On Friday, October 28, LCC Kare-9 Military Ministry returned to visit The United Service Organization (U.S.O.) at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, to provide comfort and support to those active military service members being deployed.

 LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry Dog Blitz (LCC Squad) and his veteran handler Bob spent time with service members from all branches traveling to different parts of the country and overseas.

One was returning to Italy from being on emergency leave, and another was traveling to Poland with his unit.
 
Blitz and veteran Bob brought a lot of comfort to our service men and women.

The United Service Organization (U.S.O.) offers a variety of services to active military personnel and their dependents, including free refreshments, information and referrals at O'Hare International Airport. The center provides men, women and families of the Armed Forces with a place to relax, enjoy a meal, check email and phone home before being deployed or just after traveling from overseas.

The USO at O'Hare has proudly provided programs, services, care and comfort to troops and their families since 1969.

On Monday, October 24, student Alexandria Bell, 15, and teacher Jean Kuczka, 61, were killed, several others injured, and hundreds of students, teachers, and staff traumatized when a 19-year-old former student suspect entered the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Missouri, and began shooting until he was fatally wounded. Due to the heroic act of the teacher, who put herself between her students and the gunman, many students survived a direct vicious attack.

In less than 24 hours, Lutheran Church Charities received an invite from the Wellness Coordinator at the St. Louis Police Department & Communications/911 Call Center to bring the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs to the shocked and hurting community that is greatly impacted by this tragic event.
 
The LCC K-9 Ministry teams are deploying today to meet with first responders as well as with families, survivors, local schools, and others who are grieving those lost and fearful of yet another attack on schools.

LCC's K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry never charges 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 shocked and devastated community and the first responders who serve them.

Please support us by prayer and if you are so moved, help us with travel expenses.

Thank you for being a part of the Mercy and Compassion Ministry of Lutheran Church Charities.

Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever to strike the US mainland, battered southwest Florida as it moved inland. Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response Director Kathy O'Day and Ed Boerman, Northern Illinois District Disaster Response Coordinators, are working with the LCMS Disaster Response and District Disaster Response Coordinator Jay Wendland from the Florida-Georgia District.

As of Sunday, October 23, eighteen LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) volunteers are in Florida with chainsaws, heavy equipment, and servant-hearts to continue the massive recovery effort in our designated communities of Venice, Port Charlotte, and Englewood, as well as North Port, Punta Gorda, and Rotunda West until the end of October.

These communities were in the eye of a slow-moving hurricane, with residents enduring nine hours of sheltering in place while 125+mph winds and multiple tornadoes passed over their homes.
 
Since our arrival, LCC has completed 102 property assessments of tree damage which requires chainsaw and heavy equipment assistance. We are also assessing for debris removal or helping homeowners salvage their belongings from heavily damaged or destroyed homes.

During their first two weeks in Florida, L.E.R.T. volunteers completed seventy-eight tree-damaged property sites and eleven property sites with muck out, debris removal, or salvaging assistance. The teams worked at four churches, two pastor homes, ten church worker or congregational staff homes, and many congregational members and community residents.
 
Most of all, L.E.R.T. volunteers are present to provide spiritual and emotional care with those they serve.

While working on another property, we met a female homeowner in her 40s who was recovering from a recent open-heart surgery. In fact, this was her fourth heart surgery. Her property had quite a yard of downed trees, and she didn’t know how she was going to get it taken care of as she has many medical expenses. She truly appreciated the caring support and was amazed that we would offer to help her at no cost in her time of need.

If you are so moved, please donate to the LCC Disaster Response 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 pray for the residents in the impacted communities and all of the LCC Disaster Response volunteers and staff during our deployment to the hardest-hit areas of Florida to help during the long recovery process.

LCC received the following request from Pastor Hesham Shehab, Salam Christian Fellowship, Lombard, Illinois.

Dear Friends,
 
We have a Syrian asylum seeker family who needs help with immigration services expenses. There is no light at the end of the tunnel in the civil war in Syria that is still claiming innocent lives and destroying families.
 
Please help this family of three survive and have a new life in this great country as they wait for the work permit that will take five months.
 
The amount needed is $2,500. Please show the love of Christ to this new family coming to Salam by donating generously.
 
In Christ,
 
Pastor Hesham Shehab
Salam Christian Fellowship
Lombard, Illinois