ELCA NEWS SERVICE

May 31, 2006  

Lutheran Disaster Response Oversees Funding for Hurricane Relief
06-074-MRC

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In response to Hurricane Katrina Lutherans
from across the United States and around the world have
contributed $24.4 million to date.  Lutheran Disaster Response
(LDR), a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is overseeing the
expenditure of the contributions that are supporting recovery
work along the U.S. Gulf Coast and among people displaced from
their hurricane-damaged homes.
     The 2005 and 2006 budgets developed to invest the gifts were
built to meet LDR's core components of response, said Heather L.
Feltman, LDR executive director and director of ELCA Domestic
Disaster Response.  LDR's response involves assistance to people
displaced from their homes, emotional and spiritual support for
those affected by disaster and care for caregivers, coordination
of volunteers and long-term recovery response, and distribution
of hardship grants for survivors of disasters who need assistance
in covering immediate expenses.
     To help carry out its core components, LDR operates with a
network of Lutheran social ministry organizations across the
country, said Feltman.  Immediately after Hurricane Katrina
struck in 2005, LDR provided more than $7.2 million to Lutheran
services and agencies working directly with hurricane survivors,
many of whom were relocated to other parts of the country.
Recipients of the $7.2 million were:
+ Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, Inc., Tucson, Ariz.,
$314,428
+ Lutheran Social Services of Northern California, Concord,
$300,000
+ Lutheran Family Services of Colorado, Denver, $375,726
+ Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas, Raleigh, N.C.,
$500,726
+ Lutheran Social Services of Nevada, Las Vegas, $87,000
+ Lutheran Social Services of Georgia, Inc., Atlanta, $247,236
+ Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Des Plaines, $34,000
+ Lutheran-Episcopal Services of Mississippi, Jackson, $207,000
+ Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area, Fairfax,
Va., $150,000
+ Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri, St. Louis,
(overseeing LDR response in Alabama), $500,000
+ Refugee Services of Texas, Inc., Dallas, $39,750
+ Lutheran Social Services of the South, Inc., Austin, Texas,
(overseeing LDR response in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas),
$2,906,393
+ Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri, St. Louis,
$735,000
+ Lutheran Community Services Northwest, Burien, Wash., $18,400
+ Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida, Jacksonville,
$14,349
+ Lutheran Services of Florida, Inc., Tampa, $200,000
+ Lutheran Family Services of Virginia, Inc., Roanoke, $25,000
+ Lutheran Social Services of Michigan, Detroit, $425,726
+ Lutheran Community Services of Southern New England, Wellesley,
Mass., $74,569
+ Lutheran Social Services of New York, New York, $50,000
     "LDR created a 'Request for Proposal' process for its
affiliates" to receive funds, said Feltman.  A granting committee
comprised of staff from ELCA Church in Society, LDR and Lutheran
Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) reviewed each proposal,
she said.  "Our Lutheran social ministry organizations have
served an important role in identifying evacuees in their
communities and facilitating a process to assist them with their
needs," she said.  LIRS, Baltimore, is a cooperative agency of
the ELCA, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and the Latvian
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
     In addition to the more than $7.2 million, LDR allocated
another $2.15 million in 2005 to support the work of its
affiliates, which are engaged in the work of LDR, said Feltman.
Recipients of the $2.15 million were Lutheran Social Services of
the South (for Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas), Lutheran-
Episcopal Services of Mississippi, Lutheran Services of Florida,
Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri (for Alabama)
and Lutheran Social Services of South Central Pennsylvania, York.
Lutheran Social Services of South Central Pennsylvania has
supported the LDR response in Mississippi.
     Within the first 60 to 90 days after a disaster strikes, LDR
distributes hardship grants to help displaced people meet
immediate expenses, said Feltman.  LDR distributed about $1
million in hardship grants for survivors of Hurricane Katrina,
she said.  Individuals applied for financial assistance
regardless of their religious affiliation.  On average, grants
ranged from $300 to $500 per individual for immediate expenses
such as housing, transportation, child care, food, utilities and
other costs.  LDR provided $392,600 in hardship grants to
Lutheran Social Services of the South, for example, and another
$259,600 for shelter needs, said Feltman.  LDR paid close
attention to people who were most vulnerable, including elderly
and people with physical and mental disabilities, she said.
     LDR also strives to serve survivors of Hurricane Katrina
through ecumenical partnerships and participation in the work of
other disaster response organizations.  It allocated a total of
$291,948 to ecumenical and disaster response partners soon after
the hurricane.  Recipients of the $291,948 were:
+ Church World Service, $30,000
+ Disaster News Network, Columbia, Md., $15,000
+ Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Baltimore, $50,000
+ Lutheran Counseling Services, Winter Park, Fla., $21,948
+ New York Disaster Interfaith Services, New York, $25,000
+ The Interfaith Education Fund, Austin, Texas, $75,000
+ PICO National Network, Oakland, Calif., $75,000
     "The Interfaith Education Fund and the PICO National Network
allowed LDR to support community organizing," said Feltman.  "The
Fund and Network made sure that the voices not being heard at
various decision-making tables were represented and heard," she
said.

LDR moves into long-term response
     In 2006 LDR moved into "long-term" disaster response,
continuing to support its Lutheran affiliates, ecumenical
partners and disaster response organizations in meeting the needs
of survivors and managing hurricane recovery work.  Work in the
long-term recovery phase includes providing building materials to
rebuild homes, securing warehouse space to store supplies,
housing for volunteers, and providing spiritual and emotional
care for disaster survivors and care givers, said Feltman.
     This year LDR provided a total of $162,000 to:
+ The Interfaith Education Fund, $75,000
+ Church World Service, $50,000
+ National Council of Churches USA, New York, $25,000
+ Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, Baton Rouge, $10,000
+ Disaster News Network, $2,000
     More than $2.67 million was distributed this year to LDR's
affiliates -- Lutheran Social Services of the South (for
Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas), Lutheran Social Services of
North Dakota, Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri
(for Alabama) and Lutheran-Episcopal Services of Mississippi.
     Another expenditure of $6.25 million in 2006 has been
approved for Lutheran Social Services of the South (for
Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas), Lutheran Family and Children's
Services of Missouri (for Alabama) and Lutheran Services of
Florida.
     In the 16 months after Hurricane Katrina, LDR will have
expended more than $18 million in meeting the needs of survivors
and rebuilding the U.S. Gulf Coast, said Feltman.  The remaining
funds from the $24.4 million contributed will help fund LDR's
work toward Hurricane Katrina relief in 2007 and beyond, she
said.

Federal funds granted to faith-based disaster response
organizations
     The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has granted funds
to faith-based disaster response organizations that service the
needs of Hurricane Katrina survivors.  Feltman said the funds are
contributions from countries overseas given to the U.S.
government.
     "The project is called Katrina Aid Today, and it allows us
to further our work in responding to evacuees from Katrina, to
walk along with them, to be an advocate and ask, 'How do you want
to rebuild your life?' And it allows us to carry out our mission
of hope and healing, a piece that we're so committee to," she
said.
     Feltman said Katrina Aid Today is a national consortium of
social service and volunteer organizations.  LDR received more
than $6.7 million to conduct case management services, which she
described as a process to point hurricane survivors in the
direction of receiving resources to rebuild homes and lives.

Disaster Response volunteers
     Since Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast, Lutheran
Disaster Response has documented about 500,000 volunteer work
hours.  As many as 15,000 volunteers worked in the Gulf Coast
area from September 2005 to January 2006.  LDR received 2,500
offers for support from volunteers in the first week after the
hurricane. LDR identified and sent 200 search and rescue
professionals to the Gulf Coast area immediately after Hurricane
Katrina bore down on the U.S. Gulf Coast.  Fifteen Lutheran
churches housed volunteers there.
     During the 2006 spring break, about 1,100 college and
university students -- representing 55 colleges and universities
across the country -- volunteered their time to muck out houses
and apartment buildings and remove debris from beaches, parks and
neighborhoods under the "What a Relief!" effort organized by LDR.

"Undeclared" disasters
     LDR is committed also to providing financial resources
toward natural disasters that went "undeclared," said Feltman.
"Undesignated money (collected) allows us to respond to small-
scale disasters, as well as help people prepare for future
disasters," she said.  In 2005 almost $2 million in undesignated
contributions from members of the church went to disasters that
were not well-known, Feltman said.  From undesignated
contributions, LDR provided $200,000 to support the work of
Lutheran Services of Florida, which is coordinating relief work
in Florida following Hurricane Wilma.
- - -
DOMESTIC DISASTERS:

Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds to aid
survivors of major disasters inside the United States, Puerto
Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, please include:
ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago,
Illinois 60694-1764
Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
Credit card gifts via Internet:
http://www.ELCA.org/disaster/katrina

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog