Request from Pastor Tom Gibbons, Trinity Roselle

If you have a working car please consider donating it to LCC for this mother. All vehicles that are donated to LCC go directly out to families or individuals through our congregations. NO vehicles are sold. If you would like to donate call LCC at 866-455-6466 and we will help with the details.

Request from Rev Charles Muller, Jr., Trinity Lutheran Church - Roselle, Illinois

Scarlett Sepe was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy on December 14, 2011 at the age of eight months. SMA is a degenerative, motor neuron condition affecting all voluntary muscles in a person's body. SMA is the number one genetic killer of children and has no treatment or cure. But, with proper care from a team of doctors and therapists, Scarlett has the chance to live a long and happy life. You can read more about Scarlett's journey with SMA at www.wishesforscarlett.com

Scarlett cannot move by herself and requires assistance for every activity in her day. She has never crawled, pulled up, stood independently, or walked. Scarlett does have limited use of her arms and an incredible, creative mind. She is smart, loving, funny, and such a joy to be with. Scarlett desires to be able to move about outside and be able to do things like chase her brother and sister or navigate a park or zoo on her own rather than be confined to a stroller. We also wish for her to be able to go to school and access her environment without barriers to her success.

As Scarlett gets older, her power chair will become her sole means of transportation. She will become too heavy for us to carry long distances and too weak for manual chairs. We will not be able to take her to appointments or have her leave the house without her power wheelchair and a vehicle to transport the chair. On March 31st, Scarlett turns two and is ready to take on the world independently.

In order to make this a reality, Scarlett is in need of:

• A power chair to drive around in (part of which will not be covered by insurance)
• A vehicle to transport her chair
• A Bruno lift that will allow us to safely lift her 300 pound chair in and out of the vehicle

We estimate the total cost for our portion of her power chair, the SUV, and the lift to be $70,000.

Please help our efforts in any way possible no matter how large or small your contribution. Help us give Scarlett her dream! Let's get Scarlett moving!

Request from Rev. Martin Zarate of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Melrose Park, Illinois

If you have a working van please consider donating it to LCC for this Pastor. All vehicles that are donated to LCC go directly out to families or individuals through our congregations. NO vehicles are sold. If you would like to donate call LCC at 866-455-6466 and we will help with the details.

Request from Rev. Matt Conrad of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Skokie, Illinois

St. Paul Lutheran Church in Skokie, Illinois has hosted a Korean Pastor named Samuel Shin. Over the past year, Sam has tried to start some Korean outreach and job-skills ministries in the area. But recently Sam has struggled with some serious health issues. His wife has actually gone back to Korea because of her poor health. And now Sam plans to return to Korea to be with family and to start some ministries there as he recovers.

Sam has an collection of theological books and church materials that he wants to ship to Korea. Shipping costs are estimated at $1500, and he has signed an agreement with a Korean company to bring these things back home. However, Sam does not have the money, and since he is leaving the country, no one is willing to lend him the money.

I am looking for anyone willing to help Sam make a successful transition to Korea and start ministries back home.

In His Hands
Pastor Matt Conrad

Pastor Samuel Shin is an immigrant pastor who is certified for ordination in the LCMS but remains without a call. He has been working with Korean people out of both Tabor, Chicago, and more recently St. Paul, Skokie. Click here to Donate to the St. Paul Skokie Korean Pastor Fund

"Trinity Lutheran Church of Lisle was contacted by the American Red Cross seeking our assistance in housing families displaced by the recent floods. Without hesitation we transformed our education wing into a make shift dormitory. A call went out to the congregation for financial help in the form of gift and gas cards. Meal plans were made, and again through generous donations, hot meals were served 3 times a day for 12 days. Rides were arranged for children needing to go to school and special attention was given to each guest as we addressed each of their situations. With the help of the Red Cross and Lutheran Church Charities our guests have temporarily relocated. We will continue to maintain relationships with them as they transition from a very difficult situation. All of us that worked so hard with them feel like the blessing has been for us.

Request from Pastor Matthew Gunia from St. John Lutheran Church, Niles, Illinois

One gentleman in his 70's and his wife have lived in their home for 20+ years and have never had to deal with flooding. They walked into knee-high water Friday, April 19th. With few friends and family in the area, the husband informed us of their needs:

"On the day of the flood my wife and I didn't know [the flood was happening]. It was such a disaster because we had been living there for over 20 years... never, never did it reach the home. We didn't have flood insurance.

Two days later we went back to our home... It [flood] destroyed all appliances, furniture and the bed. We both worked two days cutting up the carpet, strip it and moving it to the street. The city had a limited schedule to pick it up within five days. We worked two days straight moving furniture and carpet to the street. It was a tough job, I fell down many times... more or less it was a total disaster, we lost almost everything. The most import thing is to get the house fixed. We also lost one car."

Another family, a single mother with four children ranging in age from 10 months to 13 years, is not able to get back into their third-story apartment due to the flooding on the first floor. The mother, desiring to keep her four kids safe and taken care of, shared with us:

"They knew we were flooding and they didn't let anyone know. We stayed up there [in the apartment] for hours after they had turned the electricity off and nothing was said. Nothing was said that there was a flood and we were going under or anything like that. Basically they put the fire alarm on for getting us out. He [10-year-old son] just had surgery and was scared and I just had a t-shirt and blanket on him [10-month-old son] to go out by the back pool area still not knowing we were flooding...

They wanted me to go straight on the boat and I couldn't because I had his [10-year-old son] medicine and I had no formula with me and I refused to go on [the boat] and I went back up and grabbed his medicine and the formula and stuff for the baby. Then they boated us and Army-trucked us to Benedictine University... I've been asking so much when are we able to go back home and it's always 'I'll let you know Monday, Friday...' and we still don't know. It's hard because I don't have family out here so it's not like I have anyone to go stay with tonight."

A third displaced family consisting of a husband, wife, a 10-year old-daughter and they are expecting a baby on June 6th. The husband shared their story:

It started around five in the morning. By ten o'clock everybody was in a big cluster, all the cars, the ones we were able to save. And all the other cars of people who were not home at the time all went under the water, including mine. Mine that I wasn't able to push out of the way. But we have our families together and we thank God for that. Thank God we still can get into our apartment but the crawlspace under our apartment was flooded and the smell, the mold, you can't stay in there too long. And right now there doesn't appear to be physical damage to the furniture but after this, who knows what the condition will be. We're just grateful that we've been blessed by the church [Trinity Lutheran Church] and all the people here supporting us.

Right now all we heard from our association is that they are working on the crawl spaces, drying them out and bleaching them and trying to make them safe for us to move back in. As to now, they still have not given us a date when we can move back in... Her condition [pregnant wife], it is too risky to be in there for too long of a time. We are trying to look for a different place to move in, and since our car was flooded, also we are trying to get another car. Financially, trying to get to work and getting gas is tough. We are trying to find a place around here [Lisle, IL]... one of the main concerns is to keep her [10 year old daughter] in her environment with the school she has been going to. And as far as with the baby, we are taking it day by day and hopefully we can have a place in time for the baby... just trying not to give birth before our situation is better."

These are just the beginning stories of those affected by the flooding that took place in and around Lisle, Illinois on April 18th. Please consider supporting these families and their needs.

We thank you for your prayers and support!

In addition to their residence, the couple also owned another home on the same block that their son and two grandsons were living in. The river also flooded the basement and first floor of this home. This family has had a very difficult year, also having suffered from a robbery a few months earlier. In addition to recent events, the entire family is still mourning the death of a child. Through all these hardships they cling to their faith.

Rev. Jacob Ehrhard, vacancy pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Marseilles, IL has notified LCC of their plight and asked for assistance in meeting their many needs. Because the houses were not in a flood plain, their insurance will not cover their losses. LCC-coordinated Lutheran Early Response Teams worked for days cleaning out flood debris and removing the walls, flooring and cabinetry and treating the houses for mold.

To help fill this need contact LCC at 866-455-6466 or by emailing: