In late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy slammed the Atlantic Coast. This category 3 hurricane was the second-costliest hurricane in United States history and the most deadly in the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season. FEMA has over 261,000 applications for aide across 21 counties in the state of New Jersey - 125,000 of those homes have been inspected. So far over 54,000 homes have been classified as having major or severe damage
LutheranHANDS partnered with Lantern Hill - a ministry in Ensenada, Mexico. Like LutheranHANDS, Lantern Hill was built by two leaders from ELCA Lutheran Churches in central PA. Their mission is to break the cycle of poverty, focusing in on the communities surrounding the retreat center they own and operate. Unique to Lantern Hill is their focus on the people in the communities they serve. This mission trip will allow our volunteers to interact with community members in focused and memerable ways.
The ELCA has committed to change in Detroit by locating the 2015 ELCA National Youth Gathering there. LutheranHANDS is following their lead by establishing a youth adults mission trip to this city in order to plant the seeds for a much needed turnaround.
Mission Trips
LutheranHANDS has been happy to help communities across the country. Below is a list of some of the mission trips that we have been a part of. If you have any pictures or videos from any of these trips that you would like to contribute to the page, please email them to information@lutheranhands.org.
LutheranHANDS offered it's first international mission trop to Haiti in partnership with Hope in Haiti.
Birmingham was such a great host to LutheranHANDS, that we decided to return in 2013 with 150 volunteers.
Birmingham
2013
The ELCA National Youth Gathering was once again in New Orleans. LutheranHANDS repeated their success of 2009 by offering a Pre-Gathering mission trip to 200 Gathering participants. This time, we stopped half-way to New Orleans in Birmingham, Alabama for a few days of service.
New Orleans
2012
The city of Nashville was underwater in 2010 as the Cumberland River overflowed it's banks. LutheranHANDS took a trip to the country music capital of the world with 150 volunteers eager to sing, dance, and serve.
Nashville
2011
LutheranHANDS responded to flooding in Northwest Indiana with 200 volunteers who donated their time to help rebuild.
Chicago
2010
Our first mission trip was in response to Hurricane Katrina in the city of New Orleans. 150 youth, young adults, and adult leaders traveled to New Orleans to serve for 5 days in the flooded parishes and wards surrounding the city.
The next year we offered our first Pre-Gathering mission trip in combination with the ELCA National Youth Gathering. 200 Gathering participants from the Lower Susquehanna Synod traveled to New Orleans a few days prior to the Gathering and served the people of Biloxi, MS - a Hurricane Katrina hit community.
New Orleans
2008 and 2009
