July 31, 2009
by Melissa Ramirez Cooper

For more than 20 years members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have brought and continue to bring comfort, healing and assistance to people affected by disasters. The ELCA works with such partners as Action by Churches Together (ACT) to meet the needs of people caught in crisis situations overseas. To help sustain the "rapid response" efforts of ACT in such situations, the ELCA sent $50,000 to ACT in July. ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergency situations worldwide. It is based in Geneva with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The ELCA is a member of the WCC and the LWF.

Funds are used to respond to disasters such as the fires in Goma, a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Fires broke out in the Birere/Mapendo quarter of Goma July 8. "About 300 to 400 houses burned to the ground, and 777 families were left homeless," said Megan Bradfield, associate director for international disaster response, ELCA Global Mission. One household typically consists of six people, so the total number of people affected is likely to be more than 4,500, she said. Some of the affected families are taking shelter at two churches, but living conditions there are compromised with the lack of clean water, Bradfield said.

"Contributions sent by the ELCA allow for the immediate response to this and other emerging needs" around the world, Bradfield said.

ELCA News Service