November 12, 2010

CHICAGO – Lutheran Disaster Response and the American Red Cross reaffirmed a longstanding partnership Nov. 9 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding in a ceremony at the American Red Cross headquarters in Washington, D.C.

"The purpose of the agreement is to state formally the many ways in which Lutheran Disaster Response, its affiliates and individual Lutheran congregations partner with the American Red Cross and its chapters before, during and after disasters," according to an e-mail message sent to the Lutheran Disaster Response network. Among other things, the agreement encourages Lutheran congregations to consider becoming Red Cross shelter sites as part of their disaster preparedness planning, the message said.

Lutheran Disaster Response is a collaborative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

The Rev. Kevin A. Massey, director, Lutheran Disaster Response, was one of the signatories of the five-year agreement, along with Joe Becker, senior vice president of disaster services, and Juliet Choi, senior director of disaster partnerships, both with the American Red Cross.

"We are proud to deepen the relationship between Lutheran Disaster Response and the American Red Cross," Massey said. "We work together closely in every disaster coordinating and collaborating in our work, and this agreement furthers the commitments of support that we make to each other. Even as we encourage Lutheran members and congregations to support the American Red Cross in their mission of response in the emergency phase of disaster, through this agreement, the Red Cross is encouraging its volunteers to support Lutheran Disaster Response in its mission of response in the long term recovery phase of disaster."

Massey added that Lutheran Disaster Response, the American Red Cross and other partners in the faith-based and voluntary community "continue to seek deeper avenues of collaboration to best serve individuals, families and communities affected by disaster."

The text of the agreement is at http://www.ldr.org/, on the Web.

ELCA News Service