HOW CAN YOU HELP?
PRAY for those in need and for those who serve them with the love of Jesus.
GIVE money and other items when the call goes out for them. Cash gifts are needed the most at this time. 100% percent of your gifts will go to the affected areas. CLICK HERE or go to https://www.southernlcms.org/disaster-relief-donations/ to give online. You can send your checks also by mail to: Southern District – 100 Mission Dr. – Slidell LA 70460. Please mark them for Harvey Relief. CLICK HERE for a list of care boxes that will be needed. Please do not send them until they are needed. We do not want to overwhelm the centers with items they do not need.
VOLUNTEER next week after the search and rescue phase is over we will be providing contact information to sign up to help. Watch our website – SouthernLCMS.org, Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/www.southernlcms.org – Southern District-LCMS, and Twitter @SDLCMS for more information.
What we currently know about the LCMS family:
No reports of issues in the Southern District
Texas District
in Houston (preliminary numbers):
Our Shepherd, Crosby, received significant water and may be completely lost
5 congregations have damage
9 pastors and 16 church workers have flooded homes
574 church members from the area have flooded properties
Lutheran South Academy and Pilgrim Houston were hit hard by flooding, and many staff affected
More areas are under assessment.
Our Southern District Disaster Relief team has been asked by the Texas District to provide our experience and resources, especially in the area of organization and management of volunteer work camps. That team consists of Dave Buss, Camp Restore-Baton Rouge LA, David Goodine, Kurt Jostes and Kathy Wendling of RAI and Camp Restore-New Orleans LA, Ed Brashier, Shepherd’s Heart Ministries-Gardendale AL, and Kurt Schultz. Preliminary work has started and a meeting of partners will be held next Wednesday in Houston.
It is important that we support the coordinated efforts of the Texas District. This will allow for the best stewardship of our resources. The volunteer camps will triage the needs. This order is not in order of importance but focuses on building greater capacity of care. We are enabling our churches and their people to be servants to their neighbors. The camps will also be centers of distribution to meet the basic and immediate needs of all people.