Hurricane Sandy Update
Crisfield, Maryland was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Over 300 homes were completely destroyed and sadly, there has not been any federal relief to date. The MD chapter of OGT trucked over 2,000 items in late 2012, including scrub buckets filled with cleaning supplies, warm gloves, hats, socks, and blankets. Now, we are recruiting construction crews to go down to Crisfield and work with other churches to rebuild the homes that were either completely leveled or substantially destroyed. If you would like to join one of these crews, please contact Norman Giguere at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Rockaway, Long Island, New York also sustained significant damage from Hurricane Sandy. The Maryland branch sorted, packed and hauled 700 blankets to the storm victims in that area. The help goes on as these people slowly recover from this enormous devastation.
“Volunteer Village” Heads to Minot
Project Scrub Bucket
Maryland Branch Helps With New York Flooding
On a chilly early afternoon of Monday, November 28, a loaded cargo van arrived at Zion Lutheran Church in Owego, New York at the request of Pastor Aaron Schian. The town was devastated when the rain from tropical storm Lee began falling September 6 and poured 11 inches over the next two days. The Susquehanna River rose from 17 feet to 38 feet between 6 a.m. September 7 and 6 a.m. September 8. Then the gauge that measures the surge broke, but the river kept rising. "It was like a horizontal Niagara Falls," said a Salvation Army worker. "It was fast, it was high and it was loud."
One resident said, "Everybody's life is on the lawn." The mayor said that 90 percent of the homes on the north side of the Susquehanna River took in water. Some will have to be leveled and many more will take months to repair.
Seeking to help his community, Pastor Schian contacted Elfie Eberle, chair of the Orphan Grain Train, Maryland Branch. Housed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Annapolis, Orphan Grain Train is a nearly all-volunteer, humanitarian, Christian organization that shares material resources with people who are in need, wherever they are. The pastor said he had a particular need for blankets and quilts. He noted that "there are still around 1,000 people without power and that means, of course, without heat. The blankets and quilts will be such a great gift to the people here in Owego."
Elfie immediately put the word out and in a matter of a few short weeks, the ladies of Annapolis Evangelical Lutheran Church, along with the ladies of St. Paul's made 67 bright and beautiful quilts! Supplemented by donations from many other churches, some as far away as Salisbury, Maryland and Hampton and Williamsburg, Virginia, a total of 300 quilts and blankets were loaded in the van along with 30 mercy kits (a bath towel and wash cloth wrapped around hygiene supplies such as toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, etc.)
The quilts and blankets arrived just in time. The supply at Zion Lutheran Church had dwindled to just a few.
Special thanks to all of those who helped.
Project Scrub Bucket
In response to the current flooding across several states in the midwest, and the risk of much more to come, Orphan Grain Train is again announcing Project Scrub Bucket: 5-gallon buckets filled with cleaning supplies for mucking out flood-soaked homes.
Each bucket holds approximately $40 worth of cleaning supplies (including broom and mop). Cash donations of all sizes are requested to help fill the buckets.
Donations may be made through our secure online giving page (click here) or by check or money order payable to “Orphan Grain Train Flood and Storm Relief” PO Box 1466, Norfolk, NE 68702-1466. When giving on-line please select “Flood and Storm Response Fund” from Gift Information options.
Each scrub bucket includes:
Comet TM or other cleansing powder
Lysol TM or other liquid cleaner
Bleach (1-gal. size)
WindexTM or other glass cleaner
Scrub brush
Rubber gloves
Sponge(s)
Roll of paper towels
Broom and/or mop
Thousands of buckets were distributed throughout the hurricane-affected areas in 2006, and hundreds more after the mid-west floods of 2007, 2008, and 2010.
9-12-2011 Clean Water for Flood Victims
Orphan Grain Train has sent their water tanker, filled with 6000 gallons of clean drinking water to the flood victims in Bigelow and Fortescue, Missouri. It left at 4:00 a.m. this morning, from Norfolk, Nebraska, and should have arrived by about 8:00 a.m.
9-9-2011 Help for Bigelow and Fortescue, Missouri
Orphan Grain Train in Norfolk, Nebraska is sending bottled water to Missouri River flood victims in Bigelow and Fortescue, Missouri today. The water system serving those small communities is underwater, not functional, and FEMA will not provide any more water for them.
Thrivent Financial Taking Donations for Flood Victims
Thrivent Financial is asking for donations of cleaning supplies for the flood victims along the Missouri River.
OMAHA (Aug. 5, 2011)—The recent flooding in Nebraska has prompted local Thrivent offices to take action. Thrivent offices in Omaha, Syracuse and Lincoln will be collecting cleaning supplies to distribute to flood victims along the Missouri River at various times in August. The items most needed are; Comet or other cleansing powder, Lysol or other liquid cleaner, bleach (1 gallon size), glass cleaner, scrub brushes, rubber gloves, sponges, paper towels and brooms/mops. Contact Lisa Ellis with questions: 402-905-4203.
Collection Times
Thurs. Aug. 25, 4-7 p.m.
Fri. Aug.26, 8-5 p.m.
Sat. Aug. 27, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Collection Locations
Thrivent Financial Omaha office
11602 West Center Road, Suite 200
Omaha, NE. 68144
Thrivent Financial Lincoln office
7431 O Street
Lincoln, NE. 68510
Thrivent Financial Syracuse office
1201 Park Street
Syracuse, NE. 68446