The Blawenburg Band will play a benefit concert to help Gulf Coast families.
By: Susan Van Dongen
Hurricane Katrina was so devastating, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name, out of sensitivity for the victims and for historical, scientific and legal purposes. In addition, Dennis, Rita, Stan and Wilma will not be used again as hurricane names.
But officials in the weather service are already concerned about the 2006 hurricane season, which officially arrives June 1. With residents of the Gulf Coast still putting the pieces of their lives back together, another monster storm might be even worse for the vulnerable region than Katrina or Rita. For example, many people lost their vehicles last year, so getting out of the storm’s path could be impossible.
Joel Pancoast, the pastor of Abiding Presence Lutheran church in Ewing, has seen the damage firsthand. Traveling to a small town outside of Mobile, Ala., he witnessed what many residents are calling "the new normal."
"We met one woman who thoroughly appreciated our help," he says. "But we could see that she was still in despair, not quite sure what life was going to be like. It’s people like this who are still living through the trauma, living in resignation. They’re saying to themselves, ‘This is what life is going to be for an indefinite period of time.’
"But our group has seen that the new normal also means caring and loving people, who otherwise would be strangers," Mr. Pancoast continues. "We have no reason to know these people because we don’t have family there. But we were able to meet them and connect with them by our feeling of being called to be there, to serve them."
In addition to its long-term hurricane relief efforts, the Mercer County Lutheran Mission Cluster is sponsoring the Have a Good Day concert to benefit families along the Gulf Coast. Led by Dr. Jerry Rife, chairman of the music department at Rider University, the Blawenburg Band will perform an evening of favorites April 23 at the Princeton Alliance Church in Plainsboro. Contributions will aid families along the Gulf Coast impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita and will be matched by a Thrivent Care in Community grant.
"My heart goes out to all of those people, to everybody whose life was impacted," Mr. Rife says. "To a lesser extent, all Americans were impacted. We can feel bad, we can feel sorry for the people there, but we can also do something to help. We want to tell them that we care, we’re not forgetting them, even after eight or nine months."
Among the 70 or more players in the Blawenburg Band, many are members of the churches in the Mercer County Lutheran cluster. Mr. Rife says the idea for the benefit came from bassoonist Nancy Ervin.
"She came to the officers and myself and wondered if the band would like to be involved in a benefit," Mr. Rife says. "We had already done one benefit at the United Methodist Church in Princeton, so we agreed to do another.
"We’ve always been oriented toward community service," he continues. "This band is the most well-meaning, heart-centered group of people that you’ll find. We play about 30 times a year and most of our concerts are at nursing homes or retirement centers for people who can’t get out to hear music. I think everyone in the band would agree that’s our most important job. The Katrina benefit fits right in."
Beginning just after Hurricane Katrina hit in August, there have been a number of relief efforts going on within each congregation of the cluster.
"We started our combined efforts by having a pastor of a congregation in Long Beach, Miss., come to talk about some of the first-hand experiences of survivors," Mr. Pancoast says. "We heard about the needs of both survivors and congregations down there trying to serve as resources for them. Since then, the compassion and concern for the lives affected in that area of the country has been nonstop. Beyond sending money and resources, we sent a work group in March, and two more are being planned for July and sometime in the fall."
Their contacts in the Gulf Region had reported that, after six months, much of the debris had been removed. Still, volunteers from Mercer County were shocked when they arrived in the region. It looked like the storms had hit just days before.
In reality, the people who live in the Gulf Coast towns are just beginning a long recovery process. Many of the residents have lost their livelihoods and are learning new occupations. So yes, structures are being repaired but there are many people whose lives are years away from being "fixed."
"I’ve heard that it’ll take at least a decade or two to get things back the way they were," Mr. Rife says. "And I’m afraid to think about the next hurricane season the storms just seem to be getting bigger and harsher."
Planners came up with the Have a Good Day concert name when a woman from Mississippi, helped by the cluster’s relief efforts, wrote "…there are good days and bad days. The ‘good days’ are when God sends his angels. They come in all shapes and sizes. They send gift cards, quilts, clothes, food, financial support, cleaning supplies, love, support and prayers."
"Every work group in our cluster will be going through training with Lutheran Disaster Response that (teaches) we’ll be doing more than physical labor," Mr. Pancoast says. "What is more important is that we’ll be making personal relationships. We’re there to listen to the people’s stories.
"Often, when we experience trauma, there’s a great need to share our stories," he continues. "This is our gift to go and listen. It’s not only relief and restoration from the physical devastation but also the psychological and spiritual devastation."
The Have a Good Day Benefit Concert, featuring the Blawenburg Band, will be held at the Princeton Alliance Church, Scudders Mill and Schalks Crossing roads, Plainsboro, April 23, 5:30 p.m. Free will offering. For information, call (609) 882-7759. Blawenburg Band on the Web: www.princetonol.com/groups/blawenburgband/

