Lutheran Church Charities, in partnership with The Coming King Foundation, announced a Care & Remembrance Gathering featuring the installation of 95 Hearts of Mercy & Compassion and the unveiling of the Hill Country Flood Memorial Wall honoring the 137 lives lost in the tragic disaster over the Fourth of July weekend along the Guadalupe River Basin.

This public event — led by LCC President/CEO Rev. Chris Singer and hosted by Kerrville artist Max Greiner — will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, August 14, 2025, on the grounds of The Empty Cross monument at The Coming King Foundation Sculpture Prayer Garden in Kerrville, Texas.

“Our hearts are with the people of the Texas Hill Country after such a devastating tragedy,” Rev. Singer said. “Respectfully and compassionately, we desire to be present with the community for a time of reflection, prayer, and mourning. Even amid sorrow and grief, we believe God is close to the brokenhearted and offers hope and comfort. We invite all who are hurting and in need of support to attend this Remembrance Gathering with us and our ministry partner The Coming King Foundation.”

In addition to the 95 HMCs, which are being delivered from Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas, LCC will deploy a contingent of 29 staff members and volunteers, including eight K-9 Comfort Dog teams from Texas and Oklahoma and a four-member LCC Care Team from Gloria Dei Houston

The Hill Country Flood Memorial Wall, a 160-foot undulating limestone structure designed by Greiner, traces the curvature of the Guadalupe River. Bronze plaques will bear the names of those lost in the flood and will recognize the first responders, volunteers, and churches that provided critical care and support.

LCC’s Hearts of Mercy & Compassion (HMCs) will be displayed in front of the Memorial Wall as an interactive tribute. Attendees will have the opportunity to write personalized messages of hope, love, and encouragement for the families of those who passed away.

The Care & Remembrance Gathering also will feature eight LCC’s K-9 Comfort Dog teams from Texas and Oklahoma. These purebred Golden Retrievers and their trained handlers will provide emotional support, prayer, and peaceful companionship to help attendees process stress, grief, and loss.

In addition, LCC will deploy a four-member Care Team trained in Spiritual First Aid™ to offer compassionate, trauma-informed care.

Volunteers serving in Kerrville this week include:

Pax Comfort Dog, St. Paul Fort Worth, Texas 
Phoebe Comfort Dog, St. Paul Fort Worth, Texas 
Olive Comfort Dog, St. Paul Fort Worth, Texas 
Handlers: Janice & John Marut, LuAnn Kelly, Laura Lewallen, Bob Hampton, Veronica Vorva, LaRae Witsaman

Triton Comfort Dog, Messiah Plano, Texas 
Handlers: Marti Martz, Jane & Jerry Baedke

Elijah Comfort Dog, Our Redeemer Wichita Falls, Texas 
Handlers: Kelly Shivertaker (Bethany Austin, Texas) and Ken Wehmeyer (Bethany Austin, Texas)

Persis Comfort Dog, Christ The Redeemer Tulsa, Oklahoma 
Handlers: Roxy & Steve Hurry, Lori Knoepfel

Gabriel Comfort Dog, Messiah Houston, Texas 
Handlers: Janet & Charles Cook

Joy Comfort Dog, Gloria Dei Houston, Texas 
Handlers: Karen & Kim Gastler

The 95 hearts and crosses are being driven 22 hours from LCC headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois, with stops at Christ The Redeemer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and St. Paul, in Fort Worth, Texas. Eric Wendelbo of Christ The Redeemer will deploy as an HMC volunteer.

An LCC Care Team from Gloria Dei Houston will include Susanne Franson, Fred Heiner, Roberta Heiner, and Dawn Petersen.

“We are so grateful for these servants of Christ to join us for the Remembrance Gathering and show comfort and care to the community of Kerrville,” said Rev. Singer. “We know that they are traveling hundreds of miles to be there for people who are still hurting and in need. We are so thankful for their help.”

The Gathering event marks LCC’s third ministry trip to the Hill Country region as part of its ongoing disaster response and community support efforts.

Junior High Youth Spread Sweetness for a Cause

Even more support emerged last week when the Junior High youth at Trinity Lutheran in Villa Park, IL, held a Lemonade/Cookie Sale fundraiser to help families impacted by the July 4 flood in the Texas Hill Country. 

With bright smiles, homemade cookies, and ice-cold lemonade, the youth set up their stand to raise funds for those still struggling to rebuild their lives after the devastating flooding in Texas. The floods, which left many families displaced and in need, struck a chord with the group, inspiring them to take action in the most heartfelt way they knew — serving up treats with a side of compassion.

Adding even more warmth to the day, LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Michael (LCC Staff) made a special appearance, greeting visitors with his gentle presence and wagging tail. Children and adults alike couldn’t resist stopping for a friendly pat, a quick photo, and a cool drink. Michael’s visit reminded everyone that comfort and care can come in many forms — sometimes with fur and four paws.

Neighbors, church members, and passersby came out to show their support, turning the sale into a community gathering filled with laughter, generosity, and shared purpose. Every glass poured and cookie sold helped bring hope to families hundreds of miles away.

The Junior High youth proved that you don’t have to be a grown-up to change the world — just willing to lend a hand, bake a cookie, and pour a little lemonade for those in need.

Lutheran Church Charities can provide this assistance because faithful, generous donors and volunteers are willing to support and serve. Thanks to you, LCC will BE THERE as long as necessary to provide the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who are struggling, suffering, and in need.

“We spent time at command centers in Kerrville and Center Point, speaking with search and rescue responders and meeting FEMA disaster response center survivors who were registering for assistance,” said Denise Snider, director of LCC Human Care.

What they have endured is overwhelming, and the recovery will last for months. Survivors of a flooded subdivision were mucking and gutting their homes when LCC teams stopped by to talk and pray.

Joined by LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Teams Elijah (Our Redeemer - Wichita Falls, TX) and Joy (Gloria Dei - Houston, TX), the LCC group also attended a vigil for the victims at the Memorial Wall in downtown Kerrville on Saturday night, hearing harrowing stories of survival and deep loss. 

“At all of these we were able to offer a listening ear to the many stories shared, a caring touch or hug, a prayer and hope in Jesus Christ,” said O’Day.

Along the Guadelupe River

The first thing you notice is the smell.

A waft of musty mud. The stink of trash and debris. All of it 20 or 30 feet over head. Smushed in branches.

“Large trees were uprooted and bending in the direction of the wall of water that came down the river,” said LCC Director of Disaster Response Kathy O’Day.

During the deployment, O’Day and Disaster Crisis Response and Volunteer Engagement Coordinator Jason Johnson hiked along part of the Guadalupe River that recently had been combed by search and rescue first responders.

“You see washed up vehicles and other items swept down the river and deposited in places they shouldn’t be,” O’Day described. “You think about the lives lost and those missing and being searched for. And as you walk, you feel as though you are walking on sacred ground.”

A husband-and-wife self-rescue

When the flooding was at its peak, the rising water was halfway up the first floor window for a U.S. Army veteran who lived in Hunt, Texas.

Home with his wife, the man knew he had to make a plan fast.

LCC Director of Human Care Denise Snider heard his account during the deployment and marveled at his faith.

With sheer strength, the man managed to pry open the partially submerged window and turned to his wife with how to escape. “Hold your breath,” he told her.

He grabbed her hand and helped her squeeze through the window. As she made it out, he swam right behind her, still clinging to her hand.

Above raging river, the sky crackled with lightning, providing enough light to make out a branch dangling from trees overhead. They swam to it. Clinging to the branch, they swung around to the trunk, where the man tied his belt around his wife and a higher branch on the tree. Then he anchored himself to another part of the tree.

For the moment, they were both safe.
As the waters receded, they swam to safety. On solid ground, they made their way to neighbors’ homes, rescuing them from the water. His military training had prepared him for the moment, the man thought. But there was more.

Reflecting on the experience, the man shared that God’s strength gave him the ability to open the window, protect his wife, cling to the tree, and have energy to help others.
He gave all the glory to God, praising Him for His saving grace.

Tears at Camp LaJunta

Sitting at the entrance to Camp LaJunta in Hunt, Texas, a young man was in tears.

As Kathy O’Day and Jason Johnson approached, they noticed he was wearing a camp t-shirt. As a child, he had gone to camp here for many years and now had sent his son too.

Memories came back to him, and it hurt to know that so many boys were lost and traumatized by the flooding days earlier.  

Others were hurting too.

The man’s best friend lived along the river with his family, including an 18-month-old baby. When the flood waters hit, they were sleeping upstairs and awoke to a loud noise about 3:30 a.m.

Rushing downstairs, the discovered the first floor was filling with water, including the baby’s room. Their son was standing up in his crib with the water at his neck.

God had woken them up at the exact moment to save their child, he said. They made it to safety.

God is still working. Through the volunteers coming from all over. In the stories other families have told.

He thanked the LCC team for coming, listening to his story, and being a part of a God moment with him. 

A call back to faith

At the Kerrville town vigil on Saturday, LCC teams noticed a young woman who appeared to show signs of heat exhaustion. Kathy O’Day quickly got her some water. Denise Snider found a doctor to assist.

A short time later, the woman was refreshed, and they took a moment to thank the doctor. On her phone, the doctor showed a photo of a door at Camp Mystic, where she and a friend had helped recently. The image showed a beam of light shining through a crack in the door. But her friend, who took the same photo, had no light beam on hers.

“I’m not a Christian,” the doctor confessed.

But something about the light shining through the door crack made her believe God was reaching out to her.

O’Day invited the doctor to pray with her.

Was this encounter another sign? In the midst of this awful tragedy, was God using an unplanned moment to call her back to faith in Jesus?

She believed it was. 

LCC asks that supporters pray for this doctor in the weeks ahead. May she come more into the knowledge and love of Christ.

UPDATE: On Thursday, July 10, Deaconess Kathy O'Day, director of LCC Disaster Response, and Denise Snider, director of LCC Human Care, will lead teams of volunteers in the Texas Hill Country to bring comfort, care, and support to LCMS churches, first responders, and community residents affected by the July 4 flash-flooding. Joining them will be Jason Johnson, Disaster Crisis Response and Volunteer Engagement Coordinator. 

​A team from Gloria Dei Houston will meet them there — with LERT-trained volunteers working with Deac. O'Day and Johnson, and Spiritual First Aid™- trained volunteers going with Snider.

Two K-9 Comfort Dog teams also will deploy Thursday evening:
- Team Elijah from Our Redeemer Wichita Falls, Texas, with Eddie Carlton (retired police) and Willie Reneau
- Team Joy from Gloria Dei Houston with Karen and Kim Gastler

The home base for ministry work this week will be at Hosanna Lutheran Kerrville.

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Lutheran Church Charities President/CEO Rev. Chris Singer announced Monday that LCC is planning to deploy to the Texas Hill Country to BE THERE to offer HOPE TO THE HURTING after catastrophic rains, rapid rises in river levels, and massive flash flooding overwhelmed multiple communities over the July 4 weekend. The tragic weather event took the lives of more than 100 people, including dozens of children at campgrounds along the Guadalupe River basin.

LCC has been invited by Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) Texas District President Rev. Dr. Jon Braunersreuther and Texas District Disaster Response Coordinators Julie Tucker and David Ricks as soon as it is safe to travel and perform much-needed ministry work.

“The scope of this disaster is massive, both in lives tragically lost and the wide area that has been impacted,” Rev. Singer said. “Our hearts are broken at the devastation. Lives have been upended and torn apart. We are praying fervently and eager to be on-site to help as soon as possible.”



Search and rescue operations continue with around-the-clock response from local, state, and national first responders. Hundreds of officers and support staff are working in Kerr County and the region northwest of San Antonio known for its rolling hills and winding rivers.

LCC staff — plus LCC volunteers in Texas and Oklahoma — are standing by to mobilize and travel to affected areas.



LCC is prepared to lend Disaster Response expertise and send LCC Care Teams trained in Spiritual First Aid™ to provide physical, emotional, and spiritual care to those affected by this ongoing tragedy.

With several roads and bridges washed out, travel around Kerrville and the surrounding region is limited. LCC is planning to send K-9 Comfort Dog and Hearts of Mercy & Compassion teams as soon as it can.

This week, LCC is focusing its assistance on serving the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) Texas District, plus working alongside LCMS pastors and congregations participating in community care efforts, including Kerrville, Boerne, San Antonio, and Houston. 

Rev. Singer has been in communication with LCMS district officials, while the directors from all four LCC ministry areas are talking daily with pastors in the region, assessing locations in the region to bring comfort and care.

Weather is another factor impacting deployment plans. The Texas Hill Country continues to see a pattern of rainstorms throughout the week.

Working with Hosanna Kerrville and other LCMS churches in the area, plus San Antonio and Austin, LCC is aggregating local resources to help residents, while preparing LCC volunteers when they arrive to help.

LCC can provide this assistance because of faithful, generous donors and volunteers who are willing to support and serve. 

“The financial support you can offer right now will go directly to helping families and LCMS congregations in the Texas Hill Country and bring HOPE TO THE HURTING,” Rev. Singer said. 

Hurts still linger a year after two fires and flash flooding ravaged the mountain community of Ruidoso, New Mexico.

“Today, emotions are all over the map,” said Melissa Moody, a Village of Ruidoso employee who works with the town’s Parks and Recreation Department. “Some are still shellshocked and struggling. Some are ready to move on. Some accept the consequences of living here. But all of us are coming together to be a stronger community.”

On Tuesday, Ruidoso paused to remember, reflect, and celebrate resilience a year after the 2024 natural disasters that took the lives of two people, destroyed 1,400 homes, and burned more than 25,000 acres. Hundreds of people from the community came to the town’s Wingfield Park for an event with the theme “United By Loss, Defined By Grit.”

Lutheran Church Charities was on hand to bring HOPE TO THE HURTING with the handlers of K-9 Comfort Dog Persis (King of Kings - Glenpool, Oklahoma) and K-9 Comfort Dog Elijah (Our Redeemer - Wichita Falls, Texas). The teams worked in conjunction with Rev. Jason Rust of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Ruidoso and nine congregation members trained in Spiritual First Aid™.

The group also brought Hearts of Mercy & Compassion and crosses for the community to sign at the gathering. It marked the third visit by LCC staff and volunteers since the disaster — with previous trips focused on Disaster Response cleanup and Spiritual First Aid training.

“LCC is reaffirming its commitment to long-term care, healing, and hope for the people of Ruidoso,” said LCC President/CEO Rev. Chris Singer. “In the midst of despair and loss, we want this community to find the comfort, strength, and hope need for healing. LCC will continue to bring prayer, Scripture, and resources for Ruidoso and Shepherd of the Hills.

The day the South Fork Fire broke out, Melissa Moody didn’t think much of it. Fires happen in the New Mexico mountains from time to time.

When her boss called and told her to join the Emergency Operations Center, she delayed. She had to finish doing payroll.

Her boss called again, ordering her to the EOC, which had to evacuate three times as the wildfire spread.

In the days and weeks that followed, Moody operated Ruidoso’s mobile kitchen, feeding dozens of families, then a few hundred, and eventually 800 people three meals a day. Seven days a week for nearly a month.

“Those weeks are a blur,” Moody said while preparing for the remembrance event. “I didn’t see my family for three weeks.”

Ruidoso remembers, though.

As K-9 Comfort Dog teams for Persis and Elijah walked downtown the morning before the community event, shopkeepers and residents reflected on the fear and anxiety they felt during mandatory evacuations, subsequent flooding after the fires, and the devastation that was left behind. The mountains around the town still show treeless burn scars of where they fire raged.

“Encouragement is needed here.”

“Thank you for coming.”

“We’re glad you came.”

T-shirt vendors. Bar owners. Restaurant wait staff. All expressed a gratitude that people outside the community care and want to help.

Back at Wingfield Park, Moody listens as Rev. Singer shares a message of hope and spiritual encouragement with the community.

As a Village of Ruidoso admin who is back to selling fishing permits for the Parks & Rec Department, she sees something else.

“We’re going to be stronger because of this,” she said, looking over the crowd. “People still need help. They need support with finances and the essentials. But now they know that people care — and help is available. Your group is a big part of that.”

One year after the devastating South Fork Fire and flash floods that swept through Ruidoso, New Mexico, destroying over 1,400 homes and businesses, the community is preparing to gather in remembrance—and in strength.

As part of this special remembrance, Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) will return to Ruidoso to stand in solidarity with a community they first served in 2024, reaffirming their commitment to long-term care, healing, and hope. LCC is honored to participate in the event with LCC Community Care Event.

"South Fork 2024 — United by Loss, Defined by Grit”
Tuesday, June 17 | 5:30–8:00 p.m. | Winfield Park, 300 Center St., Ruidoso, NM

This community-led remembrance event is a time to:

1. Lament the losses of homes, land, and livelihood
2. Honor the courageous efforts of neighbors helping neighbors
3. Celebrate resilience, unity, and the journey toward healing
   
   

Lutheran Church Charities will participate in the event, bringing all four of its core ministries:

1. LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry with Comfort Dogs Elijah  (Our Redeemer - Wichita Falls, Texas) and Persis (King of Kings - Glenpool, Oklahoma)
   
2. Disaster Response
3. Hearts of Mercy & Compassion
4. Human Care

LCC Care Teams will be on-site to offer emotional and spiritual support as the community reflects on its past and looks ahead with hope.

A Year Ago: LCC’s Immediate Response
In the aftermath of the disaster, LCC deployed teams to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, offering both practical assistance and emotional support. Their response included:

1. Chainsaw relief operations, removing fallen and hazardous trees from properties
   
2. Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) training, helping local volunteers learn safe and effective disaster response techniques
3. Spiritual and emotional care, providing comfort rooted in the hope of Christ
   
   

That initial deployment was followed by a second, six-day mission in October, where LCC expanded their support with advanced training, additional fieldwork, and the introduction of Spiritual First Aid™, a biblically grounded model for addressing trauma and grief.

“Pastor Jason Rust of Shepherd of the Hills reached out and said, ‘We want to help our neighbors—but we don’t know how,’” recalled Rev. Chris Singer, LCC President and CEO. “We came to stand with them, train them, and remind them that healing is possible through Christ. And now, we return to remind them they are not forgotten.”

You Can Help Us Keep Showing UpL
CC’s mission is long-term. Our return to Ruidoso is just one example of how we continue to support communities long after headlines fade.

Donate today to help LCC bring ongoing relief, care, and Christ-centered hope to those still rebuilding.
Because remembering means returning—and healing happens when we walk together.

With rooftops blown apart, homes devastated with damage, and tree limbs scattered across yards and streets, Missouri has endured a week and a half of severe weather and heavy hearts. From St. Louis to Springfield, communities across the state have been hit hard following multiple tornadoes and straight line windstorms. 

Lutheran Church Charities has been on the ground this week with Disaster Response, Human Care, and K-9 Comfort Dog teams to help local LCMS churches with damage assessments, chainsaw work, debris removal, food and resource distribution, and spiritual care and comfort. 
​

Disaster Response

In Springfield, Missouri, last week and into this week, Deaconess Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, and Jason Johnson, LCC Disaster Response & Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, have been assessing damage from an EF-1 tornado with 95 to 100 mph winds, followed by a second storm with 80 mph straight-line winds. 

The damage is widespread with more than 200 households impacted, according to Katie Kovach, Green County Emergency Manager.

After weather delays on Memorial Day, LCC LERT volunteers arrived Tuesday to work with Hope Lutheran Church, Republic, Missouri, and Trinity Lutheran in Springfield — both are assisting with the volunteer camp at the Lutheran Student Center and providing meals for LCC LERT chainsaw volunteers who will serve until Saturday.

O’Day and Johnson report widespread devastation, with numerous homes and properties bearing the brunt of severe tree and structural damage. Among those affected was an elderly, disabled veteran whose property was left in ruins—12 massive trees toppled across his land, and his home suffered significant harm. On Tuesday, the teams used chainsaws to cut through the fallen trees and worked tirelessly to clear his property. He was very grateful for their help and mercy shown to him. As a heartfelt gesture, they presented him with a cross, lovingly carved from one of the downed trees and signed by each team member. Deeply moved by their kindness and the mercy shown to him, he expressed heartfelt gratitude for the help he never expected but desperately needed.

The man shared how frustrating it is that he can no longer take care of his own property. He expressed great thanks that LCC could send chainsaw volunteers to help him clean up his yard this week. O’Day said they met several elderly homeowners that are grateful for the offer of assistance and a willingness to listen to their stories.
 
In St. Louis, another crew of LCC Disaster Response chainsaw and lift volunteers have joined forces with other LERT volunteers from around the country to clear tree damage at Concordia Seminary, which was swept by an EF-3 tornado on May 16. Officials estimate that more than 100 trees were uprooted or leaning on the campus and nearby park. Some caused damage to the chapel and several dormitories and apartments on the grounds.

Faced with challenging cleanup maneuvers, crews have been using heavy equipment and lifts — even climbing trees — to remove fallen and dangerous branches and limbs off buildings and clearing walking pathways.

LCC Care Teams

Two LCC Care Teams partnered with Bethlehem Lutheran St. Louis to distribute food, blankets, and essential care items to individuals affected by the storms. With stores closed, these are among the first supplies to reach the residents in the area.

One team included members from Living Word Galena, Ohio, along with staff from LCC. The second Care Team was from Trinity Green Trails Lisle, Illinois. They distributed gift cards and children’s activity back packs, with grooming supplies, hygiene kits, toys, books, and a blanket.

As they served the community, they provided Spiritual First Aid™ to those in need of emotional and spiritual support to take their next steps in their journey to recovery and healing.

While assisting community members, LCC Care Team volunteers spoke with Wanda. She expressed deep gratitude, saying she believed God had carried them through everything. Speaking quickly and with urgency, Wanda explained that she was helping her 80-year-old neighbor, who couldn’t leave the house. She had come to the distribution center to pick up food and supplies for her, as no one else was offering assistance.

Though thankful, Wanda also voiced concern about how long it might take for her neighbor to feel safe and comfortable again. Her stressed body language was noticeable, so one of the Care Team members placed a hand on her arm gently and spoke to her softly. As she began to calm down, Wanda shared how much she appreciated the team's presence and said she believed God had sent them to help.

K-9 Comfort Dogs in action

On Sunday, LCC church affiliates St. Paul Des Peres, Missouri, and Timothy St. Louis, brought K-9 Comfort Dogs Tabby, Zion, and Noah to partner church Bethlehem St. Louis, which has served as a hub for community members, distributing food and supplies, operating as a call center, and welcoming those who need shelter. Rev. Dr. Gerard Bolling invited the community to attend the Sunday service and spend time cuddling with the comfort dogs.  

LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministries volunteers were:
Sheryl Schucart with K-9 Comfort Dog Zion
Ruth Agne with K-9 Comfort Dog Tabby
Ministry Partners Sue and Jon Burford with K-9 Comfort Dog Zion and Tabby
Glenn Nielsen with K-9 Comfort Dog Noah

At LCC, we never go where we are not invited. We never charge those we serve.
 
If you are compelled to give, please donate to the May 2025 Tornado Outbreak Response Fund. Thank you for being a part of the Mercy and Compassion Ministry of Lutheran Church Charities.

Preparations began on Monday when Rev. Ross Johnson, LCMS Director of Disaster Response, invited LCC to help the Synod with recovery after an EF-3 tornado struck parts of St. Louis. LCC volunteers will travel there this week for cleanup work and assistance to the community. 
 
LCC President/CEO Rev. Chris Singer and LCC Disaster Response Director Deaconess Kathy O’Day have been in communication with District Disaster Response Coordinators in Kansas, Missouri, and Kentucky, as well as engaged in conversations with LCMS pastors in the affected regions. 

• In the Missouri District, District Disaster Response Coordinator Kris Schuldt reports that the tree damage is extensive around parts of St. Louis and will require much LERT chainsaw assistance. More than 100 trees have fallen at Concordia Seminary and at least 60 more at the Park. The campus chapel and two apartment buildings were also damaged by falling trees.
• In Springfield, Missouri, residents are still cleaning up from an EF-2 tornado in early May, and DR Director O’Day will help with damage assessments this week and assist in recovery responses.
• Disaster Response is monitoring the town of Lincoln, Missouri, which was hit Tuesday by a tornado.
• In the Southern Illinois District, the town of Marion was struck by an EF-4 tornado with 190 mph winds, causing major destruction. Just today, the district has gotten into the town to assess damage, and LCC Disaster Response is available to help if called upon.
• In the Mid-South District, multiple towns in Kentucky, including London and Somerset, suffered widespread destruction and 17 fatalities. LCC has made contact with District Disaster Response Coordinator Rev. Trae Fistler and local LERT volunteers who are working across the area for assistance.

“So many lives in so many areas have been upended and torn apart. Families are entering this week without loved ones, homes, power, and basic needs. They need our prayers and our help right now.” Rev. Singer said. “LCC is preparing to be there with them, ready to offer emergency assistance, tangible support, and most importantly, the comfort and hope found only in Jesus Christ.”

LCC can provide this assistance because of faithful, generous donors and volunteers who are willing to support and serve. 
 
“The financial support you can offer right now will go directly to helping families and LCMS congregations across the region and bring hope to the hurting,” Rev. Singer said. 
 
Your earnest prayers and kindhearted support are greatly appreciated by the many people overwhelmed by these storms and those who are responding with help. LCC asks that its supporters to pray for families and individuals affected, as well as LCC’s preparations to serve, along with favorable weather conditions to allow for ongoing cleanup and recovery efforts.
 
If you are compelled to give, please donate to the May 2025 Tornado Outbreak Response Fund. Thank you for being a part of the Mercy and Compassion Ministry of Lutheran Church Charities.

At the invitation of Pastor Paul Ernewein of the Southern District Disaster Response Coordinator (DDRC), Lutheran Church Charities conducted a Basic LCMS Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) Chainsaw Operation and Safety classroom training in Slidell, Louisiana, on May 16. The class was co-led by LCC/LCMS Chainsaw Certified Instructors Marty Johnson and Pete Springmire.

On Saturday, May 17, four Iowa West LERT members participated in hands-on field work, serving as sawyers and draggers to clear leaning and fallen trees from a congregation member’s property.
 
Under the supervision of the LCC chainsaw instructors, the new LERT volunteers received individual instruction and guidance as they safely practiced felling and bucking trees and limbs while working alongside experienced team members.