelers are needed to park at the church parking lot as a headquarters for volunteers from Iowa. The volunteers will sleep and eat there. The church has electricity for the hook up. One option is for RV's to remain in Lacombe for a period of time as volunteers come and go from Iowa to Lacombe. Another option is for individuals to come and go in their own RV.
2. Volunteers need to be self supporting. Your congregation may wish to help with gas expenses, etc.
3. Volunteers need to have hepatitis and tetanus shots. Check out www.cdc.gov for details on the shots needed or contact your medical professionals. (Tetanus shot is effective for 10 years).
4. Volunteers need to take rubber gloves, masks, sturdy shoes, rubber boots, bug spray, hand sanitizer and a list of cleaning supplies (you will be given that list when you indicate an interest in going)
5. Volunteers will need to take water and food for themselves. Rochelle said that a few restaurants are starting up again and you can buy groceries there but felt it best to bring some food and water with you.
6. Following are things we need to collect to send with the volunteers. These items will need to be donated and will stay in Lacombe, except for the generators and the skid loaders. They will be returned to Iowa.
2 Generators for church member use there.
Crow bars
Axes
Flat shovels
Wheelbarrows (can't buy them there)
Hammers
Two skid loaders and operators (Operators can return to IowaJ)
Log chains
Chain saws, oil for saw, empty gas container, extra chains, files for sharpening,
Utility two-wheeled carts
Hand saw, branch clippers
Gas grills so families have a way to cook and prepare food
Trailers to haul skid loaders and equipment
7. Gift cards are requested. They will be given to the church members. They would appreciate Sears, Penney's, Target, Dollar General or Wal Mart cards. No K-Mart in the area.
8. Following are specific items the members requested:
Ready to eat food since many have no way to prepare food.
Hygiene pack--toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, wash cloth, combs, brushes, shampoo, hair spray, etc.
Small first aid kits
Feminine hygiene products
Pony Tail Clips
AA and C batteries
Diapers and diaper wipes for newborn and for size 4 or 5
Pull ups
Large garbage bags
Cat food and litter
Dog food
Heart worm medicine and flea spray
Contact ellie.menz@idwlcms.org to let me know the amount and what you wish to donate. Don't take the items to collection points until you have contacted me so we can keep an accurate account of the items received and needed. Collection points in IDW will be Trinity, Jefferson and Our Savior, Denison. Looking for another collection point in the Des Moines area.
If you wish to donate money, please make checks payable to IDE/Disaster Relief OR to IDW/Disaster Relief and give to your local church or send to your District Office.
This will be an ongoing, changing project. Check out www.iowayoutreach.blogspot.com www.idwlcms.org or www.lcmside.org for continual updates.
Please continue to pray for the members of Bethel, Faith and Village.
God's Blessings, Pastor Dean Rothchild, Pastor Victor Young, Pastor Erland Asmus, Pastor Jonathan Offt, Pastor Tim Phillips and Ellie Menz
PS: IDW Pastors: If you are able to get this information to some of your members via e-mail and they respond before the Pastor's Conference, you may wish to bring the smaller items with you and I will collect them at the Conference. For the large items, we will work out details for delivery based on where the items and the volunteers are located.
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