ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 2, 2012  

ELCA provides, receives aid following Hurricane Sandy
12-68-MRC

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) continue to meet the immediate needs of people affected by
Hurricane Sandy and its subsequent storms with food, water and shelter as
damage assessments continue from the Caribbean to the northern Atlantic
coast of the United States.
     Through ELCA Disaster Response, "we are in contact with (ELCA)
synods, congregations and affiliate organizations located in areas
impacted by the storm," according to the Rev. Michael Stadie, director for
domestic disaster response at ELCA churchwide ministries. "We have heard
that ELCA congregations were damaged, but we are waiting to share the
information until we have a more complete list."
     Stadie said his office is receiving stories about the engagement of
ELCA members, spanning from cleanup work to providing pastoral care, from
distributing meals to offering shelter. "That is the work of ELCA Disaster
Response," he said.
     The ELCA is also receiving letters of support, expressions of
sympathy and prayers from Lutheran churches overseas, according to the
Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director for global mission at ELCA
churchwide ministries. The general secretary of the All Africa Council of
Churches has sent letters of support to the ELCA and The Lutheran World
Federation, through its Department for World Service, has pledged its
commitment to support the ELCA in its relief and rehabilitation efforts.
     This is the first time the ELCA will be a recipient of international
aid from The Lutheran World Federation, said Malpica Padilla.
     The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of 143 member
churches in 79 countries all over the world. The ELCA is the federation's
only member church from the United States.
     The prayers and pledge for international aid "is a sign of what it
means to live in communion," said Malpica Padilla. "It is a sign of the
unity of this community, and how we are not only a donor or a giver but
that we are the recipient of expertise, prayers, concerns, accompaniment
and friendship from our global companions, who have seen the devastation
in the United States.
     "It is a good feeling to know that we are not alone, that we are not
only the supplier of things for the world but that we live in a true
communion," he said. "We, too, are vulnerable, and we are comforted that
others have come to lift us up and walk with us to rebuild people's lives."
     In the ELCA's response to Cuba, funds from ELCA Disaster Response are
supporting the deployment of technical specialists to conduct damage
assessments, design a disaster response strategy and offer training in the
areas of water management, emergency shelter and more. About 15,000 homes
were destroyed and 75,000 people were rendered homeless in Cuba.
     In Haiti, the ELCA continues to partner with the Lutheran Church of
Haiti in disaster response work. In anticipation of Hurricane Sandy, more
than 17,000 families evacuated to emergency shelters.
     Megan Bradfield, director for international disaster response at ELCA
churchwide ministries, was in Haiti as Hurricane Sandy struck there.
     "I can offer a personal witness to how water can cause a lot of
destruction, particularly in Haiti's context. A few hours of rain can have
a significant impact on people and land, and part of the impact includes
the spread of diseases like cholera," said Bradfield. In 2011, "We began a
program with our partner church in Haiti on cholera response, which
reached more than a half-million people with education and awareness-
building. That project continues today, with renewed emphasis following
Hurricane Sandy," she said.
     Bradfield also reported that the "model village" project led by The
Lutheran World Federation and supported by the ELCA did not sustain damage
by Hurricane Sandy. The village will provide housing for people displaced
by an earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010.
     "Right now there are 100 houses erected, and the blessing in the
curse (of Hurricane Sandy) is that the foundation and walls of the housing
structures are intact. Roofs have not been added, yet. Fortunately, Haiti
did not have the impact of high winds from Hurricane Sandy, only the
impact of water. So the site itself was not impacted," said Bradfield,
adding that the homes are built on high land and engineered to sustain
high winds.
     Information about ELCA Disaster Response is available at
http://www.ELCA.org/disaster. View the video message from the ELCA
presiding bishop at http://youtu.be/xrsGUUgU7YM.
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United
States, with more than 4 million members in nearly 10,000 congregations
across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church
of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God
through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the
world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer,
Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Melissa Ramirez Cooper
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