By Mary Rose Kulczak
This holiday season, one local church is embracing a mission to help neighbors in need by providing aid to those who are recovering from the devastating tornado that struck southern Indiana earlier this year.
Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Westfield has partnered with March to Recovery to help the residents of Henryville in their efforts to rebuild their lives and homes in the aftermath of the storm that caused so much destruction.
The church has worked throughout the year to bring much needed aid and relief to the community, and the church’s leader Rev. Tim Krupski said the mission was continuing into the Christmas season.
“In July, we went with a group of 22 people for four days,” Krupski said. “We worked on property clean up, sawing up downed trees and helping to restock the relief supply warehouse.”
In October, Lord of Life followed up with a second visit to Henryville, organizing the relief supply warehouse where food, water, school supplies, and furniture had been gathered from the Kentuckiana region.
“Many of the items were destined for families who had been in long term displacement since back in March when the tornado happened,” Krupski said. “While there, we were connected to several lead congregations who are working directly with these displaced families so that we might come around them through our fundraising.”
The church conducted a 10-week effort to increase their giving by 10 percent this fall. The surplus amount totaled $1,400. That amount, along with additional donations collected during the holiday season, will be given directly to a family in Henryville whose life was turned upside down by the storm.
“We will be working to supply furniture and other items to outfit a replacement mobile home, which has been acquired for the family,” Krupski said. “We also hope to rally around this family in the coming months and year to fill any unmet needs.”
Krupski said that the congregation was fully behind this mission and looked forward to lending their support in the months to come.
“God has richly blessed us as a congregation and has moved our congregational members to generously give, even in the midst of these economic times,” he said. “We felt that a way to honor God with these first fruits of what he has given us was to use these offerings beyond ourselves and our congregational needs and wants, and rather to give to others who have lost so much this year in the storms of southern Indiana.”
Members of the Westfield/Noblesville community who would like to contribute to the relief efforts may do so by sending contributions to: S. Indiana Relief Fund, c/o Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 4282 E. 191st St., Westfield, IN 46062. Donation checks may be made to Lord of Life Lutheran so that they can be processed and forwarded. Every dollar donated will be directed and given to families in need in the southern Indiana communities hit the hardest by the tornado.
