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The West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod of the ELCA continues to reach beyond its own borders to assist others and share  God's love with their neighbors.
This summer saw the first youth-based group from the synod making their way south to Biloxi, Mississippi to provide relief to those still suffering from Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. The trip was organized by Pastor Randolf and Cindy Richardson of the Bittinger Lutheran Parish and Briana Richardson, a lay pastor in Brandywine, West Virginia and was partially sponsored by Community Lutheran Partners, Inc.
Additional money for the trip were raised by the Bittinger Lutheran Parish youth group who held soup sales and other fund-raisers. Five of the Bittinger Parish youth group members and Chuck Beck, a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Petersburg, rounded out the work crew that left for Biloxi on Saturday, July 7. After driving over 1100 miles, the nine person team arrived at Camp Biloxi the next day.
The jobs included repairing damage in two homes: water-damaged drywall was removed and replaced; a window frame was replaced; a new floor was put in; and a support beam was placed under one of the homes.
After completing a week’s worth of hard work, our synod's group returned safely to their own homes on Saturday, July 14 with an increased awareness of the damage that was done by Katrina and the needs that still exist along the Gulf Coast.
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