LCC Needs Your Help for Christmas - Join Us as a Friend in Christ "Adopt an Amigos Center Family"12/13/2017
Help LCC provide for critical needs for 92 families in Florida recovering from Hurricane Irma by Christmas Day
There are 3 ways you can donate as a Friend in Christ! Option 1: Sponsor the complete needs of a family! Below are the suggested donation amounts needed to sponsor each family size with beds and bedding: Individual: $550 Family of 2: $800 Family of 3: $1200 Family of 4: $1400 Family of 5: $1600 Family of 6: $1900 To include Appliances: Refrigerator: $600 Stove: $550 CLICK HERE to donate Please be sure to select a designation so that we order the appropriate items for families in a timely manner. Option 2: Donate now to purchase beds and appliances for families! Lutheran Church Charities will place orders for beds through our accounts with the national disaster relief branch of Mattress Firm and appliances through the local area Home Depot. Your donations will allow Lutheran Church Charities to purchase box springs, mattresses, bed frames, refrigerators and stoves for families. CLICK HERE to donate Please be sure to select a designation so that we order the appropriate items for families in a timely manner. Option 3: Donate to purchase a family bedding package & ship directly to the Amigos Center! If you, your LERT team, small group, or congregation wish to shop for and purchase a NEW and COMPLETE family bedding package for a specific family and send it yourself to the Amigos Center, please send an email to FriendsInChrist@LutheranChurchCharities.org and the Disaster Response team will contact you with further information. Your generous donations will help Lutheran Church Charities and the Amigos Center deliver hope and the love of Jesus to families in Bonita Springs and Immokalee. For more information, or if you have questions, please email FriendsInChrist@LutheranChurchCharities.org or contact Kathy O'Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response at 224-257-4372. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ!
Pastor Karl Glander, Director – Amigos Center, Immokalee, Florida The Amigos Center is also trying to help those affected by Hurricane Irma, many who have lost their homes and belongings, but they need prayers, volunteers and financial assistance to do this. Please become a friend in Christ to those who are considered the forgotten people living in the “Third World” communities of Bonita Springs and Immokalee. Pastor Robert Selle, CEO and Founder – Amigos en Christo
Since Hurricane Irma, Pastor has hired a case manager to provide disaster case management and advocacy for almost 100 Hispanic and Haitian clients and congregation members who have been hard hit in Bonita Springs and Immokalee. In addition, their buildings in both locations sustained damage in the hurricane requiring repairs. They need prayers, volunteers and financial assistance to make a difference in the many lives they touch with the mercy, compassion, presence and proclamation of Jesus Christ. Please become a friend in Christ to those who are considered the forgotten people living in the “Third World” communities of Bonita Springs and Immokalee. Small Communities Devastated in Bonita Springs, Florida
Preschool Teacher at Hope Lutheran Church Trusts God’s Big Plan for Their Future
LCC is your hands and feet, giving hope to individuals and families who continue to struggle in meeting their greatest needs. The recovery in these areas is long term. Your generous donations are making a difference in the lives of others!
Please donate now as a Friend in Christ to continue blessings others in His name!
One resident shared that she scrubs her walls every day to keep her home as clean as she can. A few weeks ago, Jan Boerman from Trinity – Lisle, Illinois and Pastor convinced most of these residents to get rid of their water soaked mattresses and bought all of them air mattresses. Hopefully the roof will be replaced soon and then LCC will partner with Amigos Center to replace beds and household items that were ruined.  Vicar David Blas Shares How Your Donations Are Helping Puerto Rico Joshua Gale, LCC Executive Director, interviews Vicar David Blas upon his return from Puerto Rico. Vicar Blas took with him generous donations from LCC donors to be distributed immediately to individuals with the greatest need. Hear how many people are still struggling with daily living and how your support is still desperately needed. Vicar Blas currently serves as a mission vicar around Sheboygan, Wisconsin serving the Hispanic population.  Comfort Dogs Heal Las Vegas Shooting Victims How does a community begin to heal in the aftermath of a mass shooting? On October 2nd, a day after a man opened fire on the Route 91 music festival, killing 58 and wounding hundreds, the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs ministry deployed to Las Vegas. NBC Left Field followed a team of 22 golden retrievers as the dogs brought solace to victims, their families, first responders and the community at large. Facebook post from NBC Left Field Director, Kitra Cahana: A day following the mass shooting in Las Vegas the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs deployed to console victims, their families, first responders and workers at the Mandalay Bay hotel. Ed Ou and I followed along and made this short film [Comfort Dogs Heal Las Vegas Shooting Victims]. Thank you notes received from shooting victim visited in Las Vegas: Dear Richard: Comment posted on LCC Facebook: I "ran across" the Comfort Dogs at Mandalay Bay when I was in Vegas right after the horrible shooting. Each handler gave me the dog's "business card" and I posted the business card on my FB page the following day telling people how neat it was to see them. One of my friends in Montana told me last night that she was working with her young granddaughters with a Monday Night School (their version of Sunday School). She used the Bible verses as a "core" lesson plan, they looked up the verses and talked about what they meant. The girls are young, elementary school age. I'm not the greatest "Bible Student" and didn't understand some of the verses but took away what I needed to from one of them and I thought it was neat that a FB post about the Comfort Dogs ended up being a "lesson plan" for a couple little girls in Montana. Just thought you might want to know that the Nebraska and Colorado contingent of Comfort Dogs had a far reaching effect not only in Vegas but also in Helena, Missoula, and even Boise, Idaho. Have a good weekend everybody!
Hope Lutheran Church – Bonita Springs Estero Fire Rescue - Estero Red Cross Shelter – Estero Life Care – Estola The Amigos Center – Immokalee Arlington of Naples, a Lutheran Retirement Community – Naples Lambs of Faith Preschool at Faith Lutheran Church – Naples Marine Corps League meeting at Faith Lutheran Church – Naples Naples Fire Department – Naples NCH Healthcare – Naples Peace Lutheran Church Early Learning Center – Naples Good Shepherd Early Learning Center at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church  Texas Update LCC continues to work through our Texas District contacts and ministry partners to help impacted communities still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Lutheran Church Charities LERT volunteers Pastor Greg Hintz, Steve Goetsch and Ken Kiviranta (St. Peter – Schaumburg, Illinois) and Bob Pautsch (Trinity – Roselle, Illinois) returned on October 15 from a week of serving in Houston, Texas. Getting job assignments through Trinity – Klein, this group had many opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, bringing both physical assistance and spiritual support to those still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Pastor Hintz shared with LCC how being present during recovery and rebuilding gives hope to those impacted.
As we stood at the entrance of the garage on the cul de sac, we were trying to imagine how the water had been so high in the house as the foundation was already 6 ft. above the street. The homeowners told their story that the 52+ inches of rain that had fallen over the 3 day period had not been the main problem for them. It was when the waters were released at the reservoir when it became trouble. The waters had to be released so that the reservoir itself would not break and damage many more homes and businesses. That is when the waters rose and entered the home with 4 ft. inside! The wife said miracles abounded that they did not get shocked from the electricity that had still been working as they waded through the waist high water. They both told of the rescue raft that took them to the boat, with their 3 children, in the middle of what used to be their street ... all while avoiding the snakes swimming in the water looking for shelter too! Even though we had worked hard spraying down the bleach/water application and were sweating profusely in 85+ degree weather, she asked us for a hug and thanked us tremendously for making a sacrifice and a great difference to help restore their lives back to "normal." It truly has been a blessing to reach out with the love of Christ and bring relief in the opportunities He gives us! Bringing comfort, volunteers and your donations to hurting communities California Wildfires Lutheran Church Charities is monitoring the wildfires in Napa, Santa Rosa and Monticeto, California. We are in contact with Pastor Zabell, the CNH District Disaster Response Coordinator. He reports that there has been approximately 3,500 homes lost in these communities. St. John Lutheran Church in Napa reports that staff members and several congregation members have lost their homes. Following their deployment to serve in Las Vegas, Nevada, LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Aaron (St John’s – Napa, California) and Reuben (First Lutheran – Yuba City, California) returned home to out-of-control wildfires in their towns, even though they are about 2 hours apart in driving distance. LCC K-9 Ministry team members from both Aaron Comfort Dog and Reuben Comfort Dog initially evacuated from their homes but have since returned. We are thankful that they are all safe. As soon as it was safe to do so, both teams have been serving throughout their surrounding communities, visiting first responders, incident command centers, schools, families in shelters, and others who have been and still are impacted. Please continue to pray for all first responders who are heroically battling these horrible fires, all volunteers, and the individuals in the impacted communities who are struggling to cope with their losses.  Las Vegas Update LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs are still serving the Las Vegas community following the recent tragic event supporting LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Lois (First Good Shepherd - Las Vegas, Nevada). Last week, LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Anna (Trinity - Toledo, Ohio) and Bekah (Immanuel - Belvidere, Illinois) and their teams served with Lois Comfort Dog and her team. This week, Tobias (Lord of Glory - Grayslake, Illinois) and Rich Martin, LCC Director of K-9 Deployments  Puerto Rico Update Through our generous donors, Lutheran Church Charities has and will continue to provide financial support and Walmart gift cards to Vicar David Blas from Sheboygan, Wisconsin who will get them directly to impacted individuals in need in Puerto Rico. Vicar Blas has been in Puerto Rico since last Thursday helping his family and their neighbors with basic needs and to assess current conditions. He is returning home this week and LCC will be talking to him about on-going support to help individuals during the long recovery process they face. Florida Update These are some of the living conditions of people in Immokalee, Florida that the Amigos Center is working with. Jan Boerman (Trinity – Lisle, Illinois) and Denise Cupples (Cross – Yorkville, Illinois) have been helping Pastor Glander complete assessments. Housing was poor prior to Hurricane Irma. It is deplorable in many places now.  LCC will continue to partner and work with the Amigos Center in Immokalee, asking churches to Adopt-A-Family, providing for basic household needs as families are able to move into safe, sanitary and secure housing. Pastor Glander, Director of Amigos Center, and staff are doing assessments of hurricane damaged mobile homes and apartments. He knows 80 have been condemned by the city and several others that have serious damage and mold. As these assessments are completed, they will begin determining needs and how LCC can ask all of our churches and teams to support and partner with them. This is a “forgotten community” and called a “Third World Country” within the United States. This week, LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Sasha (Island Lutheran – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina) and Luke (Christ the Shepherd – Alpharetta, Georgia) and their handlers have been working with Hope Lutheran Church in Bonita Springs, Florida to bring comfort and hope in the name of Jesus Christ to impacted individuals in Bonita Springs, Immokalee, and surrounding communities that are still greatly impacted from the hurricane. Phil Burden presented Pastor Karl Glander from the Amigos Center with Visa gift cards sent by the people at Island Lutheran Church to help individuals during this time of need. LCC Responds to Help Requested through Facebook After Hurricane Irma hit Florida, LCC received a Facebook message from a concerned brother for his sister living in LaBelle who days after Hurricane Irma still had not received any assistance and was housing neighbors that had their homes destroyed. "I have a sister who lives in LaBelle. She's a single mom who is housing a few others who have lost their homes, including an 88 year old woman. She could really use some people with chainsaws. How can I get her some help? Thank you for doing your important work. Blessings to you." Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, reached out to Marilyn immediately and listened to her story and pleas for help. Marilyn said the town was hit by the eastern eye of the wall of the hurricane and had flooding and a lot of trees down. Many of the homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed. They had no power for a week following the storm. Marilyn sheltered 12 people during the hurricane and now has 3 neighbors still living with her as their homes have been destroyed and they have nowhere else to go. She lives on 5 wooded acres with at least 40 trees now down. She is an accomplished butterfly farmer shipping them all over the country, but her several greenhouses and a lab were destroyed or badly damaged. She was struggling to come to grips with this loss of everything after the hurricane. Kathy O’Day was able to pass on this information to the Florida District Disaster Response Coordinators and Ed and Jan Boerman (Trinity – Lisle, Illinois) LERT team members who were in the Fort Myers area. They visited Marilyn’s home to assess the damage and began to send teams to assist. LCC was also able to give each family WalMart gift cards to help purchase basic supplies they needed. Multiple LERT team members from the Northern Illinois District from our area were sent to her home over the last few weeks to help her remove downed trees and salvage her butterfly farm. The LERT team members from Illinois and Indiana who volunteered their time and talents were from Trinity – Lisle, Lord of Life – LaFox, Cross – Yorkville, Prince of Peace – Palatine, Grace – Paris, Immanuel – Freeport, St. John – Wheaton and St. John – Dillsboro, Indiana. This week, LCC received a thank you note from Marilyn’s brother: “Many of your teams helped my sister, Marilyn, in LaBelle, Florida these past few weeks. First of all, I want to thank you so much for your help. Marilyn could never have done the work herself. I cannot begin to thank you enough. God bless you.” Texas Update
LCC continues to work through our Texas District contacts and ministry partners to help impacted communities still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. Julie Tucker, Texas District Volunteer Relief Coordinator, reports that there are 330,000 homes damaged or destroyed in Texas from Hurricane Harvey. These damaged homes stretch from the Beaumont/Port Arthur area to the Houston area and down to the Rockport/Aransas Pass/Corpus Christi area with many towns in between as well. Many of the people affected in the coastal bend are retired and on fixed incomes or immigrants living below poverty level. Neither of these groups have the means to recover on their own and need assistance. Julie is looking for volunteers willing to travel outside of the Houston area down to the some of these hard hit communities which still need outside assistance. Michelle Karim, Volunteer Coordinator for Trinity Lutheran Church in Klein (Houston area only) reports that they are moving forward with plans for the build out phase of recovery which should begin next month. They have a warehouse of building material supplies and skilled volunteer construction supervisors to direct projects and instruct volunteers. LCC LERT volunteers Bob Pautsch (Trinity - Roselle, Illinois) and Ken Kirvanta (St. Peter - Schaumburg, Illinois) have been serving in Texas, receiving their job site assignments through Trinity Klein. Lou Jander, Crown Point Ministries reports that he is in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area providing spiritual and emotional support. He will be teaching how to do this this to the local congregations in the circuit in early November. |
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