New Brethren Disaster Response project begins in Louisiana.

Brethren Disaster Response is starting a new clean up project next week in the area of Lake Charles, La., following destruction by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Emergency Response director Roy Winter is returning today from an assessment tour of areas of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, where he visited Disaster Child Care projects, the Brethren Disaster Response clean up project in Citronelle, Ala., and two Church of the Brethren congregations in southern Louisiana.

The new Brethren Disaster Response clean up project in Louisiana is in cooperation with the Brethren congregations in the area: Lake Charles Community Church of the Brethren and Roanoke Church of the Brethren. Winter visited with pastor Jim Balmer and his wife, Jackie, of Roanoke, and with members of the Lake Charles congregation.

Lake Charles and surrounding communities were hit hard by the storm, suffering extensive damage from wind and fallen trees on homes, reported Emergency Response staff. Many elderly residents were affected who require assistance to clear the debris. Lake Charles Church of the Brethren members were affected as well, but suffered for the most only minor damage to homes, Winter said. While visiting the area, Winter helped remove a fallen log off of one member's home. Elsewhere he saw mostly minor roof damage and lots of fallen trees, he said. In a neighborhood of mobile homes, he did see homes "cut in half" by big trees, he added.

Volunteer work teams will begin arriving to start the new clean up project on Oct. 16, based out of a United Methodist Church parsonage in Roanoke. A tool trailer will be supplied from Western Plains District, Winter said, and Missouri and Arkansas District will provide the first team of volunteers.

Brethren Disaster Response already has experienced a decrease in the number of people interested in volunteering following the Gulf Coast hurricanes, Winter said. He asked the church not to lose track of the needs in the Gulf Coast--and needs still lingering following hurricanes and flooding last year. Florida still has 47,000 homes to be rebuilt following the four hurricanes that hit the state in 2004, Winter said. "In many ways their recovery is just starting. We're going to need some longterm volunteer help to keep this going," he said.

Winter emphasized that "we need immediate volunteers to help with the clean up efforts in Alabama and Louisiana, which tends to be physically demanding work." Winter also called for volunteers to consider going to the Brethren Disaster Response rebuilding projects in Florida and Ohio. "We don't want to forget our longterm projects," he said.

"The other great need right now is clean-up buckets," Winter added. "We're totally out of clean-up buckets."

To volunteer for a Brethren Disaster Response clean up or rebuilding project, call your district disaster coordinator or the Emergency Response office at 800-451-4407. For information on assembling and shipping Gift of the Heart Clean-Up Buckets, see the Sept. 28 Newsline Update or go to www.churchworldservice.org, click on "Tools, Kits, and Blankets," then click on "Gift of the Heart Kits."

Source: 10/14/2005 Newsline Special Report
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