Nebraska Lutherans continue to rebuild post hurricane Katrina

Nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast region, safe, sanitary, and secure housing is but a dream for many Gulf Coast residents. There are still thousands of families living in deplorable conditions or in temporary housing. With funds having long dried up and the flow of volunteer workers slowing with each day that passes, many residents are losing hopes that their lives will ever be normal again.

Greg Steensnes, Connie Rankin and Pastor Becky Beckmann with homeowner “Donnie” on their last work day.

A group of dedicated volunteers from the Nebraska Synod ELCA, including Pastor Becky Beckmann, Greg Steensnes, and Connie Rankin from the Shell Creek Lutheran Church, recently returned from a week long Gulf Coast service trip. The group stayed at Camp Victor in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. During their stay, the 43 Nebraskans divided into five teams helping five different families with housing renovation or rebuilding.

Pastor Becky, Greg, and Connie were part of an eleven member team who helped homeowner, “Donnie” renovate his house. During the hurricane, the water rose to four feet in the house causing him to lose most of his belongs. The house needed to be re-sided, roofed, and the interior gutted and totally rebuilt. With the help of family and other volunteer groups, the Nebraska group found Donnie’s house ready for the taping and mudding of drywall, the bathroom floor ready for tile, and additional drywall to be hung. After a week of working in his house, the group left Donnie, not only with the fruits of their labors, but also with genuine concern and caring from the heartland of Nebraska.

Each week, as funding is available, new teams will come to help get Donnie’s house one step closer to being finished. During the 4 ½ years since Katrina, Donnie has lived with two of his children, in a house he had to leave because of mold, and a FEMA trailer. Now Donnie and his faithful dog, Molly, live in the back two bedrooms of his house with his belongings still boxed or covered with plastic protecting them from the construction mess and dust.

The eleven member team sharing lunch with Donnie and his dog Molly in his backyard.

Donnie talked to us about the anticipation of having all these volunteer workers descend upon his house. He said, “I wanted to be glad, but I was scared to be glad. Now I am glad!”

Camp Victor is a special initiative of Lutheran Episcopal Service in Mississippi (LESM). With the help of volunteers like the adult mission trip of the Nebraska Synod ELCA, LESM has been able to rebuild or repair over 5,000 homes for families in the Gulf Coast region. There are many families who cannot be helped at this time because they do not have any funds. LESM is committed to repairing any home on the Gulf Coast who can provide funds for their construction materials. If you or your organization is interested in supporting these families, or if you are interested in being a volunteer on the gulf Coast, please visit www.futuresforfamilies.org or email kblum@lesm.org.