Caring in Disaster: “The Story Behind the Story”
What do people experience at a time of disaster? What can we say? How can we help? On Tuesday night, August 30th, Rev. Glenn Merritt, the international director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care will be speaking in Minot addressing human care issues facing our friends and families. Rev. Merritt is a former police officer with critical incident training from the FBI and FEMA. As a pastor he’s served as a missionary to West Africa and a pastor in Texas and Montana prior to becoming the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod’s first Disaster Response Director. In this role he has helped the church reach out to people in more than 240 calamities worldwide. Make plans to hear Rev. Merritt, Tuesday, August 30th, 7:00 PM, at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Minot. Gain insight and understanding. Discover how to become a key person in the lives of those in need, offering words of hope and comfort to a friend, neighbor or stranger, in the name of Christ. There is no charge to attend. For further information call 701-852-6404 or online at www.oslcnow.com.
Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota has more information about the flooding in North Dakota.
Disaster recovery in Minot, ND, has reached a critical phase.
Immediate volunteer help is desperately needed to assist home owners with clean up following the June 22nd flood that impacted 1/4th of the city’s residential dwellings. 4100 homes were affected by the flood waters and each day that passes without help creates an even more critical situation as winter weather quickly approaches. On August 11th, a mere six volunteers were checked in to the Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) system while in the same time period, 1243 homes were requesting assistance through the RCC (Recovery Coordination Center). In one LCMS church alone, 83 families have been affected and are waiting for assistance, including elderly, handicapped, and single-parent families.
Thanks to the organizing of Lutheran Disaster Response, supplies donated by Orphan Grain Train, and the tireless work of local congregations, movement is now in place to seek an immediate 300 Lutheran volunteers per day for this critical time. Groups can quickly register through the web site of Our Savior Lutheran Church (www.oslcnow.com) in Minot, which has been serving as the staging area for LDR’s efforts. Group leaders can also contact LDR directly at 218-443-4970 to register, ask questions, and receive the registration packet. In order to facilitate a quick response, volunteers can receive the necessary forms via email and can arrive in Minot with as little as a two-day notice. Workers are asked to report to the LDR office at Our Savior Lutheran Church where they will receive assignments, necessary training, and equipment for the day’s tasks. With 1/4th of the city’s housing destroyed, volunteer camps have been established in neighboring communities. Some RV locations are available as well. To find more detail on this critical need, please contact Lutheran Disaster Response at 218-443-4970 or contact Danette at dkrumwiede@lssnd.org.
