The historic flooding caused by Hurricanes Harvey has impacted millions of people in Texas. Many of those families are served by Upbring, the local Lutheran Disaster Response affiliate for those in Louisiana and Texas.

As we in the northeast watch the devastation, our natural thoughts are to find ways we can help those in need. Please consider making a donation now to ELCA Hurricane Harvey Response or to Upbring. Recovery from a storm such as Hurricane Harvey will take years, and while federal funds and some organizations are in Texas now to help with recovery and relief efforts, organizations such as ELCA Hurricane Harvey Response or Upbring look to the long-term health and recovery of a region affected by disasters.

What you can do now for those in Texas:

Pray
Please pray for the people who have been affected and are in the path of Hurricane Harvey. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need.

Give Nationally
Give to ELCA Hurricane Harvey Response or to Upbring, the LDR affiliate in Texas and Louisiana.

Act Locally
To those interested in volunteering, consider these ideas, some perfect for God’s Work Our Hands Sunday September 10, 2017.
Hold a bake sale/yard sale/community fundraiser and send the funds raised to “US Hurricane Relief.”
Assemble cleanout kits for use by flood victims:
UMCOR Cleaning Kit
UMCOR Hygiene Kit
UMCOR School Kit
Drop off locations in Pennsylvania
Host a work team training for your congregation. In the months and years ahead volunteers will be needed to rebuild homes destroyed by flooding in Houston and across the country.
Take stock of your congregation’s resources to support your own community in times of emergency. Build relationships with community partners and local emergency management so you can support your community in disaster.

The Community Service Club at Liberty’s Paul’s Run Senior Living Community recently made school kits for children affected by the hurricane. In this short video, they show you all the supplies you need to make a kit. Watch on YouTube here.

Lutheran Disaster Response-Eastern PA continues to collaborate with partner agencies to keep up to date on unfolding events related to Hurricane Harvey including: Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), National and Pennsylvania VOADs (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster),  Upbring (the local LDR affiliate in Texas), United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and County Departments of Emergency Services.

Find us on Facebook at Lutheran Congregational Services for the most up to date information about Hurricane Harvey Response.