Hurricane Season is Here!

Dear Friends,

An above normal 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is expected, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service. The outlook predicts a 60% chance of an above-normal season, which runs through November 30.

We've already seen large storms threaten the Southeast as recently as last week, with Tropical Storm Hanna pounding the COVID-ravaged coast of Texas. This weekend, Florida has many a COVID weary soul watching potential Tropical Storm Isaias.

Thanks to ongoing support and funding from Lutheran Disaster Response, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA, we are currently staffing up in hard-hit areas like Cookeville, TN, a town that was devastated by the Nashville Tornado on March 3rd. We’re on the ground in Cookeville, actively supporting our neighbors and preparing to start the long term recovery process to help them rebuild. The need is extensive in Tennessee, as residents have suffered from tornado damages to their homes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With so many Southeastern states currently overwhelmed with hot spots of this deadly virus, additional storms could be devastating. Inspiritus is preparing to help, and we'd like you to join us.

In anticipation of these severe weather hurdles, we hope you will consider becoming a monthly donor of Inspiritus' disaster relief efforts. Please click here and select 'Monthly' under the 'Donation Frequency' header to join us.

YOUR MONTHLY DONATION WILL SUPPORT:

• Equipment for debris removal, chain sawing & tarping

• Construction supplies for home repairs

• Ongoing hunger relief through our food bank for residents in hard-hit areas

• Long term recovery planning with emergency officials

• PPE safety gear for our recovery & response teams

• Volunteer coordination support

Your much needed help will continue to ensure we have adequate PPE supplies for our teams on the ground, and appropriate response equipment and shelter for future storms. August is a busy month for us, as we prepare for this potentially extreme and dangerous weather, and launch our Cookeville Tornado long term recovery work in Tennessee.

Please stay safe during these unsettling times. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress.

Kind Regards,

Virginia Spencer
Vice President of Development

.

"Every disaster requires PPE. For COVID-19 that means masks and gloves. For tornadoes that means helmets, eye and ear protection, and chaps. I was totally impressed with the gear, the training provided before they put a chainsaw in my hands and the oversight they provided during my time on the job site. The ritual at the end of the day, but before dinner, involved thoroughly cleaning the equipment and readying it for the next day."

– CEO, John Moeller, CEO, Easter Tornado Clean-up, Chattanooga, TN.

COVID Relief: Please Send Supplies!

Dear Friends,

We’re seeing amazing stories of empathy–on the news and from our staff across our regions. We believe we are each wired to connect and contribute, especially during this unprecedented time of isolation. From sidewalk chalk thank you notes to first responders, to our staff members helping vulnerable clients with therapy gardens, we’re all motivated to help during difficult times. One of the ways we’re helping address serious needs is by sending critical supplies to our staff who are serving on the front lines. We’ve created our COVID-relief wish lists so you can drop-ship supplies directly to our Atlanta and Tennessee regions. Households in those areas need basic items such as cleaning supplies, diapers, and school items so they can continue to thrive at home.

TENNESSEE Inspiritus Nashville continues to ramp up their Food Pantry efforts to serve the city’s most vulnerable citizens throughout this crisis. We are delivering supplies to these clients who cannot come to us. We need you to help us with much needed items for our vulnerable neighbors! In Middle Tennessee, many of our gardeners are growing spring greens as we continue to plan for Plant Days to support our 184 gardens. We thank Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, Thomas Rowe and MHA for allowing this program to thrive! Please check out our Amazon wish list to see the supplies you can provide. (Please select Inspiritus c/o Janet Arning from the drop down address list for shipments).

GEORGIA Many of our clients need cleaning supplies such as bleach cleaners and heavy duty sponges. They are also in need of laptops for the many students who are now at home doing digital learning. These items are listed on our Amazon wish list. With a few clicks on Amazon, you can help us give these vulnerable clients the opportunity to increase their food security, as well as, increase their overall well-being. (Please select Inspiritus c/o Eli Flournoy from the drop down address list for shipments).

Also in Georgia, our director of Disabilities program, Christina Blair, is partnering with her community in Northwest Georgia to bring all the emotional and mental benefits of gardening to some of our host homes and clients in Disability Services in NW GA. Through Healthy Gardens, families and individuals have easy and free access to fruits and vegetables to supplement their meals as well as a healthy outlet for relieving stress and staying active. If you would like to send Christina and our Disability clients in NW Ga the supplies to get started on their own garden, we’ve listed the needed items on this Amazon wish list. (Please select Inspiritus c/o Christina Blair from the drop down address list for shipments).

As you plan your shopping needs, here's something to be mindful of over the next few days:

Please avoid grocery shopping on April 1-3 unless you have a critical need. Many WIC/SNAP benefits come to low-income families at the first of the month and there will be a surge as these families redeem them. Many of these families’ benefits were depleted more quickly because children are staying home from school and some families are going hungry right now. Also, please respect their needs by not buying items with a WIC shelf tag unless you absolutely need them. They cannot simply substitute these items with others; they would go without. This will also help to keep some of our city’s most vulnerable safer by not adding to the crowds in the stores unnecessarily.

These critical supplies will help local families in crisis. And financial donations are always greatly appreciated! To meet the needs we’ve assessed across our clients, we need to raise at least $500,000 in emergency financial assistance. Please donate below and help us during this crucial time.

We couldn’t do what we do without your support and kindness. Thank you.

With Gratitude,

-Virginia Spencer
Vice President of Development
Inspiritus

COVID: Hunger Relief Updates

Dear Friends,

We hope you all are staying safe and healthy during this challenging time. We wanted to let you know about some immediate action steps that Inspiritus is taking to offset the impact of this crisis. Our COVID Emergency Hunger Relief efforts are well underway in many of our regions. We’re providing valuable assistance for seniors, neighbors with disabilities, parents, and children in low income areas with little to no access to food.

Here’s how we’re supporting our neighbors in our four major program areas:

DISASTER RELIEF Inspiritus Nashville continues to ramp up their Food Pantry efforts to serve the city’s most vulnerable citizens throughout this crisis. We’re delivering to our elderly neighbors who cannot come to us. In Middle Tennessee, many of our gardeners are growing spring greens as we continue to plan for Plant Days to support our 184 gardens. We thank Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, Thomas Rowe and MHA for allowing this program to thrive!

REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT SERVICES We're connecting refugee families to emergency resources. We're providing virtual case management and teaching individuals how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Many of our clients have lost their jobs as a result of this pandemic, and are at risk of losing their homes. We're helping with emergency financial assistance for families struggling to keep food on their tables. And we're helping refugee students navigate virtual learning and tutoring.

CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES Our staff is closely working with caregivers, families, and vulnerable children served by this program to make sure they have the support they need to navigate this crisis. Our financial opportunity center will provide emergency financial assistance for those who may find themselves in an economic or health crisis related to COVID-19.

DISABILITY HOST HOMES Our Healthy Gardens program is expanding to Georgia! Our staff have identified clients & caregivers in North Georgia who need a Healthy Garden to stay safe and well during this crisis. Through our Healthy Gardens program, families and individuals have easy access to fruits and vegetables to supplement their meals as well as a healthy outlet for relieving stress and staying active.

Through our amazing supporters and a recent $150,000 grant from the United Way we can immediately assist our clients. We are so grateful to United Way of Greater Atlanta & Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta for moving quickly to help us stabilize the most vulnerable among us. 💪❤ Our Financial Opportunity Center is preparing to disperse this $150,000 grant as emergency financial assistance so that families navigating job losses & medical concerns will be able to survive & thrive! The grant will support rent and utilities assistance, and food, household, medical and sanitizing supplies to meet the urgent needs of the individuals and families we serve across Metro Atlanta. It is such an amazing start, but to meet the needs we've assessed across our clients, we need to raise at least $500,000 in emergency financial assistance.

This is such a critical time. Today, your gift will do more than help our teams guide local families in crisis on the path from surviving to thriving. For the time being, your gift will help them survive. Please donate below and help us during this crucial time. We are so grateful for your continued support. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We could not do the work we do without helpers like you!

With Gratitude,

-Virginia Spencer

Vice President of Development

Inspiritus

Nashville Tornado: Week One-On the Ground

WEEK ONE-LIVE UPDATE

WEEK ONE UPDATE:

Over the past weekend, our Inspiritus Disaster Response teams coordinated nearly all of the spontaneous volunteers who showed up to help in Mount Juliet, leading over 1,500 volunteers on Saturday alone!

Emergency officials in Cookeville were overwhelmed by the level of destruction they endured. They had to turn away over 4,000 volunteers until they partnered with us this weekend. We were able to offer the city quick training and free use of our disaster leadership team in Cookeville, to help.

Together with these local city heroes, we helped coordinate over 2,800 volunteers pouring in from all over the country!

In the North Nashville/Germantown community, our MyCanvas art therapy program empowered youth impacted by the storms to process through their experiences and begin to heal. Each day after the tornado, local Lutheran church partners volunteered and generously provided hot cooked meals to local residents and responders, warming many hearts during this dark time.

As we enter week two of our tornado response, we wanted to share our latest information and action steps:    

WHAT WE ARE DOING:

NORTH NASHVILLE / GERMANTOWN 

- Food Box Distribution Site for residents in this hard-hit area

NASHVILLE AREA

- Response teams for debris removal, chainsawing, & tarping

- Volunteer coordination support

- Long-Term recovery planning

COOKEVILLE

- Response teams for debris removal, chainsawing, & tarping

- Volunteer coordination support

- Long-Term recovery planning

THE NEED:

North Nashville / Germantown - Direct hit to homes and businesses; Growing concern about the need for hunger relief for families without power, especially low income or disabled families and children living in the area or families taking shelter in local facilities.

Nashville Area/Mt. Juliet - Initial surveys indicated EF-3 tornado damage in East Nashville, Nashville Donelson's neighborhood and in Mt. Juliet, a town about 20 minutes east of Nashville, the National Weather Service said. Communities inside and outside of metro Nashville were devastated. Local Emergency Management needs support coordinating volunteer and non-profit agency responders seeking to help with debris removal.

Cookeville - Putnam County emergency officials confirmed 18 of the 24 Nashville tornado fatalities occurred in this one community. Local Emergency Management needs support coordinating volunteer and non-profit agency responders seeking to help with debris removal.

HOW TO HELP:

Donate: click here  

Volunteer: click here  

Mail: Gift Cards & Checks

We need gift cards and financial donations, desperately:

• Home Depot and Lowe's cards: for home repair work and debris removal tools

• Gas cards: to get volunteer teams to and from the disaster sites where homeowners are in need

• VISA cards: for clients who have extreme financial needs for survival, and for disaster work supplies

• WalMart cards: to feed volunteer teams, and for clients with extreme financial needs for survival (ex. Pharmacy medications, baby supplies, etc.)

Gift Cards & Checks can be mailed to:

Inspiritus 

Attn: Disaster Response 

P.O. Box 60597 

Nashville, TN 37206

We're so fortunate and grateful to be working closely with our local community partners, especially the SE Synod of the ELCA and Lutheran Disaster Response. As we enter week two, we continue to need your support to keep our teams on the ground and well-equipped to make a difference.

Please consider making a donation, sending us Home Depot and Lowe’s gift cards, hosting a fundraiser on social media, or even signing up to volunteer in the weeks ahead.

To donate, click here and select Nashville 2020 Tornado.

Blessings to all our friends and family in Nashville! 

-Virginia Spencer

Vice President of Development

Inspiritus

Nashville Tornado: Day Four-On The Ground

LIVE UPDATES FROM THE GROUND

Nashville Area DISASTER RESPONSE: Mount Juliet, TN: Today, our Inspiritus Nashville team is leading 40 volunteers in providing debris removal. The devastation to this community is extensive. Inspiritus Disaster staff member (and Cookeville native) Kevin Burgess, is in Cookeville, TN, where he is working to setup a second operation base, now.

MyCanvas Art Therapy Program

North Nashville Our MyCanvas art therapy program is empowering children & youth in North Nashville to process the trauma of the Nashville Tornado that hit their neighborhood. They are working through a “Transforming Destruction” art project, converting debris found on their street into a Rising Phoenix art structure.

As we enter day four of our tornado response, we wanted to share our latest information and action steps:    

We presently have six AmeriCorps members, one team leader and many volunteers on base under the leadership of Sherry Buresh (our Director of Response), Sabrina More (our Volunteer Manager) and Sue Glassnor. Mike Buresh, former Director of a National and International Disaster Organization, will train and lead in our chainsaw teams. Kevin Burgess (our Construction Manager) is a Cookeville native and he's in his hometown now working to coordinate another Inspiritus operation to help there. We've seen a steady stream of volunteers, but we need more. To volunteer, sign up here

NEW PARTNERSHIPS:

• AirLinks is providing free flights for our leads.

• IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities) has asked to partner. Two of them will arrive today, and an additional one on Saturday.

• St. Bernard Project (SBP), a Mississippi based organization and known for long term recovery repair/rebuild has asked to partner with us as well.

• Heavy Equipment Coalition, another non-profit, contacted us last night asking to join us. Their sawyer will arrive this weekend. Besides chainsaws they will be bringing in a mini excavator with them. The excavator and operator will be with us for 3 weeks.

• Christian Emergency Network (CEN) has put out an advisory directing their partners to our website if they are interested in helping. They have 113 partners in the Nashville area. 

WHAT WE ARE DOING:

GERMANTOWN 

- Feeding Station for residents & responders

NASHVILLE

- Response teams for debris removal, chainsawing, & tarping

COOKEVILLE

- Response teams for debris removal, chainsawing, & tarping

THE NEED:

Germantown - Direct hit to homes and businesses; Growing concern about the need for hunger relief for families without power, especially low income or disabled families and children living in the area or families taking shelter in local facilities.

Nashville - This continues to be a search and rescue operation and crews are going house to house. At this time, there are 24 confirmed fatalities, including some children, and more than 88 injuries are being treated at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.*

Cookeville - Putnam County emergency officials confirmed 18 of the 24 Nashville tornado fatalities occurred in this one community, 77 remain unaccounted for at this time.**

HOW TO HELP:

Donate: click here  

Volunteer: click here  

Mail: Gift Cards & Checks

We need gift cards and financial donations, desperately:

• Home Depot and Lowe's cards: for home repair work and debris removal tools

• Gas cards: to get volunteer teams to and from the disaster sites where homeowners are in need

• VISA cards: for clients who have extreme financial needs for survival, and for disaster work supplies

• WalMart cards: to feed volunteer teams, and for clients with extreme financial needs for survival (ex. Pharmacy medications, baby supplies, etc.)

Gift Cards & Checks can be mailed to:

Inspiritus 

Attn: Disaster Response 

P.O. Box 60597 

Nashville, TN 37206

We need your help as those vulnerable in the path of this storm will need additional resources and shelter. To that point, we are also collaborating with our friends at Lutheran Disaster Response, the Tennessee VOAD, the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA, and the Mid-South District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, as we assess and prepare our short-term and long-term response and recovery work in Middle Tennessee. We are closely monitoring, day-by-day, the emerging needs of the community surrounding our Inspiritus Nashville program site, and will need partners to help us to continue to respond to these needs next week. 

To donate, click here and select Nashville 2020 Tornado. Our prayers are with everyone in this tornado's path.

Blessings to all our friends and family in Nashville! 

-Virginia Spencer
Vice President of Development
Inspiritus

P.S.This was the first donation made at our Feeding Site on our first day. Hundreds of residents & homeless families in North Nashville depend on Inspiritus Nashville for assistance in their times of need. Our program has been rooted in the community for many years. We were so touched as these neighbors keep showing up at our site asking how they can help their more affluent neighbors of Germantown who live "on the other side of the street". Our work could not be possible without their selfless offers to volunteer, to help with serving meals to emergency responders, and even insistently donating $1 and $2 at a time, despite themselves having no power, insufficient food, declining health, and in some cases, no home of their own. We are humbled by and grateful for their living examples of the widow's mite. 

Nashville Tornado: Day Three-On The Ground

As we enter day three of our tornado response, we wanted to share our latest observations and action plans:      

• We've observed a high level of medical difficulties amongst seniors and the disabled in Germantown & North Nashville attending our Feeding site. As days without power tick by, their health concerns increase with limited to no access to medications and support. We've made a call for nurses and will begin to have a nurse there to help starting this Friday. We have an open invitation for medical personnel to serve at our Germantown /Salemtown location at 11am daily at 1628 Rosa Parks Blvd.
   

• To respond to a high volume of hunger relief needs, we will lift our limits on food box distributions occurring at this site, allowing locals to receive as many food boxes as needed during the first month following the tornado.
   

• To respond to growing concern over the health and well-being of low income children impacted by the storm, we will begin offering our MyCanvas art therapy programming at this site to help children who are out of school, and without power and food, to process through the trauma of the storm.

WHAT WE ARE DOING:

GERMANTOWN 

- Feeding Station for residents & responders

NASHVILLE

- Response teams for debris removal, chainsawing, & tarping

COOKEVILLE

- Response teams for debris removal, chainsawing, & tarping

THE NEED:
Germantown - Direct hit to homes and businesses; Growing concern about the need for hunger relief for families without power, especially low income or disabled families and children living in the area or families taking shelter in local facilities.

Nashville - This continues to be a search and rescue operation and crews are going house to house. At this time, there are 24 confirmed fatalities, including some children, and more than 88 injuries are being treated at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.*

Cookeville - Putnam County emergency officials confirmed 18 of the 24 Nashville tornado fatalities occurred in this one community, 77 remain unaccounted for at this time.**

HOW TO HELP:

Donate: click here  
Volunteer: click here 

Mail: Gift Cards & Checks   

We need gift cards and financial donations, desperately: 

• Home Depot and Lowe's cards: for home repair work and debris removal tools

• Gas cards: to get volunteer teams to and from the disaster sites where homeowners are in need

• VISA cards: for clients who have extreme financial needs for survival, and for disaster work supplies

• WalMart cards: to feed volunteer teams, and for clients with extreme financial needs for survival (ex. Pharmacy medications, baby supplies, etc.)

Gift Cards & Checks can be mailed to:

Inspiritus 

Attn: Disaster Response 

P.O. Box 60597  

Nashville, TN 37206

We need your help as those vulnerable in the path of this storm will need additional resources and shelter. To that point, we are also collaborating with our friends at Lutheran Disaster Response, the Tennessee VOAD, the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA, and the Mid-South District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, as we assess and prepare our short-term and long-term response and recovery work in Middle Tennessee. We are closely monitoring, day-by-day, the emerging needs of the community surrounding our Inspiritus Nashville program site, and will need partners to help us to continue to respond to these needs next week. 

To donate, click here and select Nashville 2020 Tornado. Our prayers are with everyone in this tornado's path.
Blessings to all our friends and family in Nashville! 

-Virginia Spencer
Vice President of Development
Inspiritus  

P.S. Volunteers from across the community and the region unloaded 5,807 pounds of food this morning into the Inspiritus food pantry to be distributed into the North Nashville/Germantown communities. Thanks to the Southeastern Synod ELCA, we have a generator to be able to handle cold products. For the duration of the disaster relief the eligibility requirements will be loosened. Thank you Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee!

Nashville Tornado: Day Two-We're on the Ground

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Nashville suffered a tornado that left at least 24 dead, 77 missing, and many homes destroyed.    

WHAT WE ARE DOING:
GERMANTOWN  - Feeding Station for residents & responders
NASHVILLE - Response teams for debris removal, chainsawing, & tarping
COOKEVILLE - Response teams for debris removal, chainsawing, & tarping

THE NEED:
Germantown - Direct hit to homes and businesses; Growing concern about the need for hunger relief for families without power, especially low income or disabled families and children living in the area or families taking shelter in local facilities.
Nashville - This continues to be a search and rescue operation and crews are going house to house. At this time, there are 24 confirmed fatalities, including some children, and more than 88 injuries are being treated at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.*
Cookeville - Putnam County emergency officials confirmed 18 of the 24 Nashville tornado fatalities occurred in this one community, 77 remain unaccounted for at this time.**

HOW TO HELP:  

Donate: click here  
Volunteer: click here 
Mail: Gift Cards & Checks   

We need gift cards and financial donations, desperately: 

• Home Depot and Lowe's cards: for home repair work and debris removal tools

• Gas cards: to get volunteer teams to and from the disaster sites where homeowners are in need

• VISA cards: for clients who have extreme financial needs for survival, and for disaster work supplies

• WalMart cards: to feed volunteer teams, and for clients with extreme financial needs for survival (ex. Pharmacy medications, baby supplies, etc.)

Gift Cards & Checks can be mailed to:

Inspiritus 

Attn: Disaster Response 

1628 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. 

Nashville, TN 37208

We need your help as those vulnerable in the path of this storm will need additional resources and shelter. To that point, we are also collaborating with our friends at Lutheran Disaster Response, the Tennessee VOAD, the Southeastern Synod of the ECLA, and the Mid-South District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, as we assess and prepare our short-term and long-term response and recovery work in Middle Tennessee.

To donate, click here and select Nashville 2020 Tornado. Our prayers are with everyone in this tornado's path.

Blessings to all our friends and family in Nashville! 

-Virginia Spencer
Vice President of Development
Inspiritus



P.S. Today, volunteers from St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Franklin, TN joined us and grilled 700 burgers & hotdogs at our Inspiritus Nashville site in Germantown (formerly St. Paul's Lutheran Church). The community came together to serve residents and responders; including policemen, power linemen, and first responders. With your support, we will continue bringing the community together to serve & be filled with hope! (Pictured: CEO-John Moeller, Regional Director of Middle Tennessee-Janet Arning, and Program Coordinator-Christie Farrar)

Urgent: Nashville Tornado Response: Day One

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Nashville suffered a tornado that left at least 22 dead and many homes destroyed.    

The damage from this deadly tornado extends from Nashville, through Mt. Juliet and Putnam County, with new information coming in hourly. Currently, Germantown, East Nashville, Lebanon, and the rural areas along I40 need our help and attention.

Our Nashville property at St. Paul's Lutheran Church was spared; however, our Germantown neighbors suffered significant damages. In Germantown, we are deeply concerned about the hunger needs of the vulnerable families and children without power. We are working closely with the SE Synod of the ELCA and Missouri Synods to expand our Hunger Relief programs at St. Paul's to include a daily lunch and access to food and water supplies for locals and responders. Our disaster team, under the watchful eye of Sherry Buresh, is already assembling and setting up base camp at Christ Lutheran Church to house 15-20 volunteers. Our corporate partners, Home Depot and Lowe's, are donating some limited tools and supplies, but we have many more needs for this response.

Our relief teams are planning to move in just as soon as it is safe to do so. However, we need your help as those vulnerable in the path of this storm will need additional resources and shelter. To that point, we are also collaborating with our friends at Lutheran Disaster Response, the Tennessee VOAD, the Southeastern ELCA Synod, and the Missouri Synod as we assess and prepare our short-term and long-term response and recovery work in Middle Tennessee.

Support our relief efforts by donating today. You'll be making a difference in the lives of those impacted by this latest natural disaster. 

To donate, click here and select Nashville 2020 Tornado. Our prayers are with everyone in this tornado's path.

Blessings to all our friends and family in Nashville!
- Virginia Spencer
Vice President of Development

DISASTER RESPONSE: Assistance Needed for Reconstruction Projects

We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the severe storm outbreak that affected 27 counties in Georgia in April 27, 2011. A year later, more and more disaster victims are reporting unmet needs as FEMA funds prove to be insufficient in covering their recovery costs.  LSG’s long-term recovery efforts will continue to help these communities and families recover and rebuild their lives. Your assistance and funding will help LSG reach out to those families and provide tangible assistance by sponsoring volunteer projects and helping cover the costs home reconstructions. A few key areas of need are as follows:

• LSG needs support with two reconstruction projects in Spalding County to assist two families in building a new room in their homes. Both projects total $4,000 dollars.

• In Dade County, LSG is working along with other volunteer organizations to raise funds to cover multiple recovery projects totaling $17,000 dollars.

• In Meriwether County, LSG needs assistance from congregations to provide housing for 30-50 student volunteers who will be participating in reconstruction projects in June.

Any assistance is welcomed. We encourage you to get involved by volunteering if you have construction skills, by making financial contributions, or by working with your congregation to sponsor fundraising events for LSG’s long-term recovery efforts.

For more information on how you can help, contact disasterassistance@lsga.org or call 404.875.0201.

LSG is a tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your gift makes a difference in those families affected by the disaster. To make a tax deductible contribution today,donate online or contact Lorraine Dorough (678 686-9613).

You may mail contributions to:

LSG 2011 Georgia Tornado Recovery Fund Lutheran Services of Georgia 1330 West Peachtree Street, Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30309-2943

UPDATE: April 2011 Storm Relief Efforts

Almost a year to the anniversary of the severe storm outbreak of April 2011, Lutheran Services of Georgia’s long-term recovery efforts continue. As families and communities continue the slow process of bringing their lives back to some sense of normalcy, LSG calls on congregations and individuals to support these communities and the rebuilding efforts in Georgia. LSG, a long-term disaster recovery assistance agency, works with partners in local communities, faith-based organizations, long-term recovery committees, and other Georgia voluntary organizations active in disaster relief to find resources to help communities affected by disaster. Victims are often confused or unaware of the assistance available to assist with the recovery. LSG’s goal is to assist communities with the long-term recovery. We encourage individuals affected by the 2011 tornado or the 2009 floods who need assistance to contact LSG at 678.852.8560. Your assistance in disaster relief is critical. Cash assistance and skilled constructions volunteers are essential in supporting long-term recovery reconstruction efforts. LSG seeks volunteers with skilled construction experience for six large roofing projects in Spalding County. More cash assistance is needed for the reconstructions efforts in Dade County.

If you would like to provide skilled, voluntary, or financial assistance for our response efforts, contact LSG at 678.852.8560 or e-mail Alex Azuero at aazuero@lsga.org.

You may also mail contributions to: LSG 2011 Georgia Tornado Recovery Fund Lutheran Services of Georgia 1330 West Peachtree Street, Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30309

Disaster Relief: Long-Term Recovery from April Storms Still Underway

In recognition of September as National Preparedness Month, Lutheran Services of Georgia reflects on the communities affected by April’s severe storm outbreak and the work we perform to serve families and communities affected by disasters. With an active history of assisting in long-term disaster recovery, LSG works with congregations and Lutheran Disaster Response to serve the families and communities affected by disasters to reconstruct their lives and communities.

As disasters occur, federal, state, local governments, and private organizations assist communities with immediate disaster relief and with the restoration of basic services. Unfortunately, survivors, victims, and donors erroneously believe that federal and state grants provide enough financial assistance to help families and communities return to normalcy after a disaster.

This is why LSG’s long-term recovery outlook is very important to the families and the communities that we serve. Most recently, our commitment to the long-term recovery is evident two years after the 2009 floods in theSoutheastern United States. Thanks to a successful joint venture with Lutheran Disaster Response and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, LSG continues to assist families and communities who are still coping with the reconstruction and repairs of their homes and communities. Contributions to the flood relief efforts reach above $40,000 and facilitated the successful delivery of financial assistance and volunteer coordination. As we enter the long-term recovery phase of April’s severe storm outbreak, LSG will continue to work in partnership with Lutheran Disaster Response, Long Term Recovery groups, Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (GVOAD), congregations, and families to coordinate recover efforts.

With your financial and volunteer support, Lutheran Services will be active in the long term recovery of the communities affected by April’s severe storm outbreak and any other future incidents. We encourage you to support our efforts as we serve our mission.

For more information on how you can assist our efforts, contact disasterassistance@lsga.org or call 404.875.0201.

To learn how to your congregation can be better prepared for disasters please download Preparing for Disaster: A Guide for Lutheran Congregations at http://www.ldr.org/prepare/PrepDisaster.pdf