Lutheran Disaster Response is on the ground following Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm that struck Florida, leaving millions without power. Partnering with the Florida-Bahamas Synod, LDR is focused on long-term recovery in underserved communities. Your support enables the ELCA to act quickly and stay for as long as it takes. Give now to help those affected by Milton and other disasters this season. Learn more at ELCA.org/hurricanes.
Read MoreLutheran Disaster Response has strong relationships in the region and is already at work on the ground. Working alongside synods and other partners, Lutheran Disaster Response is prepared to expand to all impacted areas. We anticipate that our greatest impact will be reaching those in underserved and rural areas.
By giving to Lutheran Disaster Response, you enable the ELCA to act quickly after disasters such as Hurricane Helene and to remain for as long as the recovery takes. Will you help Lutheran Disaster Response care for those in need?
Read MoreLutheran Disaster Response is actively working to bring hope and healing to communities impacted by disasters worldwide. In the latest edition of Thrive, discover how your support has made a difference—from aiding wildfire recovery in Maui to providing care for people with disabilities in the West Bank. Read more and learn how your generosity continues to change lives. Read Thrive 2024.
Read MoreOn Aug. 8, 2023, multiple wildfires broke out on Maui. Exacerbated by strong winds, they destroyed homes, businesses, and lines of communication. The town of Lahaina was the most impacted, although there was also damage from smaller fires near Kihei and Kula.
Lutheran Disaster Response is supporting the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA). The grant will assist their continuing work with fire survivors through the Kākoʻo Maui Relief & Aid Services Center, the resource center CNHA opened within weeks of the fire at the Maui Mall.
Read MoreExplore ELCA's vital role at COP28 in Dubai, where Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) representatives joined global leaders to address climate change's existential threat. Learn about their efforts in disaster risk reduction, mitigation, and preparation as part of their commitment to responding to increasing climate-related disasters. Don't miss the upcoming webinar on Jan. 24 to hear firsthand experiences and impacts from the ELCA delegation at COP28. Register here for the webinar, and read the full article at ELCA.org.
Read More“When God created the seventh day, God did not rest because God did all the work of creation in the six days prior. God rested because rest is intrinsically built in the rhythm of life. That means, if we choose Sunday to be the seventh day, then no matter what happened the past week, whether we fall to illness, or lose track of time, or projects and schedules fail in the many ways they often do, we still must rest. Rest allows us to be human, understanding that production may not work the way we need it to, but days of work will always come back around.”
Read MoreIn their latest situation report, Lutheran Disaster Response is actively addressing the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Efforts include supporting Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem, aiding the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land with emergency education support, partnering with ACT Alliance for immediate relief, and providing psychosocial support through Salam Arabic Church and Mother of the Savior Church. The ELCA invites prayers and donations to assist those impacted by the conflict in the Middle East.
Read MoreLearn how Lutheran Disaster Response is bringing hope and essential aid to communities in Maui affected by the recent devastating wildfires. Join in the mission of support and recovery.
Read MoreMembers of Kihei Lutheran Church are providing much-needed relief to Maui wildfire victims, collecting essential supplies and extending emotional support. With a message of hope and resilience, they, along with the Lutheran Disaster Response, are calling for nationwide help to rebuild the affected community. Read more in Living Lutheran.
Read MoreLutheran Disaster Response reminds us to mark our calendars for "God's Work. Our Hands." Sunday on September 10, 2023, as we celebrate a decade of community service. Engage in activities ranging from assembling preparedness kits to advocating for disaster relief policies. Join hands with your congregation and community to foster resilience, compassion, and love. Find out how to participate in this inspiring day of action at ELCA.org.
Read MoreWe stand in solidarity with our siblings of the Pacifica Synod as the wildfires scorching Maui affect the lives of many. Please read the message in this post from Bishop David Nagler and consider donating to their Hawai’i relief fund .
Read MoreLutheran Disaster Response and Lutheran World Relief are joining forces to aid farmers and families in newly liberated areas of Ukraine through the $1 million SPARRK project. This comprehensive initiative aims to rebuild farms, provide essential supplies, and restore resilient livelihoods in the Kharkiv region. Discover the full impact and details of this groundbreaking collaboration at ELCA.org.
Read MoreAt the beginning of May, five Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) staff members attended the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) conference in St. Louis, Missouri.
Read MoreOn April 15, 2023. violence broke out between opposing military groups in Sudan. Most of the fighting has been in the capital city of Khartoum, but some has now spread outside the city. Nearly 1 million people have been displaced since the beginning of the violence.
Read MoreAfter forming near Australia, Cyclone Freddy traveled westward, eventually making its first landfall in Madagascar on Feb. 21 and then two more landfalls in Mozambique. In response to Cyclone Freddy, Lutheran Disaster Response is supporting the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM) and Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS).
Read MoreLutheran Disaster Response is supporting the Southeastern Synod to address the immediate needs of disaster survivors in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia through local congregations and partner organizations. The synod is also providing emotional and spiritual care to both survivors and responders.
Read MoreMariia Simian, from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, is living through war for a second time. Just three years old when World War II tore across Europe in the 1940s, she says the memories haunt her.
“I remember everything,” she says. “I often remember. My mother hid our whole family from this horror wherever she could – in the basement, in fields behind the house – because the Nazis were looking for Roma.”
Read MoreLutheran Disaster Response is contributing to ACT Alliance to address the devastation from the earthquakes. There are several ACT Alliance members already active in the region that are providing immediate aid. These organizations are supplying blankets, mattresses, hot meals and hygiene kits to earthquake survivors. As needs are assessed, the organizations will establish further actions.
Read More2022 was a full year for Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR). The highest profile event is the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In addition to the war, LDR worked with partners to respond to a wide range of other disasters, including Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, tornadoes, flooding, wildfires and gun violence. Internationally, some examples of responses in 2022 include monsoon flooding in south Asia, migration in Central America and refugees in the Middle East.
Read MoreFrom helping those in need to team-building to deepening people’s faith to improving a congregation’s self-esteem, Resurrection’s disaster-relief ministry is a robust and holistic one. For this Cincinnati congregation, disaster relief is a passion. The 400-member congregation has made 19 trips to help rebuild homes after disasters, including several visits to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
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