CHICAGO (ELCA) -- When 8-year-old Lauren Wanders and her 6-
year-old sister Katie Wanders, La Crosse, Wis., set-up their
lemonade stand Aug. 30 at a local grocery store, they expected to
raise about $200 in free-will donations to support neighbors
affected by storms and floods that struck southern Wisconsin
earlier in the month. "But we raised a lot more," said Lauren.
Lauren and Katie's lemonade stand brought in more than $700.
"So many people wanted to help," said Lauren, who said she
felt "pretty good" about the outcome. Katie said she was
surprised that "we could make a lot of money."
"We don't live far from the areas that (sustained) severe
flooding, so my husband and Lauren went to visit those areas.
After seeing the damage to homes and communities, Lauren said she
felt the need to respond, to help people whose homes were flooded
out," said Michelle Wanders, Lauren and Katie's mother.
The family decided to give the money earned at the lemonade
stand to Lutheran Disaster Response, after learning about the
ministry during a sermon at English Lutheran Church, La Crosse,
said Michelle. English Lutheran is a congregation of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Lutheran Disaster
Response is a collaborative ministry of the ELCA and the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod.
This was a great opportunity, a meaningful way to express
the importance of helping others, said Michelle.
"It's the right thing to do, to help people who need help,"
said Lauren.
Other volunteers at the stand included Lizzie Wanders, 3,
Whitley Chalsma, 9, Signe Johnson, 8, Matthew and Clair Borsheim,
6 and 5, respectively.
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Information about Lutheran Disaster Response is at
http://www.ldr.org on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
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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
