People in Colorado, particularly those affected by the 2012 wildfires that devastated many communities in the state, are again traumatized by major wildfires. The Black Forest Fire and the Royal Gorge Fire have already destroyed more than 480 structures, forcing thousands to evacuate and sadly, causing fatalities.

For members of Christ the King Lutheran Church, in Colorado Springs, the Waldo Canyon Fire of 2012 and the Black Forest Fire of 2013 is personal. During last year’s fire, the areas around the church were under mandatory evacuation. The fire came very close to the church but left it unscathed. Unfortunately, members lost their homes to the fire. Thankfully, this year, the threat of fire is not imminent but members, like the rest of the Colorado Springs community, are feeling traumatized. When visiting with Pastor Julie Bristch of Christ the King about the fire, she used words like stunned, anxious and a deep sense of loss to describe the mood of the community. “There is a lot of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder around as the same communities are being traumatized two years in a row,” said Pastor Julie. 

On Thursday, June 13, Pastor Julie hosted a special evening prayer service at Christ the King Lutheran Church that was open to the community. During the gathering, participants shared heart-wrenching stories of individuals and families who are deeply impacted. Some of them have left their communities devastated by the 2012 fires and moved to a new area to build their lives; and now they are traumatized again in their new homes. Some church members have family ties with firefighters who have lost their homes as they are giving of themselves to save lives, which only increases the sadness and the stress of the situation.

Yet in the midst of the trauma and chaos, hope and grace abound! Pastor Julie reported she is moved by the selflessness and love in the community through last year’s fires, during the recovery after the fire and now during the current crisis.  An interfaith group made up of 21 houses of worship has risen up to respond to the fires and to assist survivors with their unmet needs.

Pastor Ron Roschke, the Synod Minister for Shared Ministries of the Rocky Mountain Synod, attended the prayer service on behalf of the Synod. He spoke movingly of the experience of the prayer service and highlighted the deep connectedness between individuals and communities in times of crisis and recovery as a source of God’s grace. “In disasters people feel alone. But when we can find ways to let people know that they are not alone, people can find strengths to deal with their challenges,” said Pastor Ron.  

Lutheran Disaster Response, in collaboration with our local affiliate Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, and the Rocky Mountain Synod, have been actively engaged in the responses to the 2012 Colorado fires. Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains has offices in areas affected by the fires and is providing disaster case management services to those impacted by the 2012 fires.  Together, we are well positioned to understand the scope of what need to be done. We are monitoring the situations closely and will conduct careful assessments after the fires have been put out. We will then determine our best course of action in cooperation with local authorities and partnering with ecumenical, faith-based and civic organizations. Through Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Lutheran Disaster Response will be there for the long haul of recovery.

Please keep in mind the Black Forest and Royal Gorge Fires are not the only wildfires threatening lives, there are others in Colorado and New Mexico as well; and new ones are starting every week since the area is very dry. Continue to pray for the evacuees and all who are in harm’s way, especially those who are trying to save lives and homes. May the Grace, Wisdom and Strength of God be with them!

Helpful information about how volunteer organizations work together in Colorado: https://covoad.communityos.org/cms/

Lutheran Disaster Response webpage: www.elca.org/disaster

Donation webpage: https://community.elca.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=358

It has been more than a week since the multiple tornadoes hit Oklahoma and adjacent states. The destruction in the City of Moore is indeed heart wrenching. But the impacts of tornadoes on May 19 and 20 around Oklahoma City are much more widespread.  The website of the State of Oklahoma has very helpful maps and information about the tornadoes: http://www.ok.gov/okstrong/Impact_Maps/index.html.   

Let us not forget that just a few nights prior, on May 15, a series of tornadoes devastated Granbury, Texas, 30 miles southwest of Fort Worth. The powerful storms left six dead and nearly 120 homes destroyed. Some of these homes were built by Habitat for Humanity.

The nature of media cycle and perhaps the nature of human attention always make us focus on high profile disasters and their developments within a short period of time afterward. Very soon, the tornadoes in May will become distant memories in our collective memory. And yet, for the thousands of individuals and families in Oklahoma, Texas and other states impacted by the string of tornadoes in May, the recovery process has just begun.

In the last few months, I have the opportunity to visit the long term recovery work of Lutheran Disaster Response in various states for individuals and families impacted by events that are no longer on the nightly network news – the tornadoes in Alabama in 2011 and 2012, the flood in Duluth in 2012, Hurricanes Lee and Irene in 2011,….. The one thing I have heard from the impacted residents as well as workers who assist them is “We are forgotten!”

Let us continue to keep ALL who are working very hard to put their lives together after disasters in our prayers. May God’s strengths, comfort and hope be with them through the many peaks and valleys in their recovery process.  Let us work hard together so that they will not be forgotten!

To see a listing of the places where Lutheran Disaster Response is actively responding to a disaster, please check out our website where you will see where we still have volunteer opportunities.

Lutheran Disaster Response webpage: www.elca.org/disaster and click on the volunteer button.

Donation Webpage: https://community.elca.org/page.aspx?pid=840

Moore, Oklahoma is a town with more than 56,000 people.  According to the FEMA report today (May 23), 24 people were killed and more than 300 injured by the EF-5 tornado that touched down Monday.  In addition, more than 1,100 houses were destroyed and about another 200 have sustained damage, with many many more being impacted.  What it means is the life of thousands of individuals have been changed in an instant by this monstrous storm.

 So, you may wonder, “How Can I Help?”

 We want to offer some suggestions that are true for this and all other disaster areas:

• Do not rush to the impacted area to volunteer right away. If you are a trained “first responder,” be sure to connect with a major organization that could use you before you go. In the chaotic aftermath of a disaster, your presence in these areas will create more problems for the very community you want to help.
• Affiliate with an organization that has proven records and capacity to organize volunteers. Follow their rules and protocols.
• Do not donate “stuff” unless they are requested specifically by an organization that has the proven capacity to manage them.  Do not donate used clothing and household items!
• Do not donate to an organization because they have an “attractive sounding” name.  Frauds are common after disasters. Make sure the organizations you support have the proven record and capacity to use your money wisely.

Here are two useful links:

https://okvoad.communityos.org/cms/home

http://money.howstuffworks.com/10-worst-things-donate-after-disaster.htm#page=1

As you consider the question of “How can I help?” we want to invite you to join the work of Lutheran Disaster Response to help those impacted by this disaster in months and even years to come. Thank You.

Donation Webpage: https://community.elca.org/page.aspx?pid=840

Lutheran Disaster Response webpage: www.elca.org/disaster

The deadly tornado that hit Oklahoma on May 20, as well as the string of tornadoes that struck Texas, Kansas, Illinois and Iowa the last few days, have changed many lives in significant ways. Let us keep all those who have been impacted as well as those providing rescue and relief services to survivors in prayer, trusting God’s hope and strengths will be with them.

Since yesterday afternoon, we have been working very closely with many within in our network to prepare for a multiyear response to this disaster. We want to salute all who are involved in the emergency, rescue and relief work immediately following this terrible disaster. At Lutheran Disaster Response, we are committed to assisting the most vulnerable ones to recover and to find hope and healing over the long haul. We will be among the last to leave the areas, long after the limelight of media have faded. We ask you to join us in our mission.

In days and months ahead, we will use this forum to share with you information and stories relevant to this event. For now, we want to share with you the following links:

Worship Resources: http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Worship.aspx

Lutheran Disaster Response webpage: http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Responding-to-the-World/Lutheran-Disaster-Response.aspx

Donation Webpage: https://community.elca.org/page.aspx?pid=840

E-Alert: http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Responding-to-the-World/Lutheran-Disaster-Response/eAlert.aspx

 ELCA News Release: http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx#&&a=5296

Camp Victor, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under the sun. Ecclesiastes 3:1

I had the chance to visit Camp Victor at Ocean Springs, Mississippi, twice in the last three months and was deeply moved by its leaders and the ministry each time.  Camp Victor in its current location was started by Christus Victor Lutheran Church in 2006 as the continuation of its disaster recovery ministry for communities affected by Hurricane Katrina and Rita.  Not only has it been a sizable hospitality center, housing volunteers engaged in disaster recovery work, it has also been a service center providing case management and construction management for those deeply affected by the disasters. Here are some facts about Camp Victor: 

• It is housed in a county-owned 50,000 square foot box-shape building located in the middle of the tourist district of Ocean Springs, MS. It formerly belonged to the Swinger Garment Factory.
• It has dormitories and beddings for up to 250 volunteers.
• Through the years, it has received 50,000 volunteers from 50 states and 20 countries.
• Together, volunteers have provided 1 million service hours on more than 2,000 homes, translating into $19.5 million worth of labor.

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 From Left: Marriane Roberts, SALT Staff; Pr. Joe Chu, LDR; Pr. Elaine Berg, Conference Dean, Josh DeBartolo, Schoharie Recovery Inc. Director; Pr. Sherri Meyer-Veen, SALT President; Sarah Goodrich, SALT Executive Director; Ken Dingee, SALT Staff; Patsy Glista, Upstate New York Synod Assistant to the Bishop.

Committee meetings are rarely interesting material for storytelling. But how a meeting is conducted and how participants interact with one another during the meeting can help tell the bigger story of the personalities of those involved and the level of their collective accomplishments. In the past few months, I have had the opportunity to attend and observe a number of Long Term Recovery Committee meetings that seek to help those affected by disasters in various communities. I am truly amazed by how different these committees can be: Some are highly organized and effective and some are dominated by one or two strong personalities. Unfortunately, some are still finding ways to become a coherent body after a long period of time.The board meeting of Schoharie Area Long Term (SALT) at Cobleskill, New York, in the early morning hours of February 5, 2013, definitely belongs to the first kind – highly effective and exciting.
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