On Sunday, June 20, a confirmed EF-3 tornado and catastrophic storms raged through Northern Illinois, causing extensive damage in Woodridge, Naperville, and Darien, as well as Burr Ridge and Downers Grove. Straight-line winds of at least 70mph tore through other communities. At least 350 homes were damaged, 48 are reported as uninhabitable.

Lutheran Church Charities continues to serve the hard-hit communities of Woodridge, Naperville, and Downers Grove. As of today, we have met with 96 homeowners to assess their property damage. We have identified 70 total sites that we can assist with. To do this more effectively, LCC has invited Pastor Ed Brashier, LCMS Southern District Disaster Response Coordinator, and Shepherds Heart Ministry Director, to assist our teams with his 65’ boom lift and mini-bobcat. This will allow us to help more homeowners daily with chainsaw lift work to broken and damaged trees. Different Lutheran Church Charities L.E.R.T. team members volunteer daily and have completed 39 sites. We will continue to serve in our district until we are done with all of the requests.

A Young Family Sees Jesus Helping Them

We helped a young family from St. John Lutheran Church in Lombard, Illinois, with removing a dangerous hanger over their driveway and felling a large broken tree near their home and deck utilizing the boom lift and rigging techniques.
 
This family was very appreciative of the assistance, but more importantly, they wanted their children, ages 3 and 7, to understand that it was the church coming to help them in their time of need.
 
The parents took time to explain to them how everyone working to take down their trees and make their home safe was doing what Jesus wanted them to do in serving others. When the team was done, and we presented the slice of tree with a cross in it, they told the boys, “Always remember this day, the day Jesus sent people from His church to help us.”

Helping a Single Woman Restore Her Property & Hope

Our team served a single woman with two acres of many downed and damaged trees surrounding her home and blocking her long driveway. She felt so overwhelmed, not knowing how she could ever possibly cut and remove all of the trees that were damaged. Having a large chainsaw team descend on her property for a full day of hard work restored her hope and property.

Mr. Stonitsch is very grateful that our teams are willing to respond to their referrals of residents that are in need of assistance.
 
LCC received the following thank you note from an elderly couple served by the LCC L.E.R.T. chainsaw teams:

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.

On Sunday, June 20, a confirmed EF-3 tornado and catastrophic storms raged through Northern Illinois, causing extensive damage in Woodridge, Naperville, and Darien, as well as Burr Ridge and Downers Grove. Straight-line winds of at least 70mph tore through other communities. At least 250 homes were damaged, 26 are reported as uninhabitable.
 
Tim Hetzner, LCC President/CEO, Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, and LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T) chainsaw team leaders visited affected first responders and homeowners to assess the damage to their property. LCC L.E.R.T. volunteers began property clean-up starting on Tuesday, June 22. Pastor Mark Schultz from Trinity Lutheran Church in Lisle invited LCC to serve out of their church. We are also working with Bethany Lutheran Church in Naperville.

As of today, we have met with 85 homeowners and assessed their property. We have identified 62 total sites that we can assist with. Due to tree damage in proximity to power lines and inaccessible yards for equipment, we are unable to assist some homeowners. We have been working daily, in spite of the rain, since the day after the tornado struck. Lutheran Church Charities L.E.R.T. teams have completed 23 chainsaw sites and helped two families move from their damaged homes. We will continue to serve in our district until we are done with requests.

LCC Disaster Response, along with a few neighbors, was able to help a family over two days to remove many downed trees in their yard. This family has had to move out of their home and into a hotel after many trees came down on their car and house, causing much roof and interior damage to their home. In addition to this devastation, they are caring for and facing the possible loss of their young adult child to cancer. Every team member wanted to serve here and offer Christ’s love and hope to this family during this very difficult time in their lives. We presented the father with a signed slice from one of their trees.

LCC L.E.R.T. helped a 35 year Air Force Reserve veteran remove several large downed trees in preparation for lift work to begin late this week on three tall cracked and leaning trees over her garage. She also assisted our team as they worked and appreciated our “respect of property and our hard work ethic.” LCC thanks her for her many years of dedicated military service.

Many of the trees that have been downed or damaged by the tornado in these established communities are very large in diameter and require large heavy saws and equipment to complete the work on them. Every homeowner has been very grateful for our professional assistance with these massive trees in their yards, especially the elderly who cannot do the clean-up work themselves.

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.

At 10:45 pm, Sunday, June 20, a confirmed EF-3 tornado and catastrophic storms raged through Northern Illinois, causing extensive damage in the hardest-hit areas of Woodridge, Naperville, and 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.
 
During the first 48 hours after the tornado, Tim Hetzner, LCC President/CEO, Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, and LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T) chainsaw team leaders visited affected first responders and homeowners to assess the damage to their property. Work orders were immediately scheduled for LCC L.E.R.T. volunteers to begin property clean-up starting on Tuesday. Pastor Mark Schultz from Trinity Lutheran Church in Lisle invited LCC to serve out of their church. We are also working with Bethany Lutheran Church in Naperville.

Woodridge Mayor Gina Cunningham and Illinois State Senator John Curran were present to thank LCC Disaster Response and L.E.R.T. chainsaw volunteers for everything we are doing to help their community. They are familiar with our response to disaster and crisis situations and welcomed our presence in assisting the residents in the impacted communities.

The American Red Cross referred a homeowner to Lutheran Church Charities for chainsaw assistance. This family has received much roof and interior damage to their home, about 40 trees down in their front and back yards, loss of power and lines to home, and a damaged vehicle from falling trees. In addition to this devastation, they are facing the possible loss of their young adult child to cancer. We told them to take care of their family and we will take care of their property, whenever they are ready for us. They deeply appreciated the compassion and hope of Jesus Christ we showed to them for their difficult situation.

One of the first homeowners visited is a Lisle-Woodridge firefighter who just returned home from his long shift of responding to his devastated community. His property has many downed trees and hanging tree limbs. An LCC L.E.R.T. team was sent to his property first thing on Tuesday to start the recovery effort.

We prayed with him, his wife, and his daughter to give them hope and reassurance that God is with them during this challenging time.

“Thank you so much for all your and your team's help with our branches!! We so appreciate you and are very thankful!!” – Serene Berkowitz

We also visited the home of a Lisle-Woodridge police officer who is helping to keep his community safe. The tree in his front yard has many dangerous hanging limbs. Work on his property is scheduled for today.

We are honored and blessed to be able to serve these brave first responders. They are grateful for our quick response so that they can continue to help residents in their community.

LCC L.E.R.T. chainsaw teams are helping a neighbor of Pastor Mike Curtis from Trinity – Lisle. The large tree on their property is heavily damaged as well as the tree in their front yard. L.E.R.T. chainsaw teams used their heavy equipment to safely clean up the property and help them in their time of need. Wayne and his wife were presented with a signed slice of the tree taken down and are thankful for our immediate assistance

LCC Disaster Response extends a heartfelt thank you to the volunteers from Trinity – Lisle L.E.R.T who cooked and served food to those present at the worksites and the hard-hit Woodridge neighborhood.

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.

On Thursday, June 17, Northern Illinois experienced several fast-moving storms with high winds in the evening. As a result of these, Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response was called for chainsaw assistance.

One home was located in Lake Barrington, Illinois, and had a large tree fall across the driveway. Jim Beckley and Richard Habegger from Prince of Peace, Palatine L.E.R.T. responded immediately to cut and remove the tree so the homeowner could regain access to their home.

The other home was in Lockport, Illinois, and had a large tree fall next to their home, taking down their electric lines to the house. They also had to fell a tree that was left-leaning dangerously towards the house. Larry and Dan Zagorski from Lord of Life, LaFox L.E.R.T. spent two days felling and cutting these trees for Dan’s neighbor to help this homeowner make his property safe again.

Both homeowners were very appreciative of the quick response and much-needed assistance.

The Palatine and St. John Wheaton, Illinois, L.E.R.T. teams spent two days this week helping a family with an elderly mother and a disabled daughter fell a large dead evergreen tree very near their home using the boom lift. They also removed other dangerous hanging tree limbs around the yard and cleared much-overgrown brush. The teams loaded the LCC 24’ dump trailer and hauled all of the wood and brush away to a donated site for disposal.

The family thanks the following L.E.R.T. volunteers for their willing service:
 
Immanuel, Palatine – Steve MacKay
Prince of Peace, Palatine – Jim and Karen Beckley, Richard and Bonnie Habegger, Mike Kaminski, Dan Swyndroski
St. John, Wheaton – Steve Chester, Marty Johnson
St. Peter, Arlington Heights – Lois Lehman

This was a large job to complete safely, and the homeowners were very appreciative of the professional assistance and care shown to them.

Palatine Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) comprises volunteers from Prince of Peace and Immanuel Lutheran Churches in Palatine, Illinois. During the month of May, both churches featured Lutheran Church Charities L.E.R.T. as their mission partner. They asked their respective congregations to donate cleaning supplies to fill 5-gallon flood buckets to give to those in need after a disaster.
 
Home Depot in Mount Prospect, Illinois, donated twenty-five buckets with lids and a case of hand sanitizer. The buckets were assembled and sent with prayers for their future recipients this week for Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response L.E.R.T. teams.

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.

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!

Currently, Ed Boerman, Alan Holm, Marty Johnson, and Pete Springmire are recognized LCMS chainsaw instructors, having completed this same Tim Ard training over the past several years. Therefore, it was their recommendation to have LCC bring him to our district to provide this advanced training to a select group of chainsaw operators to improve our skills, safety, and professionalism when responding to disasters. Participants who were invited to take this advanced training are LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) chainsaw team leaders or those being mentored as future chainsaw team leaders.

LCC paid $5,500 to have Tim Ard present this training, and volunteer participant donations have covered $2,950. Everyone who participated in this training felt they learned so much that will improve their chainsaw work proficiency. Some of the skills learned were how to cut good hinges and notches for felling trees, make bore cuts, recognize potential hazards, and how to safely buck limbs.
 
Dave Schlesselman, one of the chainsaw operators who participated in the training last week, stated, “What I learned from Tim last week will make a profound difference in how I work at all future sites. My safety and the safety of those around me will dramatically improve, my productivity will dramatically improve, and my ability to explain the "hows" and "whys" of the approaches we take to team members will be significantly better.”
 
CLICK HERE to watch a video from the training.
 
LCC thanks the following L.E.R.T. chainsaw operators for their participation and willingness to share what they have learned with other team members when deployed for safe and efficient chainsaw storm clean up.

Illinois
Good Shepherd, Frankfort – Joel Powless
Heartland, Normal – Tony Buchberger
Immanuel, Belvidere – Mike Buhl
Immanuel, DeKalb – Pete Springmire
Immanuel, Dundee – Matt Flynn
Lord of Life, LaFox – Kevin Krage, Vince Miller, Larry Zagorski
Messiah, Sterling – Jacob Beets
Prince of Peace, Palatine – Jim Beckley
Shepherd of the Hills, McHenry – Alan Holm
St. John, Wheaton – Marty Johnson, Dave Schlesselman
St. Peter, Schaumburg – Ken Kiviranta
Trinity, Lisle – Ed Boerman
 
Wisconsin
St. Paul, Grafton – Mark Brueggemann
 
LCC also thanks Jan Boerman, Kent Worrell, and Skip and Karen Sorenson from the Trinity Lisle L.E.R.T. team for providing, cooking, and serving a delicious steak dinner for all to enjoy one evening.

LCMS Disaster Response hosted the First Annual Chainsaw Games for experienced sawyers in Waterloo, Illinois at the end of April. The event was an opportunity for learning, chainsaw games, and fellowship. There were 16 participants and 6 instructors/judges. LCC Disaster Response was represented well by ASI Certified Arborist/LCC Chainsaw Instructor, Ed Boerman, and chainsaw team leaders Marty Johnson and Pete Springmire. Ed served as an instructor/judge. Marty placed 1st, and Pete placed 3rd in overall scoring. Lutheran Church Charities extends congratulations to a job well done and thanks for years of serving with disaster response.

On Thursday, March 25, the National Weather Service reported eleven tornadoes with EF ratings ranging from EF-1 to EF- 4, ripped through Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, causing seven deaths, multiple injuries, and widespread structural and tree damage.

Over the past two weeks, Kathy O'Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response responded with Pastor Ed Brashier, Southern District Disaster Response Coordinator, and the following team of thirty-one Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) draggers, and chainsaw and heavy equipment operators from Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Wisconsin.
 
Illinois
Good Shepherd – Frankfort: Joel Powless
Heartland – Normal: Tony Buchberger
Immanuel – Belvidere: Mike Buhl, Mark Gutzler, Wes Johnson, Carl Jurgens, Mike Perry
Immanuel – DeKalb: Pete and Christel Springmire
Lord of Life – LaFox: Chris Lewis, Jeff Straughn, Larry Zagorski
Messiah – Sterling: Jacob Beets
Prince of Peace – Palatine: Jim Beckley, Dan and Bobbie Swyndroski
Shepherd of the Hills – McHenry: Alan Holm
St. John – Wheaton: Marty Johnson, Anna Piro, David Schlesselman, Rich Wren
St. John – Wilmette: Tom Morrison
St. Paul – Matteson: Dennis Pieper
Trinity – Lisle: Ed Boerman
 
Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Wisconsin
First Lutheran – Paola, Kansas: Brian Mead
Good Shepherd – Gardendale, Alabama: Gary Decker, Rich Dender, Rusty Spiegle
St. John – Dillsboro, Indiana: Ruth Weisbrod
St. Paul – Grafton, Wisconsin: Mark and Beverly Brueggeman

Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response L.E.R.T. teams completed chainsaw work at seventeen homeowner sites while serving through Trinity Lutheran Church in Gadsen, Alabama, in Ohatchee Wellington, Jacksonville, and Piedmont. Almost all of these sites took 2-4 days to complete due to the size of the property and trees, amount of destruction, and complexity of work completed.
 
Blessing an Army Veteran

One of the homeowners was a 20 year Army veteran who sheltered in his home with his mom and daughter who were visiting as the tornado destroyed all of their vehicles, workshop, shed, and took down hundreds of trees on his 10 acres of rural property. He was very grateful for the help in clearing trees with all of the heavy equipment and chainsaw operators to access his road and property fully. He worked alongside the team and told us what a blessing we were to him.

Restoring Hope
 
Donny and his family all lived in separate homes on the same property. Two of their homes lost their roofs, and one of the homes was destroyed when two large oak trees landed on it. We were able to remove the oak trees to access the home and salvage what they could. They couldn’t believe that we would offer to help them and return for three days to complete the work. They stated that they felt we restored their faith and hope for their future as they move forward in recovering from this disaster.

The Cross
 
Joel Powless, one of the LCC L.E.R.T. chainsaw team leaders, cuts beautiful crosses in the homeowner’s tree stump to remind them that Christ is present in the midst of this disaster and recovery. Joel states that when he is cutting the cross, his arms will begin to burn as it is difficult and heavy to hold the chainsaw high and cut against the grain of the tree to make the cross. He is reminded that Christ’s arms were hurting as He hung on the cross for our sins – and that thought carries him through as he completes the cross for the homeowners who appreciate the significance the cross represents.

LCC Thank You
 
Lutheran Church Charities extends sincere thanks to John Strid, Regional President of Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors, for delivering and loaning us a compact track loader after our bobcat broke down to use for the week at no cost. Without this, we would not have been able to complete all of the work on the sites we had scheduled.

We also extend a heartfelt thanks to John and Kathy Henner from Bakers Buddy in DeKalb, Illinois, for the generous donation of food items, bread, and desserts for our cooks to prepare and serve our volunteers for the week. It was very much appreciated and enjoyed by all.
 
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.

On Thursday, March 25, the National Weather Service reported eleven tornadoes with EF ratings ranging from EF-1 to EF-4, ripped through Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia causing seven deaths, multiple injuries, and widespread structural and tree damage.

For a second full week, Lutheran Church Charities Director of Disaster Response, Kathy O’Day and Lutheran Early Response Teams (L.E.R.T.) are deployed and serving in Alabama. At the invitation of Rev. Ed Brashier, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) District Disaster Response Coordinator for the Southern District, recovery efforts continue in the towns of Ohatchee, Wellington, Jacksonville and Piedmont. We are serving out of Trinity Lutheran Church in Gadsen, Alabama, with Pastor John Reynolds.

Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, Erica Brown, Resource & Development Coordinator, The Learning Tree, Ann Cusey, Homeowner, and Mark Brueggemann, LCC L.E.R.T. volunteer share how the LCC Disaster Response L.E.R.T. chainsaw teams brought mercy and compassion when responding to the Alabama tornadoes. Click on the image below to watch the video.

Since arriving the Monday after Easter, thirty-one LCC Disaster Response L.E.R.T. chainsaw team members have joined the Southern District L.E.R.T. team members to assist those affected by these devastating tornadoes clear properties of downed and damaged trees, and debris utilizing the boom lift, dump trailer, bobcats, ditch witch, and tractors with grapples. This will help them begin their long road of rebuilding and recovery.

Clean-up Continues at The Learning Tree and Staff Member Properties

Property damage has been extensive at The Learning Tree Residential Schools for Children & Adults with Developmental Disabilities but care and enthusiasm for their students and residents has not wavered. The director, property manager, and staff can’t believe LCC L.E.R.T. chainsaw team members traveled such a great distance to help them in their time of need. They continue to see the hand of God provide for them during the tornado recovery efforts. They look forward to having safe properties, bringing back their students and residents, and helping everyone return to their normal schedule.

Bob and his family huddled in their bathroom wearing their bicycle helmets as they heard the tornado pass and the trees crashing onto their house and down on their property. When they came out, a large tree was resting on their roof but they were very surprised to see that it didn’t go through or damage the interior of their home.

Due to his disability, he knew there was no way he could begin to remove the damaged trees. He is very thankful that LCC L.E.R.T. chainsaw teams came with their equipment to assist.

If it weren't for all of the faith-based groups helping the community, he doesn’t know how he and his neighbors would be able to clean up all the damage to their properties.

Other LCC L.E.R.T. chainsaw team members have been working on several large jobs that took several days. Property owners have been overwhelmed with the clean-up task and are overjoyed when they witness the hands and feet of Jesus helping them.
 
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 tornadoes in your prayers, including all the LCC Disaster Response volunteers and staff while we are deployed to Alabama.
 
LCC works in coordination with LCMS Disaster Response national and local districts of the LCMS.