Disaster Response

The Iowa Mission District works closely with the NALC Disaster Response Coordinator, Mary Bates, to help get supplies and other resources where they are most needed, whether here in Iowa, or across the country.

Our mission district area coordinator is currently Betty Burkhalter. Betty can be reached by phone or text at 815-323-9999, or by email at bettyburkhalter@hotmail.com. 

 

Each congregation in the Iowa Mission District is encouraged to have a local disaster response contact person on record that can be reached in case of emergency. Make sure Betty has that person's name and contact information!

 

The Iowa Mission District has two warehouses. One is located just north of Chatfield, Minnesota, on Highway 52, and is maintained by our mission partner, Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minnesota. The other is located in Boyden, Iowa, and is maintained by St. John's Lutheran.

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Click HERE to access the latest disaster kit content lists (flood buckets, health kits, school kits, etc.), located on the website of the Women of the NALC (wnalc.org). Blankets, quilts, Bibles and gifts cards (i.e. Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart) are always needed. Feel free to include items decorated with a U.S. flag, patriotic or religious symbols, messages, or your group or congregation's name.

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Disaster Response Update

While many teams of volunteers are busy dealing with the floods out east, a large group of volunteers worked in Northwest Iowa helping those in need with recovery from the flooding this past spring .

 

SEMAC (South East Minnesota Area Christians) have been working together for over 25 years under the leadership of Larry Vomhof.  Larry is a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church In Rochester.  Larry and his wife Deb manage the NALC Disaster Response Warehouse located in Chatfield Mn. The group is made up of Christians of many denominations who come together to help those in need. They generally do two mission trips each year. Their team is made up of experienced carpenters, electricians, plumbers and dry wallers. 

 

Do you have to live in SE Minnesota to work with this group?  Absolutely not!  While many of the team members are from SE Minnesota, there were people from Georgia, Wisconsin and North Dakota. Gerald Meyer from St John’s Lutheran in Boyden jumped in and helped for two days once his harvest was done.  Gary and I had the opportunity to join them the week of October 20

 

St John’s Lutheran in Boyden Iowa provided housing and a couple of meals for us. Mary Bates arranged for a shower trailer for us to use. Deb Vomhof and her sister, Judy, provided the remainder of the meals including items for us to pack a sack lunch each day 

 

We worked in Rock Valley at 5 separate homes. What did we do? We painted, reinforced the entire first floor joists before new subfloor was installed, insulated, replaced a shower and toilets, put in a new header in a living room, removed walls, built walls, sheet rocked, mudded and taped the sheet rock, plumbing in the bathrooms, electrical in basements, made a 13 year old girl very happy by getting her basement bedroom ready to move into. This included putting in a drop ceiling, putting in flooring, putting in her closet door, and the door to her bedroom

 

There is still a lot of work to be done in Rock Valley as well as other communities in NW Iowa. More volunteers are needed. Maybe you and/or your congregation want to form a team by yourselves or with other congregations in your community. I can get you the work if you can get a team together!  Let me know how I can help!

 

Betty Burkhalter 

NALC Iowa Mission District 

Disaster Response Coordinator 

 

 

​Carolina Response

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​Click HERE to learn about Giving Tuesday, a drive to help western North Carolina during the holiday season.​

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Iowa Mission District Youth Mission Trip Coordinator

 

Are you wanting to plan a mission trip for the young people in your congregation?  If so, we now have a designated coordinator for youth mission trips!  Alana DeMoss has recently agreed to fill this position for the Iowa Mission District! 

 

Alana is from First Lutheran in Manchester and has assisted Pr. Tony Ede multiple times coordinating past trips.  Alana can be contacted by phone/text at 563.920.8476 or by email at fivekidscrazy@outlook.com

 

So, if you want to plan a trip, reach out to Alana!  She in turn will work with the National Disaster Response Coordinator, Mary Bates, to determine possible locations and dates.

 

If you have adults who would like to do a mission trip, you can reach out to Mary Bates directly.