By: Hector Flores
The first congregations to respond were Bellmore's Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church and St. John's Lutheran Church ELCA, which work in tandem with the Lutheran World Relief agency (LWR). According to a newsletter sent to parishioners of the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, the relief agency sent aid through a partner in India 15 hours after the tsunami had struck.
The Rev. Laurie Cline, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, explained that LWR is one of the largest non-profit disaster-relief organizations in the world, and said the organization excels at getting relief directly to victims. It guarantees that 100 percent of all donations earmarked "South Asia Tsunami" will be used for humanitarian efforts.
"The relief agency is operated jointly by the two largest Lutheran denominations in the country, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod," Cline explained. "These two denominations jointly administer Lutheran World Relief, which has both a domestic arm and an international arm. For instance, in Oklahoma City, the Lutheran World Relief is still there, counseling people years after the tragedy."
The Rev. James Barnum, pastor of Bellmore's Presbyterian Church, at Bellmore and Martin avenues, said that through the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Relief program, $300,000 has been committed to relief efforts. In addition, the church has set aside two 40-foot containers holding $100,000 worth of medicine boxes, each worth $350, for the survivors.
"We have a system set up where we take donations every Lent in church world services," he said. "In addition to this, we have a cooperative effort relieving disasters throughout the world, and that is where we are at the moment."
The United Methodist Church, on Royle Street in Bellmore, is organizing its tsunami aid effort through the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
According to the American Red Cross office in Mineola, relief supplies such as plastic sheeting, family-size tents and hygiene kits are ready for shipment and will be distributed to people in need. The Red Cross estimates that nearly 1 million people living in coastal areas have been affected.
Anyone wishing to make contributions to one of the above organizations can do so by contacting the following:
¥You can sending donations to the Lutheran World Relief agency in three ways: by logging on to www.lwr.org, by calling (800) 597-5972, or by sending a donation to Lutheran World Relief, South Asia Tsunami, P.O. Box 17061, Baltimore, Md. 21298.
¥Donations to the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Relief program can be made by calling Bellmore's Presbyterian Church at (516) 785-2590.
¥Donations to the United Methodist Committee on Relief can be made by calling Bellmore's United Methodist Church at (516) 221-1220.
¥Donations to the American Red Cross can be made by calling (800) HELP-NOW or (516) 747-3500, or by visiting the American Red Cross Web site at www.redcross.org.
Comments about this story? Hflores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
