To: [log in to unmask]
Dear friends in Christ,
"When it rains in Puerto Rico, thousands of people cry," Brooke Burkey said
today. (Brooke is serving as our Lutheran Disaster Response construction
manager in Puerto Rico). Now, five weeks after Hurricane Georges ripped
through this island, tens of thousands of houses still have received
minimal repairs for damaged or destroyed roofs...or for major devastation.
But helping changes are also taking place. This week, the first stateside
volunteers came to Lutheran Camp Eduardo Roig, where LDR is setting up a
volunteer operation to bring relief and recovery. Pastor David Kidd and
three members from St. Paul Lutheran Church, Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, are
the first mainlanders to arrive to work on preparing this camp for future
volunteers and to help with repairs to peoples' homes.
Local LDR staffing is being put into place (a cook for the volunteer camp,
an office worker to answer the phone and do data entry, persons to help
with transportation of volunteers and building materials). It is not easy
to find individuals who have not sustained damage in their own homes and
families. We continue to look for a volunteer coordinator/administrative
assistant. And although a toll-free 800 number has been connected at the
camp, it still does not work.
It rained today when we visited Villas 2000, a heavily damaged community in
the Dorado area. As we walked down muddy streets, we spoke with people who
still are cleaning up debris, promising them that Lutheran volunteers will
soon be on hand to help. We are making every effort to be fully
operational in our disaster response efforts in Puerto Rico, so the tears
produced by Hurricane Georges and subsequent rain storms will no longer
flow...and lives can be put together again.
To Volunteer:
Volunteers and groups are already being scheduled. Until the Puerto Rico
staffing is completed and the 800 telephone line connected, please call Ms.
Johanna Olson (ELCA Assistant for Domestic Disaster Response) --
1-773-380-2822.
To contribute:
ELCA Domestic Disaster Response "Hurricanes"
PO Box 71764
Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764
Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
LCMS World Relief
P.O. Box 66861
St. Louis, MO 63166-9810
Credit card gift line: 1-888-930-4438
Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst
GILBERT B. FURST (written on Fri, Oct 30, 1998, at 4:16 pm)
Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response (Division for Church in Society),
Lutheran Disaster Response (A cooperative ministry of the ELCA and LCMS)
8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago 60631 PHONE: 773-380-2822 FAX: 773-380-2493
Visit our website: www.elca.org/dcs/disaster
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