Extreme home makeovers— C
After 33 trips in five years, this disaster crew knows what to do By Natalie Zett
athy Brown had no time for tears. In May 2010, floodwaters swept through Nashville, Tenn., killing some 30 people and costing more than $1 billion.
While the deluge didn’t destroy Brown’s house, it was engulfed in 8 feet of water, ruining everything inside. “When that happens, you have to find another place to live. I have a disabled son, so that was more of a chal- lenge,” she said. Some 1,300 miles away in Fridley, Minn., disas- ter recovery veterans with St. Philip’s Disaster Relief (SPDR), based at St. Philip Lutheran Church, already had Nashville on their radar. SPDR began in 2005 after a member returned from assisting with Hurricane Katrina recovery. His story piqued the interest of 13 other mem- bers who soon planned their first trip to Ocean Springs, Miss., in May 2006. Renee Johnson didn’t think twice before getting
involved. “That was my ‘pay it forward’ moment,” she said. In 1965 a tornado leveled her childhood home. “My folks often mentioned the Mennonites from Canada who came down to help with the cleanup. If I were to go down to Mississippi, maybe they would remember the Luther- ans,” said Johnson, a co-coordinator of SPDR.
Zett is a freelance writer in St. Paul, Minn. 28 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
In 2006 “none of us knew each other, but that’s changed in the five years since we started. I often tell people, it’s not a vacation but it’s a trip you won’t forget,” said Johnson, who works as a quality coordinator. Fellow member and SPDR co-coordinator Mike Anderson, a retired hydrologist, said, “We’ve done about 33 trips in five years.” The initial Mississippi visit was followed by a trip that October—over a year since Katrina. “Just because a disaster isn’t on the front pages, that doesn’t mean they’ve recovered. That can take years,” he added.
SPDR members have traveled as far as Mississippi; Galveston, Texas; and Oklahoma City and as close as Wadena, Minn. The long-distance trips start on Saturday and end the following Sunday. Along with the core group, there are almost always newcomers—church members or their friends and family. Friends, family and members also financially support this ministry. January’s annual lasagna dinner and silent auction brought in $6,500. Disaster team members and their families prepared and served the dinner, and they and their friends were just as generous donating items for the auction. “We receive wonderful support from members of our congregation,” Johnson said. “They buy tickets to the dinner, bid high on the auction items, and
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52