BRENDA GREENWALD
Daryl Michalski, an LDR volunteer from Doniphan, Neb., cleans debris from a home near downtown Minot, N.D.
estimates. … [We’re still] trying to understand the magnitude of what it’s going to take to recover.” In Joplin, Peace Lutheran Church was among the buildings demol- ished. “There was nothing but a pile of rubble after the storm,” said Judy Stiles, church council president. “It wasn’t just a wall knocked down. … Everything was lost.” Worshiping in a nearby Pres-
Can I help? I
n Minot, N.D., volunteer efforts continue, with rebuilding to begin in the spring. But many people are surprised to hear that regular volunteers aren’t needed in Joplin, Mo., said Mike Nevergall, associate director for Lutheran Disaster Response. It’s not a typical disaster because the tornado “literally left nothing to repair,” he explained. “Additionally [local authorities are still] making decisions about what [rebuilding] will look like. So eventually—not yet—we’ll need small teams of highly skilled folks.”
Skilled volunteers (particularly general contractors and licensed specialists) may find more information at
www.elca.org/disaster. Regular volunteers can also sign up at the website to receive email updates for current needs. Funds are always needed for LDR to work where it is most urgent. Send checks to: ELCA Disaster Response, 39330 Treasury Center, Chicago, IL 60694-9300; call 800-638-3522; or visit
www.elca.org/disaster.
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byterian church, Peace’s members are planning Christmas services with their full communion partners. They’re also discerning their vision for the future. “Rebuilding doesn’t mean just building what was there before,” Stiles said. Discernment and planning are key components of disaster recov- ery throughout Joplin, said Duane Moudy, LDR regional coordinator. In the months ahead, LDR will pro- vide spiritual and emotional care to children and youth who were trau- matized by the tornado. Helping survivors of all the disasters cope with their loss is criti- cal, said Kevin Massey, director for LDR and ELCA Domestic Disas- ter Response. “When we’ve lived through tragedy, we soon realize that life will never ever be the same. But
when the church embraces us in care at the same time, we realize we will never be alone.”
In the midst of recovery, life goes on. Peace installed a new pastor, Katharine P. Redpath, in August. In Alabama, the Hughes recovered their granddaughter’s school pic- tures from a Tennessee field 140 miles away—a link to the family’s life before April 2011. To fund LDR’s long-term recovery work, ELCA members have donated more than $2 million, said ELCA World Hunger director Dan Rift. M
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December 2011 37
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