Church is Ready to Give Back - Times-Picayune 06/26/2008
by Sheila Stroup
On Wednesday, a team of volunteers from Annunciation Church left New Orleans and headed for Quincy, Ill., a town left in shambles by the Mississippi River flooding.
"The best therapy for people who are stressed out and freaked out is to help others," the Rev. Jerry Kramer said.
Father Jerry, 40, is rector of the Free Church of the Annunciation, a vibrant Episcopal church on South Claiborne Avenue. When we talked on Monday, he seemed a little stressed out and freaked out himself.
People in his Broadmoor neighborhood are dealing with house problems, family problems, money problems, health problems. And he's not immune.
He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last summer, and he had a mild heart attack 10 months ago. And the escrow on his house went up $500 a month recently. "We're all knee-deep in crisis right now," he said.
--- Familiar faces ---
Still, he sounded ecstatic about loading up vehicles and driving to Quincy.
The Episcopal Diocese of Quincy has been sending volunteers to Broadmoor since the storm, and this is finally a way to give something back.
"They've made more than 20 trips, and that's been powerful," Father Jerry said. "We love to see familiar faces. It reminds us that we're not forgotten."
The Illinois diocese is poor financially, but rich in spirit, much like the people in his flock. The volunteers have brought supplies to the church, rehabilitated homes in the neighborhood and donated 10,000 books to Broadmoor's Rosa Keller Library.
"They've told us, 'We're going to stay with you until it's done,' " Father Jerry said. "That's been meaningful to us."
He calls this first brief visit to St. John's Episcopal Church in Quincy a "scouting trip" to find out what people affected by the flooding need most.
"We got tired of people telling us what we needed," he said. "We know right now they need cash and warm bodies. We'll let them tell us how else we can help."
--- Group effort ---
Along with money for people who lost their homes, volunteers took personal hygiene kits with them.
"That's one thing we know they'll use," Father Jerry said.
What makes him happy is how eager everyone is to join the relief effort. There were lots of "Flood Relief" envelopes in the collection plate Sunday, and parishioners have been preparing care packages and saying prayers for their friends 700 miles away.
"I'm just blown away that our folks are so ready to give back," Father Jerry said. "They've been on edge to go up there and help. They want to drop everything and get it done."
These are people who are struggling to pay their rent or house note, struggling to rebuild their community, struggling to get through the days.
"Going beyond our boundaries to help somebody else is going to help us," Father Jerry said. "We're going to find healing in that."
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Sheila Stroup can be reached at sstroup@timespicayune.com or 985.898.4831.