Covenant News

Covenant Hurricane Relief Fund Passes $1 Million Mark

CHICAGO, IL (October 17, 2005) - Donations to the Covenant World Relief fund in support of victims of Hurricane Katrina topped the $1 million mark today, according to Dean Lundgren, Evangelical Covenant Church treasurer.

The level of giving is quite similar to that given by Covenanters in response to last December's tsunami disaster in 12 countries through Asia, Lundgren notes. Giving includes some $58,800 given by credit card through the special online disaster relief fund.

Donations reflect a wide range of gifts, large and small, with touching stories associated with many of the gifts. One such story comes from seven-year-old Trevor Work of Brewster, Massachusetts, who took advantage of exceptionally nice weather on Labor Day to raise $500 for victims of Hurricane Katrina (top photo).

The young entrepreneur and philanthropist set up a lemonade, donut, and cookie stand in front of his house, which sits along a road leading to a popular beach. The many motorists couldn't resist his advertising message – 100 percent profit to Katrina.

"You could see people wanted to get to the beach, but they felt they had to stop," says his mother, Regina. Trevor was asking 50 cents for each of the items, but people generally left a large tip. "People gave us fives and tens," notes Regina.

By the end of the day, Trevor had raised $250. During the sale, he made sure to sweeten the giving incentive to each of the customers, telling them, "Your money will be doubled." Ameriprise, the company for which Trevor's dad (Bruce) works, matched the $250.

The family attends Cape Cod Covenant Church in Brewster.

In other hurricane relief news:

• The 48 students and staff at Covenant Bible College say they were profoundly affected by their recent trip to Pascagoula, Mississippi. "There's no way an individual could accomplish the work we did; there's no way we could have made it through the week without the strength, grace, and compassion of Jesus Christ," says Karen Hallberg, the school's director of outreach.

  The students normally embark on a mission trip to Mexico each year, but decided to alter their plans, choosing to travel to Mississippi instead. "We encountered hundreds of people grateful for our presence and our support in the face of the overwhelming task of cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina," Hallberg said. Because so much emphasis had been placed on the flooding in New Orleans, "some expressed they felt forgotten by the country." The team engaged in a variety of projects during the week. Students and staff helped teachers clean classrooms, pulled out ruined items from homes, cleared yards of debris, and pulled out kitchens and dry wall from the Eastlawn United Methodist Church.

• Robin and Jacquie Peterson (lower photo) of Kingsburg, California, wanted to help relief efforts but weren't sure what to do. Then Robin drew on his 58 years as a raisin grower for Sun-Maid.

  He encouraged the company to donate a half ton of boxed raisins – 10,700 boxes to be exact – that he delivered in a covered pickup to Houston so they could be distributed among the storm victims.

  Paul Meador, pastor of Faith Community Covenant Church, where Peterson delivered the raisins, said he appreciated the donation because "the raisins are easy to handle and they don't spoil."

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