-
- Camp Victor, a volunteer camp started after Hurricane Katrina by Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Ocean Springs, Miss., housed more than 50,000 volunteers from all 50 states and 20 countries.
-
- Students from Valparaiso University carry out damaged carpet from a home as part of Lutheran Disaster Response’s “What a Relief!” alternative spring break program to help in Katrina-affected areas. More than 800 students from 34 U.S. colleges and universities volunteered through the program during spring 2006.
-
- ELCA mission developers help paint the exterior of a home that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
-
- A volunteer hauls away debris after the storm. In coordination with Lutheran Social Services of the South (now Upbring), Lutheran Disaster Response coordinated 40,256 volunteers for a total of 1,787,432 service hours.
-
- A home in St. Bernard Parish, La., suffered significant damage from Hurricane Katrina. Through Lutheran Disaster Response, Lutherans rebuilt 2,686 homes.
On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States, causing damage and destruction that stretched from Florida’s panhandle to western Louisiana. One million homes and buildings were destroyed, and 1,833 people died. Hurricane Katrina is on record as the most destructive and costliest disaster in U.S. history. After the storm, Lutherans from all corners of the world started offering their time and skills to volunteer in the areas hit by the hurricane, and Lutheran Disaster Responsecollected more than $35 million to directly assist those whose homes and livelihoods were affected by Katrina.
