SPECIAL APPEAL: LCC Disaster Response Deploys to Help Assess Tornado Damage in Northern Illinois6/21/2021
Direct Hit in Woodridge, Naperville, Darien, and Other Surrounding Areas 1 Person Critical, Others Injured, Many Families Displaced Confirmed 250 Homes Damaged, Widespread Devastation, Power Outages “For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” Isaiah 49:13 At 10:45 pm, Sunday, June 20, an estimated EF-2 tornado and catastrophic storms raged through Northern Illinois, causing extensive damage in the hardest-hit areas of Woodridge, Naperville, Darien, as well as Burr Ridge and Downers Grove. Straight-line winds of at least 70mph tore through other communities. Buildings have collapsed, homes heavily damaged or leveled, multiple power lines down, large trees uprooted, and dangerous debris scattered. Major destruction has left many roads and neighborhoods impassible. At least 250 homes were damaged, 26 are reported as uninhabitable. Tim Hetzner, LCC President/CEO, and Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, have been monitoring storms and damage reports since it began. In less than 12 hours, LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T) chainsaw team leaders began tornado and storm damage assessment to help determine where L.E.R.T. teams will be immediately needed. Pastor Mark Schultz from Trinity Lutheran Church in Lisle has extended an invitation to serve out of their church. We are also working with Bethany Lutheran Church in Naperville. LCC NEEDS YOUR ASSISTANCE TO HELP FAMILIES WITH CLEAN-UP! The LCC Disaster Response Ministry never charges those we serve. Please donate to the LCC Disaster Response General Fund or LCC Equipment Maintenance & Fuel Expense Fund so that we may continue to show the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need. Please keep the families affected by the tornado and storms in your prayers, including all of the LCC Disaster Response volunteers and staff as we deploy to the hardest-hit areas of Northern Illinois to help during the long recovery process.
Your prayers, support, and involvement help Make A Difference – in the name of Jesus to those in need. Serving Together, Serving Others in Need, as We Serve Jesus!
Invited By St. Andrew Lutheran Church And Rockton Mayor John Peterson On Monday, June 14, a massive fire with multiple explosions, broke out at the Chemtool plant in Rockton, Illinois, shocking this small town community. Everything within a one-mile radius is under a mandatory, full-scale evacuation and anyone within a three-mile radius of the plant is instructed to wear a mask due to the thick black smoke that now permeates the air. Eighty different fire departments and a specialized firefighting crew from Louisiana continue to control the fire. Chemtool is a major employer in this community and many people are impacted by this loss. On Tuesday, June 16, the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs were invited by St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Rockton to be present with worried residents and the first responders who are tirelessly battling the fire to control its impact. Rockton Mayor John Peterson welcomes our presence during this extremely difficult time for his community. Deploying today, LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Adeena (St. John – Burlington, Illinois), Bekah & Kye (Immanuel – Belvidere, Illinois), Mary (St. Paul – Janesville, Wisconsin), and Samson (Zion – Marengo, Illinois), and their ministry teams will bring comfort and compassion at the evacuation center set up at Roscoe Middle School and local first responder agencies. LCC's K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry never goes where we are not invited and never charge those we serve as we bring the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need. We know that comfort is needed to help this devastated community and the first responders who serve them. Your Donations Delivered to Pastor Hesham Shehab, Salam Christian Fellowship, for a New Member Needing Extensive Dental Work
Your Donations Delivered to Put Your Hands Together Food Ministry On Friday, June 11, LCC delivered your donations to Put Your Hands Together Food Ministry (PYHT) that provides food supplies to churches and ministries that operate food pantries or provide food programs that serve the community and cannot afford to be part of the Illinois Food Bank or the Chicago Food Depository. Over the past year, this ministry has grown from serving eight congregations or ministry partners to a list of over fifty congregations and ministries that come and stock up on the food they need for their ministries. Our PYHT food distribution on Friday was a huge success, even with countless unpredictable things going on around us! One thing we know we can always count on is our good Lord always providing for His servants and using their great talents for His glory. Thank you for enabling us to continue to serve Him by helping us out with the fundraisers and donations. We are truly grateful and overwhelmed with joy. We look forward to continuing to spread the joy and abundance of food to all who are in need, especially all the awesome Ministries that support each other around the districts. Jayne Siou Director, Put Your Hands Together Food Ministry Immanuel, Hillside, Illinois Your Donations Delivered to Pastor Steve Kass for the Family in Faith Neighborhood Food Pantry
Your Donations Delivered to Pastor Karim Yaghleji, Voice of Hope Mission, for Video Equipment Thank You to LCC Volunteers for Assisting Grace Lutheran Church, Northbrook, Illinois, to Help Furnish a Single Mom’s Apartment Last week Pastor Bob Etheridge, John Chalberg, and Bruce Holm Sr. from Grace Lutheran Church, Northbrook, Illinois, picked up a donation of household items for the Walker family. Thank you to LCC volunteers Bob Desiron, Rich Habegger, Mike Calato, and Nanita's boyfriend Rob Gossett for assisting with the delivery.
LCC received the following thank you note from Linda Waara, Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church of Livonia, Michigan:
Your Hearts of Mercy & Compassion have been a blessing to us at Christ Our Savior! They are a beautiful work of art incorporating our Christian faith! God has opened the doors of community leaders - police and fire chiefs and hospital leadership - to the Gospel message inscribed on the hearts. We pray that deeper relationships may develop as a result. The hearts have provided us with a terrific means of expressing our personal gratitude and Christian faith to our First Responders in the community! The Covid pandemic has been an opportunity to reach out in thanksgiving to these 'angels among us.' Linda Waara
On Thursday, June 3, a Heart of Mercy & Compassion was presented to St. Mary Mercy Hospital of Livonia, Michigan, to Dr. Nick Nickolopoulos, Chief of Nursing, and Michael Hoyt, Director of Mission Integration. Members of Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church, Livonia, desired to honor the sacrifice and work performed by St. Mary Mercy Hospital in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. This hospital epitomizes the message of the heart, mercy, and compassion - that message is part of their mission statement and core values. The heart had been signed front and back by members and inscribed with heartfelt comments. Our recipients were very moved and grateful for this gesture of thanksgiving and stated that this was the first time a member of the faith community had presented them something. Pastor Davenport offered them Christ Our Savior's cooperation and partnership in future projects, to which Mission Director Michael Hoyt replied, "Oh, wow!" New friends were made in the community through the Heart of Mercy & Compassion Ministry, and hopefully, the relationship will bear fruit! The Christ Our Savior Lutheran, Livonia representatives, are Rev. Dean Davenport, Gini Krenz, and Linda Waara of the Community Needs Assessment committee of the Strategic Operations Planning group.
|
Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
|