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“Looterans”
Early on in the chaos that was New Orleans after Katrina, a small group of Lutheran volunteers were making their way through the city. Several of them became separated from the group and eventually came upon a local man whom they asked, “Have you seen a group of Lutherans go by?”
The man, looking a bit confounded, replied “We SHOOT looters here!”
In the nearly four years since, tens of thousands of Lutherans and volunteers from other denominations have come through Camp Biloxi and Camp Restore to help Restore Faith, Home and Community to the survivors of Katrina, helping over 2,700 families get back into their homes after major rebuilds and almost 4,000 more with smaller rebuild projects.
Today, it’s much more difficult to find someone in New Orleans or Biloxi who’s never heard of Lutherans before. In fact, many volunteer groups receive “drive-by blessings” as they go about town: friendly greetings from strangers who are so very grateful for the help and hope they continue to provide.