A church in St. Joseph has received word that items it donated to refugees in the Middle East were destroyed in the Beirut port explosion this month. Pastor Steve Hartten with Peace Lutheran Church tells WSJM News his congregation puts together relief kits for people in refugee camps through the Lutheran World Relief program.
“It’s a way of making a personal connection,” Hartten said. “Even though they’re not sure which congregation sent it, somebody cares about their plight as they’ve left home.”
The kits include everything from quilts to soap. The program also ships school supplies to young people. Hartten says Lutheran World Relief combines the contributions of congregations all over the world and decides where they go. In this case, the program had three shipping containers sitting at the Beirut port.
“There was roughly $600,000 worth of relief aid destroyed. I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me, but it was hundreds and hundreds of personal care kits, school hits, and several thousand quilts.”
Hartten says it’s disappointing to learn the church’s donations were lost, but his top concern is the lives lost and people hurt in the blast. The church will continue working to help others around the world, and if you want to contribute, Hartten says you can call your local Lutheran church.
Meanwhile, he wants people in the area to know Peace Lutheran Church will be raising money this weekend for a veteran who recently lost a leg due to diabetes complications. On Saturday, they’ll hold a drive-in dinner to raise money for Eddie Zajac. Anyone can stop by the church on Lincoln Avenue from 4:30 to 7 p.m. to buy a meal to help with Zajac’s medical expenses. You can find out more right here.
