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July 2010

UCC congregation provides home base for disaster response activities after June tornado

Neighborhood adjacent to St. Peter's UCC, devastated by June 5 tornado.  St. Peter's, in upper right corner of photo, was undamaged.

St. Peter's UCC, a 219-member congregation in the center of Millbury, Ohio, near Toledo, provided a home base for volunteer  response to the June 5 tornado that extensively damaged their town.

The tornado happened on a Saturday night. On the following day St. Peter’s became a focal point for much of the volunteer activity. The church, surrounded by devastation, was undamaged and promptly became a hospitality site. Meals were prepared for volunteers, some on a round-the-clock basis. Impressive quantities of donated supplies began to show up, and church members organized themselves to help in distribution.

“During the days immediately following the tornado we were overwhelmed by the generosity of UCC churches in our area,” said St. Peter’s pastor, Rev. Kathryn Helleman. “We received offers from churches throughout the Northwest Ohio Association for meals, assistance with clean up and monetary donations.”

In addition to the UCC support, they also received assistance from churches of several other denominations in the Lake Township Ministerium. 

The American Red Cross chose St. Peter’s as their operation site, which increased the level of activity. Many volunteers who came to help in cleanup work checked in at the church and were directed to places where help was needed. 

“The church became the focus of ‘what was happening’ in the immediate aftermath of the tornado,” said Jim Ditzler, Ohio Conference Disaster Response Coordinator. “Rev. Helleman was a walking encyclopedia of who needed what, where volunteers were needed, where people should go to get help, and what supplies were needed. Even the governor checked in at the church to get a sense of the situation.”

The UCC Ohio Disaster Response Team and their Lutheran counterparts were also involved in the initial work and remain involved in the Long Term Recovery Committee which is now guiding the extended recovery efforts.  Donations made by many individuals directly to St Peter's were used to establish a separate Lake Township Tornado Relief Fund, and the church will partner with the Long Term Recovery Committee (LTRC) to make decisions regarding those funds.

Much work that will take months if not years remains to be done. Most damaged properties have been demolished, and the work of rebuilding is pending. Others await insurance settlements or a contractor or volunteer who can make needed repairs. More than 500 damaged trees must be removed.

St. Peter’s is also ministering to people feeling the spiritual and emotional impact of this tragedy. They are reaching out to extended family of some of their members. In addition, the church’s role as "hub" for the Red Cross during the clean up means that many individuals view St Peter's as the first stop for help as they seek healing. On June 24 the Red Cross, community faith leaders and members of the mental health community provided an informational evening followed by an informal fellowship time. Many from the community attended, and new support relationships were forged during the process. 

Jim Ditzler was impressed with the way that the St. Peter’s congregation put their faith into action. “This church really became what a church can be. They did a great job at it and I want others in the Conference to know that,” he said.

Congregations who wish to contribute to the on-going recovery in Millbury and surrounding areas can direct a response through our Conference Disaster Response Ministries.  Contact Jim Ditzler, Coordinator, by email or phone (330-262-3242).

Volunteer Work Trips
How to organize a work team
What to expect

UCC Website

Technology-Caused Disasters

Did You Know . . .? 

. . . that the Ohio Conference is one of just three organizations in the United States that assembles and distributes disaster response clean up and personal care kits.

Kit ingredient lists (PDF) - One page, easy to print

. . . that the Ohio Conference Disaster Response Ministry served as the model for the other UCC disaster response ministries.
   

A disaster coordinator is needed in every church.
Learn about it here.

For local church coordinators:
Here's some help for discovering your congregation's resources

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