Cleanup work steady and continuing in IL

Lift work remains at some sites as deployment to go into next week

Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response staff and volunteers continue steady work on clearing debris, removing dangerous limbs, and assisting homeowners in storm recovery more than two weeks since multiple days of severe weather raked sections of Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

With power lines moved safely out of the way and progress no longer slowed, Disaster Response has assessed more than 42 sites and completed work at 33 of them. Several locations have been large jobs requiring more than one day to wrap. Sites with work remaining have groundwork started (and some nearly done), but there is essential tree cutting left to do that requires a lift. A few jobs still are waiting for volunteers to help. The deployment will continue into next week, weather permitting. 

LCC has worked with at least nine churches and their pastors, some of whom contacted LCC for the first time. And new requests are coming in weekly with widespread damage uncleared in the suburban towns south of Chicago.

In Matteson, a Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) crew worked at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church removing two downed trees in the church's cemetery and a neighbor’s yard. The neighbor was so appreciative that the church thought about how their trees were affecting her and getting them promptly removed.

Pastor Larry Ruger also has referred his disaster-affected congregation members to LCC for assistance. He sent an email of thanks: “THANK YOU for all you have done for St. Paul's and my members. There are not enough thank yous for what you and your team do. I am grateful for your ministry!” 

In Wheaton, LERT volunteers helped a disabled woman remove several downed and damaged trees from the property, shed and gazebo. She was so thankful to have had the assistance. "We also enjoyed that she had had lunch with us and told us the history of her home and shed. They were built 100 years ago and was originally the Lutheran schoolhouse in this community," said Deac. Kathy O'Day, Director of LCC Disaster Response. Her parents then bought it when it was sold and raised her and her siblings in it and now she is the homeowner. It is well built and full of memories. She loved receiving her cross slice.

In Frankfort, IL, LERT volunteers served at a large farm owned by an elderly couple. They had several trees and down and were amazed as to how the team was able to get it all cleaned up in an afternoon. Their smiles as they watched the work being done were wonderful to see. They told the team what a blessing they were to them.

In Beecher, a home had two very large trees that had limbs down and dangerously hanging limbs over the shed and fence. The storm was very traumatizing to the homeowner and the damage has been causing her much distraught. We had a SFA Cares team present on site with the LERT team to talk with the homeowner for the day. He listened to how the storm had affected her and could offer her care and prayer. She also told him that although she has been attending an LCMS church sometimes, she has never been baptized. He was able to encourage her to talk to the pastor, gave her a pocket cross and a devotional. But most of all, he was able to offer the hope of Christ by being present with her for the day. She was so relieved to have this work done and finally had tears of joy rather than angst. She gave all hugs and thanks before they left.