One of the chores that had to be fit into our schedule the past few weeks has been applying for financial aid for the next school year. Many of you know the drill: prepare your tax returns, then complete innumerable forms while hoping that your application will be selected. I was very pleased to receive notification last week from the Women of the ELCA in North Carolina that I would be receiving the Rainbow Scholarship. The very next day, another phone call came to tell me that I was being awarded the Chilstrom Scholarship from the Women of the ELCA. While neither is huge scholarship, they will each help toward paying for tuition and living expenses for our final year of studies.
Here, in part, is my letter of thanks to the Women of the ELCA. One of the questions asked on the application is “Why should the organization invest in your education?”
As I noted in my application, this scholarship is not a new investment! I have been involved since the formation of the Women of the ELCA: as a participant and officer in my local congregational unit, as a conference leader, synodical committee member, editor of the North Carolina synodical newsletter the Carolina Vine, and a member of the SWO board. I have attended uncounted circle meetings, committee and board meetings, conference and SWO gatherings, Churchwide Triennial Conventions, and retreats. Each of those positions and every one of those events has provided me with opportunities to work, study, and be in community with other women of faith. Women of the ELCA have already invested significantly in my development as a leader and mentor for other women through that involvement.
The Women of the ELCA has – and continues to - provide for me exactly what the purpose statement proclaims, the mission areas support, and the current triennial theme celebrates: A loving and supportive community of faithful women, fostering my growth in faith, and encouraging me to respond to God’s grace through bold action!
Even though I am now unable to regularly attend the circle meetings at my home congregation, I am still able to be part of the community of women in this place and remain connected to the women in North Carolina, who have supported me on this journey with their words of encouragement, prayers, and with scholarship funds.
Blessings to all the women of the ELCA!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Saturday, May 05, 2007
The Changing Face of Recovery
When we first arrived in Mobile and began working as case managers, we attended a weekly resource meeting which was attended by representatives from a wide variety of agencies working locally. FEMA, Red Cross, Volunteers of America, and United Way, as well as several faith based organizations, especially Catholic, Mennonite, Methodist, and Lutheran agencies were all in conversation together.
It was important for them to meet each week because the available aid was changing so quickly, as new programs and funding became available. And of course, each new program came with its own set of eligibility criteria. My point is, the rapid change was caused by new and additional aid becoming available. Projections were that recovery in the Bayou La Batre area of south Alabama would take another 3+ years, with recovery in Mississippi and Louisiana taking far longer.
Now, sadly, only nine months later, we are already watching many of those programs run out of funds and shift focus or end completely. Resource meetings have become sporadic, as many of the people who were planning or attending have already left these agencies or left the area.
Much of the money that was allocated for southern Alabama has already been spent, while many, many homes still remain unrepaired. Deadlines are beginning to close in. For example, the final date to apply for Katrina aid is May 15. I admit, that deadline seems quite reasonable. It has now been 20 months – almost two years - since Katrina made landfall on the Gulf coast. Those who need recovery assistance have surely had an adequate opportunity to come forward and apply for help.
The much more difficult deadline for me to grasp is the one at the end of August. By that time, all those seeking government funds for assistance with the repair or replacement of their homes in Alabama must have not only applied for the assistance, but their cases must already be approved by the local Long Term Recovery Committee AND the repairs must already be completed AND all the bills submitted for payment. (Fortunately, that deadline has been extended for other areas even more severely affected in MS and LA.)
Now, the rush is on to submit all these cases to the LTRC and get the work done as quickly as possible. But many will not be completed by this deadline. So that means that many will be left hoping and praying for further assistance, primarily from the faith-based organizations like LDR. Fortunately, the end date for those who are receiving FEMA housing assistance has recently been extended into 2008 – so those most in need do have additional time to make repairs, find new jobs, and get back on their feet before they lose that assistance.
Unfortunately, while LDR has a commitment to remaining at work in an area until the recovery is complete, changes are already underway to reduce the expense of running the local office. Now, more than ever, our prayers, donations, and volunteer labor are needed to support the work of LDR and other agencies, so that they can continue to help the victims of Katrina.
It was important for them to meet each week because the available aid was changing so quickly, as new programs and funding became available. And of course, each new program came with its own set of eligibility criteria. My point is, the rapid change was caused by new and additional aid becoming available. Projections were that recovery in the Bayou La Batre area of south Alabama would take another 3+ years, with recovery in Mississippi and Louisiana taking far longer.
Now, sadly, only nine months later, we are already watching many of those programs run out of funds and shift focus or end completely. Resource meetings have become sporadic, as many of the people who were planning or attending have already left these agencies or left the area.
Much of the money that was allocated for southern Alabama has already been spent, while many, many homes still remain unrepaired. Deadlines are beginning to close in. For example, the final date to apply for Katrina aid is May 15. I admit, that deadline seems quite reasonable. It has now been 20 months – almost two years - since Katrina made landfall on the Gulf coast. Those who need recovery assistance have surely had an adequate opportunity to come forward and apply for help.
The much more difficult deadline for me to grasp is the one at the end of August. By that time, all those seeking government funds for assistance with the repair or replacement of their homes in Alabama must have not only applied for the assistance, but their cases must already be approved by the local Long Term Recovery Committee AND the repairs must already be completed AND all the bills submitted for payment. (Fortunately, that deadline has been extended for other areas even more severely affected in MS and LA.)
Now, the rush is on to submit all these cases to the LTRC and get the work done as quickly as possible. But many will not be completed by this deadline. So that means that many will be left hoping and praying for further assistance, primarily from the faith-based organizations like LDR. Fortunately, the end date for those who are receiving FEMA housing assistance has recently been extended into 2008 – so those most in need do have additional time to make repairs, find new jobs, and get back on their feet before they lose that assistance.
Unfortunately, while LDR has a commitment to remaining at work in an area until the recovery is complete, changes are already underway to reduce the expense of running the local office. Now, more than ever, our prayers, donations, and volunteer labor are needed to support the work of LDR and other agencies, so that they can continue to help the victims of Katrina.
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