Teams Deployed Immediately After Storms and Continue to Work All Requests!

Tim Hetzner, LCC President/CEO, meets with homeowners in Marengo, Illinois

On Monday, August 10, Northern Illinois experienced a rare derecho with sustained winds of 60 – 90 mph and 15 confirmed tornados, causing widespread property damage and leaving tens of thousands without power for many days.

Shortly after this major storm subsided, LCC Disaster Response Teams (L.E.R.T.) began to assist neighbors and then responding to call-outs to assist those affected within Northern Illinois.

Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, and L.E.R.T. team leaders have been assessing disaster-affected sites as soon as we receive calls for assistance from pastors, congregation members, and L.E.R.T. volunteers and the community.

The following churches are where we have received requests for assistance and the cities where we have and are currently working:

Bloomingdale, Illinois – Trinity Lutheran Church (Roselle)
Elburn, Illinois – Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Elburn)
Frankfort, Illinois – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Frankfort)
Gilberts, Illinois – Immanuel Lutheran Church (East Dundee)
Kankakee, Illinois – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Bourbonnais)
Lansing, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church (Lansing)
Lombard, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church (Wheaton) & DuPage County CERT
Marengo, Illinois – Immanuel Lutheran Church (East Dundee) & Zion Lutheran Church (Marengo)
McHenry, Illinois – Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (McHenry)
New Lenox, Illinois – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Frankfort)
Ottawa, Illinois – Zion Lutheran Church (Ottawa)
Rockford, Illinois – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Rockford) & Immanuel Lutheran Church (Belvidere)
Villa Park, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church (Wheaton)
Wayne, Illinois – Trinity Lutheran Church (Roselle)
Wheaton, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church (Wheaton)
Yorkville, Illinois – Cross Lutheran Church (Helmar & Yorkville)

Approximately 75 LCC L.E.R.T. chainsaw certified volunteers and heavy equipment operators from 23 different LCMS churches have already responded to serve at 30 plus homes. Many of these homes had so many downed and damaged trees on their roofs and property that it has taken 2-3 days to safely cut and remove all of the destruction left behind.

LCC never goes where we are not invited. We NEVER charge those we serve. We pick up all of our travel and meal costs. We put boots on the ground within 24 hours (often fewer) from the time we get the invite.
 
Please consider a donation to the LCC Disaster Response General Fund or LCC Disaster Response 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.

Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) Disaster Response Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) volunteers deployed out immediately late Monday after a rare Derecho storm - described as an "inland hurricane for more than 100 miles" - passed through northern Illinois, causing widespread property damage and leaving tens of thousands without power.

We have been out since late Monday, all day Tuesday, and early today with our chainsaw teams to begin clean-up efforts, as well as responding to on-going calls for help and property assessments, and will continue to be out serving people who have been affected by the storm.

LCC Disaster Response L.E.R.T. has more than 280 trained and certified chainsaw volunteers with multiple pieces of heavy equipment, trailers, lifts and tractors.

Chainsaw teams are currently serving affected families through the following churches:

Bloomingdale, Illinois – Trinity Lutheran Church (Roselle)
Elburn, Illinois – Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Elburn)
Frankfort, Illinois – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Frankfort)
Gilberts, Illinois – Immanuel Lutheran Church (East Dundee)
Kankakee, Illinois – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Bourbonnais)
Lansing, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church (Lansing)
Marengo, Illinois – Immanuel Lutheran Church (East Dundee)
McHenry, Illinois – Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (McHenry)
New Lenox, Illinois – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Frankfort)
Rockford, Illinois – Mt. Olive Lutheran Church (Rockford) & Immanuel Lutheran Church (Belvidere)
Villa Park, Illinois
Wayne, Illinois – Trinity Lutheran Church (Roselle)
Wheaton, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church (Wheaton)

Because of the severe widespread damage, the teams will be out at least through the weekend. We are adding locations by the hour as needs continue to come in.

LCC never goes where we are not invited. We NEVER charge those we serve. We pick up all of our travel and meal costs. We put boots on the ground within 24 hours (often fewer) from the time we get the invite.

Please consider a donation to the LCC Disaster Response General Fund or LCC Disaster Response 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.

L.E.R.T. Volunteers with Heavy Equipment are Helping those Most Impacted

“For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)

Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) Disaster Response Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) volunteers deployed out immediately late yesterday afternoon after a rare Derecho storm - described as an "inland hurricane for more than 100 miles" - passed through northern Illinois, causing widespread property damage and leaving tens of thousands without power.
 
We have been out early this morning and will continue to be out serving people who have been affected by the storm.

LCC Disaster Response L.E.R.T. has more than 280 trained and certified chainsaw volunteers with multiple pieces of heavy equipment, trailers, lifts and tractors.
 
LCC Disaster Response L.E.R.T. volunteers immediately deployed out to the areas listed below. Because of the severe damage, the teams will be out at least through the weekend.

Chainsaw teams are currently serving affected families through the following churches:

Lansing, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church
Villa Park, Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church
Frankfort, Illinois – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
East Dundee, Illinois – Immanuel Lutheran Church (also working in Marengo, Illinois)
Bloomingdale, Illinois – Trinity Lutheran Church (Roselle)
McHenry, Illinois – Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
Elburn, Illinois – Lord of Life Lutheran Church
Joliet, Illinois – Our Savior Lutheran Church
Rockford, Illinois – Mt. Olive Lutheran Church
 
We are adding locations by the hour as needs continue to come in.
 
Please keep all the above people in your prayers, including all the LCC Disaster Response volunteers and staff, as we deploy out to various locations.

LCC never goes where we are not invited. We NEVER charge those we serve. We pick up all of our travel and meal costs. We put boots on the ground within 24 hours (often fewer) from the time we get the invite.
 
Please consider a donation to the LCC Disaster Response General Fund or LCC Disaster Response 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.

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!

Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) Disaster Response (DR) wishes to trade in and purchase a new Aluma Tiltbed Trailer for $6400 (with trade-in). The new trailer will be used to transport the boom lift long distances to disasters when needed for LCC DR Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) chainsaw volunteers to remove downed trees from roofs and dangerous hanging trees and limbs.

Currently, LCC DR owns a 2,200-pound wood and aluminum trailer that does not tilt, resulting in several men having to tilt and then push with difficulty the 5,000-pound boom lift onto the trailer over the dovetail ramp. The total weight load can then be transported by only a few people with the required truck horsepower.

LCC can trade the current trailer in for an aluminum tilt trailer that makes loading much safer and easier. The aluminum tilt trailer is much lighter weighing 1500 pounds, 700 pounds less than the current one owned by LCC DR. As a result, the total load weight will allow more people with a less horsepower truck to transport it to a disaster location.

Lutheran Church Charities held the annual Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) chainsaw training and service event workday at Walcamp in Kingston, Illinois, following COVID-19 safety protocol. On Friday evening, July 10, Ed Boerman, LCC Chainsaw Instructor & ISA Certified Arborist, taught the new Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) Basic Operation and Safety Chainsaw class to twenty L.E.R.T. team volunteers, of which eleven were taking this for the first time.
On Saturday, July 11, thirty-eight L.E.R.T. chainsaw volunteers came for the workday. Belvidere, Illinois, a nearby town to Walcamp, experienced strong storms the day before this LCC training. We were able to assess two homes that requested assistance and sent a team of nine L.E.R.T. chainsaw volunteers with a mini-bobcat off-site to cut and clear several downed trees in their yards. The remaining L.E.R.T. chainsaw and equipment operators and draggers stayed at Walcamp and cleared the grounds of downed or damaged trees, limbs, and brush.

Walcamp Director, Bill Indelli, expressed his thanks to all present for their willingness to serve to prepare the campgrounds for the ministry they do.

LCC never goes where we are not invited. We NEVER charge those we serve. We put boots on the ground within 24 hours (often fewer) from the time we get the invite.

Once again, some communities in the Chicagoland area near Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) experienced strong storms and straight-line winds this past week.

Deaconess Kathy O’Day, Director of Disaster Response, Lutheran Church Charities, was contacted by Deaconess Lauren Olsen who serves at St. John Lutheran Church in Union, Illinois, with a request for chainsaw assistance at her own home and her neighbor’s. Between them, they had seven trees that were either blown over or split in half by straight-line winds.

Since LCC was having a scheduled chainsaw training and workday at Walcamp, we were able to utilize these two sites as a training location. After an assessment, a team of Lutheran Early Response Team (L.E.R.T.) chainsaw volunteers and a mini-bobcat were deployed to cut and clear the downed and damaged trees in their yards.

Both of the homeowners expressed their appreciation and God’s blessings to LCC for the quick response and to the following L.E.R.T. volunteers who so graciously came and served at their homes to clear the damage.

Illinois:
Immanuel, Belvidere – Carl Jurgens, Nick Shepherd, Dean Ulrich
Immanuel, DeKalb – Pete Springmire
Lord of Life, LaFox – Brad Fann, Jeff Straughn, Larry Zagorski
Messiah, Sterling – Jacob Beets

Wisconsin:
St. Paul, Janesville – Lark and Terry Sanders

LCC never goes where we are not invited. We NEVER charge those we serve. We put boots on the ground within 24 hours (often fewer) from the time we get the invite.

Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, and our L.E.R.T. members responded to a request to assess the damage and help homeowners in the Chicago suburbs after strong storms over the weekend.

L.E.R.T. volunteers helped an LCMS congregation member cut and remove a tree that was split in half and fell across their front yard and the neighbor’s driveway. The homeowners appreciated the much-needed assistance at no cost and responding with such willing hearts of service.

LCC thanks the following L.E.R.T. volunteers for their hearts to serve: Bob Royce, Ken and Vicki Kiviranta from St. Peter, Schaumburg, and Jim Beckley from Prince of Peace, Palatine, Illinois.

The L.E.R.T. volunteers were happy to serve and show the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ to those in their congregations and communities affected by recent storms.

Last week, Tropical Storm Cristobal moved up from the plains and into the Great Lakes Region of Northern Illinois and Indiana. This caused microbursts of 60-80 mph intense wind gusts that resulted in many downed power poles, trees, and limbs in several communities surrounding Lutheran Church Charities.

This same team also helped a congregation member remove two trees that had large dangerous limbs, also known as “widowmakers”, hanging from the storm and a third tree left-leaning. Kathy O’Day received a thank you note from the homeowner after the team's work.

“Thank you for being there with the volunteers today. I certainly could not have done that work by myself (and lived). The team worked in sync and it was something to see. Again, our thanks and appreciation.”

LCC thanks the following Immanuel & Prince of Peace, Palatine, Illinois L.E.R.T. volunteers for their hearts to serve: Jim and Karen Beckley, Richard Habegger, Steve MacKay, Jason Stallard, and Dede Thut.

L.E.R.T. volunteers from St. John, Wheaton, Illinois helped one of their congregation members remove a tree that uprooted and fell on their garage during the storm utilizing the LCC boom lift.

LCC thanks the following St. John, Wheaton, Illinois L.E.R.T. volunteers for their hearts to serve: Steve Chester, Byron Heidorn, and Marty Johnson.

The homeowners were very appreciative for all of their hard work, and in addition to their thanks, sent each of the men home with chocolate chip cookies.

Everyone was happy to serve and show the mercy, compassion, presence and proclamation of Jesus Christ to those in their congregations and communities affected by this recent storm.

LCC never goes where we are not invited. We NEVER charge those we serve. We put boots on the ground within 24 hours (often fewer) from the time we get the invite.

Tropical Storm Cristobal moved up through the plains and into the Great Lakes Region of Northern Illinois and Indiana yesterday. Multiple storms went through the region with a possible tornado, outbursts of 60 - 80 mph wind shear and strong thunderstorms. There have been many reports of downed trees, power lines, roof, and home damage in many communities surrounding Lutheran Church Charities. Many more storms, powerful winds, and tornadoes are still possible today.

Lutheran Church Charities is making plans for Basic L.E.R.T. training and a Chainsaw Certification class as our Northern Illinois District churches are beginning to reopen in Phase 3 of the “Restore Illinois” plan.

The federal guidelines indicate that volunteers responding to a disaster should be trained and certified. Lutheran Church Charities provides LCMS training for Lutheran Early Response Teams (L.E.R.T.) through churches in the Northern Illinois District. Should a disaster strike, these teams would be put on call and may be asked to deploy in 72 hours or less to the disaster site. This training will prepare team members for credentialing and will focus on the safety, work, and ministry of Lutherans as Early Responders.

NEW: LCMS Disaster Response has developed new guidelines for youth participation so that L.E.R.T. training can now be offered to youth, ages 14 – 17, so they can also assist in general disaster response safely and under the guidance of their own youth leadership.
 
Trained and certified L.E.R.T. members are ready with willing hearts and hands to show the mercy, compassion, presence and proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need after a disaster.
 
If your church is interested in hosting a L.E.R.T. training, or if you or someone you know is interested in becoming L.E.R.T. certified, please contact LCC's Director of Disaster Response, Kathy O’Day at 866-455-6466 to schedule or discuss further. If you live outside the Northern Illinois District, please contact your LCMS District Disaster Response Coordinator to schedule a training.