ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 4, 2007

Lutheran College Students Help Clean Up Greensburg, Kan.
07-151-AS*

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- More than 60 students, faculty and staff
from Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kan., began the academic year
with a lesson in hands-on help. On Aug. 25 the group traveled to
Greensburg, Kan., to assist with tornado recovery efforts there.
Bethany is one of 28 colleges and universities of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
     A tornado swept through Greensburg in May, leaving 90
percent of the town's infrastructure devastated. The group from
Bethany cleaned lots, helped to repair homes and assemble
shelters, distributed more than 45 bicycles and more.
     Lisa Runnebaum, Seneca, Kan., a third-year volleyball
player, said, although months later, the damage from the tornado
is "still shocking. It made me realize my priorities in life."
Runnebaum said she was impressed by the appreciation her team
received from the residents of Greensburg. "It made me want to
do more," she said.
     Jon Daniels, Bethany athletic director and head golf coach,
said the volunteer work was excellent training for Bethany's
student athletes. "I think we have a duty to help student
athletes develop into well-rounded individuals. They know that
the best gift they can give is to help others, so this is a
learning tool for the rest of their lives," he said.
     Jane Tubbs, administrative assistant and Web manager for
Bethany's art department, said it was hard to think that the
people of Greensburg had to engage in cleanup work every day.
"Still, in the midst of the mess, there was new building going
on," said Tubbs.
     Tubbs and Caroline Kahler, associate professor of art at
Bethany, unearthed some objects from the rubble as they worked.
Kahler plans to create a work of art using the objects and donate
the piece to the community of Greensburg.
     The service trip was coordinated by staff members of Bethany
in conjunction with Lutheran Disaster Response -- a collaborative
ministry of the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans helped pay for their travel and
supplies.
     Although not required, the service trip was a supplement to
Bethany's weeklong orientation program for first-year and new
students. During the week students worked at the Lindsborg
Children's Center, volunteered at Lindsborg Parks and Recreation
and elsewhere.
     "At Bethany we work to instill service-oriented values as
part of our Lutheran heritage," said Freda Strack, Bethany's
interim dean of students. "We wanted to show new students that
this is who we are, this is our community."
- - -
     Information about Bethany College is at
http://www.ELCA.org/colleges/institutions/bethany.html on the
ELCA Web site.

*Aubrey Streit is director of communication, Bethany College,
Lindsborg, Kan.

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