by Melissa Ramirez Cooper, ELCA News Service
To help tell the story of its work in 2008, Lutheran Disaster
Response (LDR) has made its annual report available online as
an "e-report." LDR is a collaborative ministry of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod. The e-report provides links to Web
sites and videos featuring the stories of people and communities
responding to natural disasters. The Rev. Kevin A. Massey,
LDR director, said making the report available online is "good
stewardship. By eliminating printing and shipping costs, the
total cost of the report is nearly 30 percent less than those
from previous years. And more importantly, we hope that the
report will be more accessible to a wider audience." LDR's
e-report provides a financial overview and resources to help
people prepare for the event of a disaster. Orangeflux
designed the e-report.
In 2008 Lutherans responded to floods, hurricanes and tornadoes
across the United States. There were more than 1,690 confirmed
tornadoes, resulting in about $1.84 billion in damage. At the
beginning of summer flooding was a major dilemma across the
Midwest. The year also had a number of tropical storms and
tornadoes with Dolly, Fay, Gustav and Ike each making landfall
as either a severe tropical storm or hurricane. "It seemed
like … people along the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard were
in a constant state of preparation for what might come,"
Massey said.
Two programs -- Lutheran Disaster Response-New York (LDR-NY
and Katrina Aid Today -- came to a close in 2008. LDR-NY
was established following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks as a way for Lutherans to respond. Following Hurricane
Katrina in 2005, LDR was one of nine national organizations
to participate in Katrina Aid Today. The effort was designed
primarily to provide case management services to hurricane
survivors needing to relocate. LDR's mission is to
"demonstrate Christ's compassion for people by promoting hope,
healing and wholeness for disaster survivors." It provides
emotional and spiritual care, hardship grants, volunteer
coordination, long-term recovery and rebuilding work.
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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
