July 4, 2008

CHICAGO – Recovery efforts in the flood-ravaged Midwest will require an "all hands on deck" approach, according to the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, director, Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR). Every program and project Lutherans have will be needed given the extent of flood damage there, he said. LDR is a collaborative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Massey traveled June 25-27 to flood-affected areas of Iowa and Wisconsin. He said the number of flood-affected towns in these states "is overwhelming. Simply realizing the number of households that are coping with flooding is astonishing." According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an estimated 25,000 homes in Iowa were damaged and/or destroyed.

Especially hard hit is Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said Massey. "Looking at the high water marks on houses as far as the eye can see was overwhelming. The only other place where I felt like that was in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Cedar Rapids will be an epicenter of our response," he said.

LDR's long-term disaster response plan in the Midwest "will take some time to design, but it will certainly include the coordination of volunteers and the provision of resources like case management," said Massey. Flood-affected communities have not yet prepared themselves to host outside volunteers at this time, he said. LDR is in conversation with faith-based organizations and partners to secure housing for visiting volunteer groups.

"Lutheran congregations are already serving in flood-affected communities," particularly in Wisconsin, said Massey. Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ripon, Wis., and St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Wausau, Wis., are some congregations assembling flood buckets to be used by people to clean up their households, he said. Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc., Milwaukee, an LDR affiliate, is coordinating the production of flood buckets.

"Flood buckets – a big plastic bucket that contains a myriad of cleaning supplies, gloves, face masks and all kinds of other stuff – are available at designated pick-up sites," said Massey.

Massey met with the Rev. Bruce Burnside, bishop, ELCA South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, Madison, to provide support and discuss the synod's disaster response efforts.

"Lutherans really do serve automatically in disaster," said Massey. "It is exciting to see how the different expressions of the ELCA – from congregations to synods to the ELCA churchwide organization – turn out in times of disasters," he said.

"Of everything we do, ‘job one' in disaster response is to support the spiritual and emotional needs of our bishops and pastors, because the work that our leaders do in disaster is the most powerful Lutheran witness for communities affected by disasters. The way they care for congregations and the wider community is marvelous," he said.

"Leaders, when called upon to serve in disaster, can very naturally be themselves overwhelmed. We will be organizing opportunities for respite and direct personal support for leaders through these very difficult months to come," Massey said.

A 4-minute video feature, "After the Floods," is at http://tinyurl.com/5kx9p7, on the ELCA Web site.

ELCA News Service