Second Tornado Clean Up Day in Canton,TX

As we set out for a second work day after the Van Zandt County tornadoes, the sky was threatening and the weatherman was predicting a 75% chance of rain. The Volunteer  Reception Center was expecting between 500 and 600 volunteers to show up to assist residents affected by the tornadoes. Most of them did not show up.

119 Lutherans from 14 churches did show up and went to work. We completed 8 work orders. the work was varied from assisting people to pack and remove belongings from uninhabitable homes, to cutting down dangerous trees, to clearing debris. One homeowner had about 20 yards of large downed trees that had to be removed from his drive so he could access his property.

The Holy Cow Smokers joined us and fed 1000 Texas BBQ meals to tornado victims and volunteers. They brought 30 folks back on Sunday and distributed another 600 meals.

It was a great day of work as we helped residents, Listened to their stories and shared our faith.  The rain never came.

Thank you to everyone who worked to make this day possible.

Van Zandt County Tornado Work Day

On April 29 the seven tornados touch down in Henderson, Van Zandt, and Raines counties in East Texas leaving destruction and 4 deaths in their paths. On Saturday, May 6th, 54 people from twelve  Lutheran Churches came together in the first of two scheduled work days.

Picture by Lou Jander

We work at 5 different locations. We did everything from chainsaw work and debris, to helping survivors sort their belongings out of the rubble

We will be having another workday on May 20 starting at 8:30 AM. if you would like to join use or find out more click here.

.

Four Disaster Care Volunteers Recieve The President's Volunteer Service Award

The President's Volunteer Service Award is an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and is administered by Points of Light Foundation. Through a shared mission of inspiring more to answer the call to service, the President's Volunteer Service Award celebrates the impact we can all make in bettering our communities and our world.

The President's Volunteer award is a tremendous honor and recognizes those who have set themselves apart from their peers in their willingness to volunteer and serve their community and Nation.

The Disaster Care Ministry is proud to share that four of our members were selected to receive this award for the 2016 year for their efforts in the service of those impacted by Disasters. 

David Ricks, Dan Cowan, Dianna Lee and Greg Bourbon were presented with their medals, a certificate, and a letter from the President of the United States on January 8, 2017. The Awards were presented at by Rev. Glenn Merrit who was the first Director of LCMS Disaster Response. The Disaster Care Ministry hosted a reception to celebrate the four winners, The assembly of 1500 Flood Buckets in 2016, The delivery of 5000 Flood Buckets since the Bucket Brigade began in 2008, and the 30th Disaster responded to since 2000.

Operation Christmas Hope is Big Success

On August 16, 2016, prolonged rainfall in the southern part of Louisiana resulted in catastrophic flooding. In September the Disaster Care Ministry worked with Lutheran Churches in North Texas to put together a work weekend and feeding event. On the way home, we discussed how there were so many children who had lost everything and were not going to have much of a Christmas. From that conversation, Operation Christmas Hope was born.

We decide we wanted to provide children in Baton Rouge with the message of Christ birth by giving them a copy of Paul L. Maier's "The Very First Christmas" accompanied by a shoebox gift.

LCMS Disaster response agreed to supply the books if we would come up with the shoe box gifts. The Disaster Care Ministry purchase gifts and plastic boxes to assemble 700 gifts. 

Members From  Beautiful Savior Lutheran Arlington TX, Trinity Hawkins Lutheran TX, and Lamb of God Lutheran Flower Mound, TX. donated 252 gifts for a total of 952 presents.

On December 10 we loaded up the 952 presents and 1000 books.

On December 12 we delivered the trailer load of goodies to Camp Restore Baton Rouge, LA.

Trinity Lutheran Baton Rouge and Camp Restore Distributed the presents and books the week before Christmas.

Special Thanks to Trinty Lutheran Baton Rouge, Camp Restore, LCMS Disaster Response, Trinity Lutheran Church, Hawkins, and Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Flower Mound for their help.