Bloggers Unite to Seek Funds for Katrina Relief!

Today, bloggers from all over the world will be joining forces for a day of concentrated online fund raising on behalf of relief efforts designed to help the millions of victims of Hurricane Katrina. (At last count, 526 bloggers from seven countries had signed on!)

Each of us have designated relief organizations to whom the contributions are to go.

My designated agency is Lutheran Disaster Response. (In an earlier version of this posting, I had designated an agency which a reader rightly pointed out only did international disaster response. The beauty of blogging is that the writer publishes unencumbered by editors. The deficiency of blogging is that the writer publishes unencumbered by editors.)

So, please designate funds for Lutheran Disaster Response or the agency of your choice.

More than just your dollars, please also offer up your prayers for all who have lost loved ones, suffered the loss of their homes and possessions, and face an uncertain future, asking God to sustain and encourage them!

God bless you!

Here is a list of many relief agencies to which you can contribute if you choose.

Here is a Technorati.com tag on "flood relief" postings on blogs from around the world.

Here is another Technorati.tag, this one dealing with all blog postings on "Hurricane Katrina."

UPDATE FOR LUTHERANS AND MEMBERS OF THRIVENT FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR LUTHERANS: I just received the following email message...

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has announced a generous gift matching program for individual Thrivent members giving to Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery. If you are a member of Thrivent Financial, please visit www.thrivent.com/fraternal/katrina.html for more information and an important form that is required for your gift to be matched. We are grateful for Thrivent's partnership in our ELCA Domestic Disaster Response ministry!

The four states of the ELCA-Southeastern Synod, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee have suffered damage from hurricane Katrina. There is a great need for congregations to develop teams of people willing to help the victims by going to the disaster locations as work crews, and raising funds for Lutheran Disaster Response so we can provide help the victims of this disaster.

Bishop Warren, Hal Shope, LDR Coordinator for Volunteers, and Bob Tribble, Coordinator ELCA-Southeastern Synod/LDR are going to Mississippi and Alabama as soon as the roads are opened, and will need debris removal and clean-up crews first, then rebuilding teams later.

Teams responding will be coordinated by LDR coordinators to provide the best response possible. We urge all congregations to help the thousands of victims of hurricane Katrina.

Congregations with work teams willing to respond to the disaster areas, contact:

Bob Tribble
Coordinator
ELCA-Southeastern Synod/LDR
404-313-7878
trib713@juno.com