July 23, 2009

NEW ORLEANS – Lutherans hope to help resurrect the city in three days by doing a lot of dirty work.

They'll work on mudflats to help stop coastal erosion and foster wetlands recovery. They'll pull weeds and clean up a historic African American cemetery.

They'll paint schools, clear brush from parks and help rebuild homes. The list of projects, nearly 200 in all, goes on and on.

The massive effort is expected to involve 37,000 youth and adults from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). They're meeting here July 22-26 for the 2009 Youth Gathering.

"For me, it's a gift from God," said Bobbiann Lewis of the New Orleans area, who has spearheaded local efforts to clean up Holt Cemetery. "The cemetery is really in bad condition."

Lutherans plan to work at 21 community centers, 5 reading fairs, 7 public parks, 13 churches and 11 organizations building homes.

"The story here is not ‘aren't the Lutheran kids cool,'" said Peggy Contos Hahn, who's coordinating the outreach. "This is not about a gig for a week."

Hurricane Katrina turned most everyone's life upside down, including Contos Hahn's. She's an assistant to the bishop of the ELCA's Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod.

"As people of faith we work for justice," she said. "A primary need here is education. We see a link between this and stamping out the root causes of poverty and violence."

That's why schools are a big focus of the volunteer efforts, she said. Youth are working on 82 schools. In addition, every kindergarten- through 3rd grade student will receive a school supply kit, she said.

Twelve thousand youth and adults are being sent to project locations each day July 23-25. They'll get there via 300 buses.

The workers will wear orange shirts, tennis shoes and bring their own bottled water and gloves.

"The people of New Orleans deserve all of our help," said Reba Burkett, a teen from Verdon, Neb. "Back where I'm from nothing like what they've been through ever happens. I want to help."

More at http://blogs.ELCA.org/prettygoodlutherans/, on the Web. Information about the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering is at http://www.ELCA.org/gathering/.

ELCA News Service