LCC Donors Continue to Help Families in Fremont, Nebraska, During Flood Recovery

Pastor Anthony Gerber from Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont, Nebraska, continues to see the generosity and feel the prayerful support of his congregation and community as they respond to those affected by the flood. Being an LCC K-9 Ministry affiliate congregation has greatly helped them provide for needs of their hurting community. He stated, “May God bless you as you continue to help us help those in need through the donations that LCC continues to receive.” Amy Glause, Financial Administrator at Trinity, also expressed her sincere thanks for continued support and blessings from generous LCC donors.

Pastor has already used donations to help meet needs of some congregation members and many families from the hard-hit Hispanic community near them that they came to know at the shelter in their church. They are now partnering with a local Hispanic congregation, a relationship they did not have before, to assist these families. Pastor shared with LCC that he went to the circuit pastor meeting this past week and gave some of the funds they have received from LCC to other local LCMS pastors who have congregation members in flood affected areas, so they could offer assistance to those in need.

Pastor also shared that immediate needs are being met and now families are in the waiting stage of recovery to see what insurance and FEMA will be doing to help. He anticipates that in the next 3-4 months long term needs will be very evident and they will continue to need funds to help families.

Their area is still seeing major ice melting from South Dakota which is sending more water their way, plus more rain expected this spring which will continue to cause flooding. Pastor is seeing PTSD and fear in so many faces. Families have lost homes and belongings, ranchers have lost livestock and feed, farmers have lost their crops and ability to plant for this year’s crops.

LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Katie (Trinity – Fremont, Nebraska), Joanna (Christ Lincoln – Lincoln, Nebraska) and Nicodemus (The Rock – Seward, Nebraska) and their handlers visited the elementary, middle, and high school in North Bend to comfort the many students who have been impacted by the floods.

North Bend Elementary sent the following thank you card to Trinity Lutheran:

Dear Friends at Trinity Lutheran,

Thank you so much for allowing all of the Comfort Dogs to visit the learners! They loved it! A special thanks for the generous monetary donation. We shared it with the nine staff members who had major flood damage. We are blessed.

NBE Staff & Teachers

PBS News Hour interviewed Governor Pete Ricketts about the damage the flood waters have done to the state of Nebraska. The following statistics are staggering, and this is only for one state that has experienced flooding! He states there has been 2,000 homes and 340 businesses destroyed with more affected totaling an estimated $85 million in damage; $400 million in livestock loss; $440 million in crop loss; and $439 million in infrastructure damage, which includes 200 miles of roads and 16 bridges that have been washed away.

Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont, Nebraska, sends heartfelt thanks to Lutheran Church Charities and its generous donors for their continued financial support in response to massive flooding.

Your donations are still needed to help serve all those severely impacted by the floods in Fremont, Nebraska. If you are so moved, please donate, and please keep Trinity and their surrounding communities in your prayers during their long recovery.

Donate - Nebraska Flooding Disaster Response Fund