August 31, 2021 – Thanks to the generosity of contributors, LCMS World Relief and Human Care Disaster Response is able to respond immediately to the needs caused by recent disasters in Haiti and the southern United States.

In addition, a new online volunteer system enables people to determine quickly and efficiently where their service will be of greatest benefit to those who face challenges because of Hurricane Ida.

In Louisiana

On Sunday, Aug. 29, Hurricane Ida struck southern Louisiana. The storm came ashore about 45 miles west of where Katrina first struck land 16 years earlier to the day. At the time of landfall, Ida was a Category 4 storm with 150-mph winds. Mercifully, the winds quickly slowed to a Category 1 storm. Though the storm was not as devastating as some feared, those in its wake must now face the arduous process of cleanup and recovery.

LCMS Disaster Response is currently assessing the damage to LCMS congregations and their neighbors. “I will be joining the Southern District president for a couple of days as we visit and access LCMS congregations that were in the pathway of Hurricane Ida,” said the Rev. Dr. Ross Johnson, director of LCMS Disaster Response. “We will formulate an action plan to best serve the greater community in the name of Christ through flood response and chainsaw work.”

As thorough assessment is underway, LCMS Disaster Response offers a new way for volunteers immediately to find ways to assist. The fruit of a year of labor, the new Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) website is now live. People who wish to volunteer to help those affected by Ida can visit the website to find the most beneficial way to serve.

“While we’ve been using the new lcms-lert.org software system for several months for scheduling LERT trainings, this is our first major use of it after a disaster,” explained the Rev. Michael Meyer, director of disaster training for LCMS Disaster Response. “This software brings to this and future responses a transparency and level of accountability in our overall response that is unparalleled in the realm of faith-based disaster volunteers.”

“The moment we schedule a deployment in the wake of a disaster, people can see, sign up for and participate — with all the requisite details of where you need to go, when you need to be there and what you’ll be doing.” Meyer noted that this new website “significantly broadens our volunteer base. More importantly, it shows that our volunteers are neither spontaneous (the second disaster to any disaster!), nor a risk to those we seek to help, but are well-coordinated, well-trained and more than capable of faithfully serving their neighbors in need.”

Haiti Update

On Aug. 14, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck southwest Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, causing physical destruction and the loss of human life. LCMS Disaster Response has begun to evaluate and respond to this situation as well.

“LCMS Disaster Response is working alongside of our church partner, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti, to aid that country following recent earthquakes. We will focus our efforts on rebuilding, clean water, medical assistance and food distribution,” said Johnson, who recently returned from an assessment trip to Haiti. “All our mercy work will be done through Lutheran congregations showing the love of Christ to their community and sharing the hope of the Good News that is only found in Jesus Christ.”

In the coming days and weeks, the LCMS will continue to work with our partner church in Haiti and the LCMS Southern District and her congregations to extend the mercy of God in Christ to all those affected by these disasters.

“LCMS Disaster Response has a long history of effective and efficient response work that impacts the hurting with Christian compassion,” noted Johnson.

• For updates, visit lcms.org/disaster.
• To find Hurricane Ida volunteer opportunites, visit lcms-lert.org/event.