January 2007 - Gulf Coast Mission Trip
FOUR CONGREGATIONS TAKE AMBULANCES, FOOD, AND HOPE TO LOUISIANA
Four sister congregations, St. John--Algonquin, St. Matthew, Barrington, Holy Cross--Cary, and St. Matthew, Hawthorn Woods, joined together to send a 49-member mission team to the Gulf Coast in January. The team worked to repair damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
A highlight of their trip was the delivery of two ambulances to fire departments in Louisiana. The two 1995 ambulances were donated by the Village of Barrington and the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District.
On January 11 the mission team delivered one ambulance to the Sorrento (LA) Volunteer Fire Department. This community, northwest of New Orleans, played a key role in caring for hurricane evacuees and did not have an ambulance.
"We consider the ambulance an improvement in the quality of life both inside and outside the city limits of Sorrento," said Fire Chief Mike Lambert. "Eighty percent of our calls are emergency medical calls." The other ambulance was delivered to Houma, an industrial community southwest of New Orleans. Rather than replace the Barrington logo on the ambulance, Fire Chief Dan Scott is looking for a way to preserve the name of the donors as they add their own logo.
The ambulances did not travel to Louisiana empty. The mission team filled the ambulances and a truck with more than 9,000 pounds of food and health supplies. These were donated by people in Barrington and by Sunstar Americas Inc., the distributor of Butler dental care products. The mission team turned the food and health supplies over to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, an agency which provides food for 7,500 people per day.
"This entire project, from the donation of the two ambulances, to the donation of the food for the people of Louisiana, has been a positive project where everyone benefits," said an appreciative Jim Arie, Barrington Fire Chief.
During their week in New Orleans, the mission team lived at Camp Restore on the east side of New Orleans. The camp was Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and School which had to suspend operation after most of its membership was evacuated and have not yet returned.
The team gutted and repaired homes during the week as well as doing repair work on St. Paul Lutheran Church.
"Throughout this project we experienced an unprecedented level of cooperation between the four congregations, Lutheran Church Charities, governmental leaders in Barrington, and the three fire departments," reported the Rev. Gerald Schalk, pastor of St. Matthew, Barrington, and mission team leader.
"We selected the theme, 'Hope: Where the Tragedy Has Not Ended,' and by God's blessing, that was the message we were able to take to the Gulf Coast."
