LCC LERT VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE CRUCIAL DISASTER RESPONSE HELP FOR HENDERSONVILLE, N.C., RESIDENTS

Lutheran Church Charities Lutheran Early Response Teams (LERT) volunteersarrived this weekend and began disaster response assessments in the Hendersonville, N.C., area before initiating tree cutting and debris removal. By Tuesday, 25 LCC volunteers from the Northern Illinois, Southeastern, and Missouri districts of the LCMS were on the ground serving homeowners whose properties had leaning and damaged trees. LCC LERT volunteers are scheduled to be in North Carolina until at least November 9.

Over the last few days, LCC LERT volunteers have removed trees from three homes in Hendersonville that were creating unsafe areas in a neighborhood, including at the mayor’s house.

“She was very pleased with the care and professionalism shown by the team in cutting a leaning tree safely from her backyard and removing the large root ball from her front yard,” said Deaconess Kathy O’Day, director of LCC Disaster Response. “There is a lot of damage everywhere you look. Please continue to pray for all those affected and for those coming to serve in these communities from around the country.”

According to officials, more than 225 people have died in North Carolina from Hurricane Helene and 82 remain missing.

As work is being completed, the need for assistance is growing. Pastor Jonathan Christensen of Mount Pisgah Lutheran Church in Hendersonville had received at least 20 new requests for help in the last few days. LCC LERT teams are working from three large sites using boom lifts and bobcat movers to removed downed and damaged trees.

Stories of help and encouragement are emerge daily: 

• LCC LERT teams helped an elderly woman from the Mount Pisgah congregation who had a tree leaning over the family’s back yard shed. She described how scary it was during the storm, hearing all the damage occurring. Equally troubling was the aftermath, feeling cut off from neighbors and the community for several days due to downed trees, power lines, cell towers, and flooding. “She was so appreciative of her church bringing in volunteers from all over the country to help those in her community recover,” O’Day said.

• Volunteers also met Mr. W, whose family of eight cannot live in their home because a large tree is against the house and threatening to fall through it. He also had a lot of downed and broken trees across his property, and because of health issues, he cannot do the cleanup himself. He told LCC LERT volunteers, “I may not have much, but I do have family — and we just want to be able to come back home and be together again safely.”  Mr. W also shared that he would not be able to afford the work the LCC LERT teams are providing and expressed thanks for all that is being done so he and his family can return to his home. 
• Miss P is a single woman who inherited the home her grandparents built — the same house her parents were raised in. It sits on a 4-acre wooded lot with several outbuildings. The hurricane damaged about 25 trees and left her home with extensive roof damage. She expressed disbelief that LCC LERT volunteers would clear all the fallen trees at no cost. As the LCC LERT team gave her a cross and quilt, she was moved to tears, thanking them for all the work they had done. She penned a quick note in the evening that read: "Your team is AMAZING! What a blessing today was to me. Thank you so much for everything!"

READ MORE stories of homeowners who have been helped by LCC LERT teams on the LCC HURRICANE RESPONSE page. ​

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