Volunteers from Morris United Methodist Church helping in Louisiana

Volunteers from Naperville and Morris United Methodist Churches are helping clean up Hurricane Ida damage in Louisiana.

The communications department at Chicago-based UMC Northern Illinois Conference announced the effort in a Wednesday, Oct. 20, weekly e-newsletter sent to city and suburban congregants.

A statement titled “Disaster Response in Louisiana” says “Keep in your prayers the NIC Disaster Coordinator and 10-person Emergency Response Team currently near New Orleans, Louisiana, helping with cleanup from Hurricane Ida.

“The crew consists of seven volunteers from First UMC in Morris and three from Grace UMC in Naperville. They’re staying at Munholland UMC and working in the town of LaPlace, about 25 miles northwest of New Orleans.

“This area was one of the hardest hit from not only 150-plus mph winds but also large-scale flooding. You can follow their progress on the NIC Disaster Response Facebook page.”

According to a UMC Morris Facebook post, the team traveled to LaPlace on Monday, Oct. 18, and began work Tuesday, Oct. 19. Included was cleaning and gutting a family-owned auto repair shop, donating children’s books and baby formula to UMC LaPlace, cleaning up debris at Greater New Orleans Riding Center and starting to gut a water-damaged home in LaPlace.

A UMC Morris volunteer commented on Facebook, “We hope to not only be able to help physically clean up debris and tarp roofs but also provide the emotional and spiritual support that is needed to get through hard times. Please pray that we will serve the wonderful people of Louisiana and bring them hope for the future.”