CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), is organizing relief and recovery work in Utica, Ill., after 19 tornadoes struck the town and other areas of Illinois April 20. Utica is 90 miles southwest of Chicago.
Tornadoes in Utica killed eight people, aged 18-81. They "died when the 100-year-old tavern in which they sought shelter collapsed," said the Rev. Gilbert B. Furst, LDR director. "The storm also damaged dozens of Utica homes and businesses, as well as affecting nearby towns of Joliet and Granville," he said.
"National Weather Service officials in Oklahoma said they received reports of 51 tornadoes, most clustered in Illinois and Indiana, but some as far as Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma," said Furst. Utica was the hardest hit, he said.
Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois (LCFS), River Forest, and Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Des Plaines, are coordinating LDR's response, said Furst. Both agencies are in contact with local congregations to assess damages. "They are working directly with the LCMS Northern Illinois District and ELCA Northern Illinois Synod to assess needs and encourage volunteer participation from local" congregations, he said.
"As part of the immediate response, LCFS has been asked by the American Red Cross to provide a mental health worker," Furst said. There is a pre-school 10 miles away from Utica, and LCFS is preparing to provide "defusing and debriefing for children through a counselor," he said.
Church World Service (CWS) will organize a long-term disaster response plan in Utica, and LDR will participate in that effort. "Funds will be made available for emergency need," Furst said. The ELCA participates in the work of CWS.
"As LDR responds to the survivors of this latest disaster, please offer your prayers for the safety and well-being of those affected, as well as those who are responding. Donations will help the church offer God's help and hope now and for the long haul," said Furst.
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DOMESTIC DISASTERS:
Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds to aid 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, Illinois 60694-1764
Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
Credit card gifts via Internet: http://www.elca.org/disaster
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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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
