Lutherans Expend Millions of Dollars in Sept. 11 Response

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) and Domestic Disaster Response of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have expended more than $3.18 million to programs designed to support people affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States last year. LDR is a ministry of the ELCA and the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod (LCMS).
"The church will be involved in the Sept. 11 [disaster] response for 'the long haul,'" said the Rev. Gilbert B. Furst, LDR director. "I estimate that Lutheran Disaster Response will be involved in some way for at least eight to 10 years, perhaps longer," he said.
The unprecedented impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., is still being measured, Furst said. "While the church received an amazing amount of income, expenses also have been and will continue to be amazing," he said.
Last year, members of the ELCA gave $10.5 million to ELCA Domestic Disaster Response and Lutheran Disaster Response. They contributed $2 million in the previous fiscal year. * "Domestic Disaster Response and Lutheran Disaster Response, spurred on by giving in the wake of Sept. 11, received more than double our largest domestic response to date," said Lita Brusick Johnson, director of the appeal, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries.
About $7 million was given by individuals and congregations of the church in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Johnson said.
Lutheran fraternal organizations have provided millions of dollars to Lutheran Disaster Response--New York. The total income for all Lutheran responses is estimated to be $20 million, Furst said.
Since September, Lutherans have expended a total of $3,186,469 in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and other affected areas such as Pennsylvania, Virginia and the New England area. "Included in that amount is $182,000 to support interfaith networks in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., through Church World Service," Furst said. The ELCA participates in the work of Church World Service.
In New York, special fiscal safeguards were put into place due to the large nature of that response, Furst said. Some of the larger items in the 2002 budget projections include: + Direct emergency assistance, $300,000 + "Project Life," a parish-based program of LDR and Lutheran Social Services of New York, $578,000 + "Camp New Ground," week-long day camps for children traumatized by Sept. 11, $506,000 + Counseling and support groups, $337,000 + Lutheran schools -- tuition support, counseling and intervention for 21,000 students, $59,000 + Work with immigrants/undocumented people and advocacy, $75,000 + Respite care for rostered church leaders, $59,000 + Ministry with people in New Jersey, $70,000 + Ministry with people and agencies in Washington, D.C., $208,000.
"There are some 21,000 students in 140 Lutheran schools. Forty- two students lost a parent and/or primary care-giver in the [destruction of the World Trade Center] in New York. Lutheran Disaster Response consultants from across the country are working with local child specialists to provide direct ministry to youth from preschool age through adolescence," Furst said.

DISASTER EXPENDITURE PRINCIPLES CITED
Certain principles are followed in disaster expenditure, Furst said. He cited several principles offered by John Scibilia, LDR coordinator, New York.
According to Scibilia, "The emergency nature of disaster often leads to the erroneous notion that funds raised should be spent in a hurry. In reality the opposite is true." Scibilia offered some reasons why it is usually best for "non-disaster organizations" to proceed slowly in determining how their funds will be "best and most effectively applied."
"There is a secular, public disaster relief and recovery system in place that is designed to meet most emergency and mid-term disaster- caused needs. Private funds, hurriedly applied to needs for which there are existing government resources, would replace those government resources and then not be available later for recovery," Scibilia said.
"The historical role for private disaster funds is in long-term recovery, as responsibility for recovery moves from government to the community. Better decisions will be made after understanding other funds and their target beneficiaries. Similarly, better decisions will be made after analyzing community recovery programs as they develop in response to needs," Scibilia said.
"As impact and needs analysis emerge, information will develop upon which more informed decisions can be based. Hasty decisions can result in over-subscription to some needs while other needs go unaddressed. Disaster recovery programs are required for a surprisingly long time after an incident occurs. There will be a large, active caseload five years from now. Funding will still be needed then," he said.
Scibilia added that long-term needs emerge in every disaster that cannot be known in the early stages. "This is especially true in this terrible incident, which caused such massive loss of life, livelihood and emotional peace," he said about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
"A donor's intention must always be honored. Funds accrued for disaster response ministries cannot be utilized for non-disaster related expenses," Furst said.
Another principle in "disaster response is to spend other 'non- church' monies first and save church funds for last. More than $1.5 billion has been collected by private and non-profit organizations. It is good stewardship to leverage those funds and multiply the church dollars, which are few compared to that total. This enables the church to be involved for many years, long after other agencies and organizations have departed," Furst said.
Response to Sept. 11 has had a "shift in focus from the initial chaos," Furst said. "The needs and the dynamics continue to change. There will be others, and there will be more. What ministry needs will be in the near and distant future can only be anticipated. But, God has especially gifted our Lutheran church with social ministry organizations, synods and districts, congregations and members that are wonderfully linked and networked to provide compassionate ministries. As the church, we have the experience and credibility to provide cutting-edge leadership in this and other responses," Furst said. -- -- -- 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:

ELCA Domestic 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