Fox Valley Disaster Relief Updates - August 12th
Dear Synod,
As I was preaching this past Sunday, I shared that one might have thought the Scripture readings from last weekend had been handpicked for the occasion of recovering from a storm. But they were not. Those texts were already in the lectionary, waiting for us to hear them and to think about the way Jesus walks with us through the storms of life.
As we bear the presence of Christ to one another and across our communities, one of the themes that Lutheran Disaster Response has continually shared with the leaders from Neenah and Menasha who are on the ground is this: disaster response is a marathon, not a sprint. As efforts shift from response to recovery, the needs continually change—as do the names and faces of those who are still in need of support and care.
Some of those needs are practical. People who have lost everything are trying to identify places to stay while they wait for the long process of recovery to unfold. Other needs are about supporting those who are currently sprinting—the people who have stepped into the immediate work of caring for their neighbors.
One example of these “sprinters” is St. Paul Lutheran Church in Neenah, which is currently hosting Rapid Response America in their building for 1-2 months. Rapid Response is a nonprofit organization of Christian volunteers who respond to communities impacted by disasters. They have served after Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and many other disasters. One of the immediate needs of this group, as they provide direct support in the valley, is meals. You can read more about that need here and respond through the link if that is something you or your congregation would like to support directly.
Our Synod Council Executive Team will meet this Thursday to begin creating a distribution and “thank you” plan for the local disaster relief funds that so many of you have already shared with our synod. We expect these funds will help support the work of partner ministries already on the ground in the valley. We also recognize that ministries may emerge from among our own leaders and congregations as needs continue to be identified. If you are aware of on-the-ground needs, please reach out to ecsw@ecsw.org for consideration.
As our collective learning continues, one thing we are recognizing is that we were not prepared for a disaster of this magnitude in our synod. The good news is that we are not alone. Substantial support has already been shared by the Greater Milwaukee Synod through synod staff and Bishop Paul Erickson, whose wisdom and experience were gained through navigating the devastating floods in Southeast Wisconsin last fall. Their financial generosity and accompaniment have been deeply inspiring. Congregations and leaders of the Greater Milwaukee Synod have already shared more than $15,000 with our synod for disaster relief.
Learning from these neighbors, we expect to be in conversation about forming a disaster response task force. But, as I mentioned at the beginning, there is time to work on all of those pieces, because this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Disaster management also includes mitigation and preparation. Thankfully, Lutheran Disaster Response has many resources that can help congregations and communities think more intentionally about disaster preparedness. The work we are doing now is not only about responding to this disaster; it is also about learning how we might be better prepared to accompany one another when the next storm comes.
And so, as we look toward the long road of recovery, there are still so many ways to give, serve, learn, pray, and receive support. The list below has been updated and will continue to be updated as needs emerge and circumstances change.
Perhaps that is one of the gifts of these Scripture readings in this particular moment. Elijah experienced the presence of God not in the earthquake, the wind, or the fire, but in the sheer silence. Peter encountered Jesus in the midst of a terrifying storm and was called to trust that he was not alone.
We may not know everything that the coming weeks and months will bring. We may not yet know all the ways this disaster will change our communities or our synod. But we do know this: Christ is present in silences and in the storms. And Christ is present in the people who show up for one another.
So we will keep showing up. We will keep listening for the needs that emerge. We will give when we can, serve where we are able, pray for those who are hurting, and receive the gifts of those who walk alongside us. And we will remember that recovery takes time. This is a marathon—not a sprint—and we do not run it alone.
Thanks be to God for the neighbors who have already shown us what accompaniment looks like, for the communities who continue to care for one another, and most of all for the promise that wherever the storm takes us, Jesus is there.
With gratitude for you, through Christ -
Pastor Jenn Pockat
Associate to the Bishop,
Director for Relationships and Resources
give. Serve. Learn. Pray. Recieve Support.
Give. The city of Menasha has expressed that they are at capacity for in-kind donations. Money continues to be the very best way to support recovery. There are many ways to give…
You can give through the East Central Synod of Wisconsin’s “Local Disaster Relief” fund online or by mailing a check indication that purpose: PO Box 655 Appleton, WI 54912
You can give to Lutheran Disaster Response using their bulletin insert information or by sharing their giving link.
You can look for a local organization like United Way Fox Cities and donate directly.
Serve. The municipalities have asked people to not self deploy.
Volunteer Fox Cities is currently organizing and deploying volunteers where there is need.
St. Paul Lutheran Church in Neenah invites you to help them feed the volunteers from Rapid Response America as they will be hosted by St. Paul’s for 1-2 months. Here is a link with more information where you can sign up to help.
Learn. Lutheran Disaster response hosted a webinar, “Introduction to Disaster Response” on Thursday, 8/6 - a link to the recording may be found here.
Lutheran Disaster Response Training and Engagement Catalog and online learning platform share considerable resources for individuals and congregations to engage in learning and disaster preparedness. A Congregational Disaster Preparedness Guide is also available.
Pray. Entrust those who have been impacted the most into God’s care. Pray for them to be sustained in the longer journey of recovery. Pray for children to find safe places to play. Pray and individuals working to find temporary housing. Pray for people experiencing trauma from this event.
Support: Disaster Distress Helpline, a 24/7 hotline to talk with a trained counselor: 1.800.985.5990. It’s multilingual, confidential and free.
