CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran Disaster Response, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran=20 Church-Missouri Synod, provided an initial $5,000 grant for emergency=20 needs and recovery efforts after a storm produced floods in east-central=20=
Missouri May 13-14.
"As much as 14 inches of rain fell west and south of St. Louis, when a large storm system passed through the region," said the Rev. Gilbert B. Furst, director for Lutheran Disaster Response and a pastor of the ELCA. "Hardest hit were Franklin and Jefferson counties."
"There were two vehicle-related deaths," Furst said. "The floods resulted in the destruction of about 100 homes and damaged about 400 more. Estimates on the number of people displaced are not yet available," he said.
About 11 percent of the residences affected had insurance coverage, Furst said. More than 60 percent "of the families and individuals affected are in the low-income bracket," he said.
Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri, St. Louis, will manage Lutheran Disaster Response efforts. Local Lutheran pastors and representatives from Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL), based in Appleton, Wis., and Lutheran Brotherhood (LB), based in Minneapolis, will participate in relief efforts. AAL and LB are fraternal benefits organizations.
DOMESTIC DISASTERS:
Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds for aid to survivors
of major disasters inside the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S.
Virgin Islands, please include:
Lutheran Disaster Response
P.O. Box 71764
Chicago, IL 60694-1764
800-638-3522
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
