Thrivent Financial to match funds raised for Minot relief trips

In June 2011, the Souris River in North Dakota reached a record-breaking 9.5 feet above flood stage as a result of a Category 5 flood, rivaling Hurricane Katrina in its force and devastating the city of Minot as well as other surrounding areas.

About one-quarter of Minot’s 40,000 residents were evacuated.

But because there is so much focus on providing relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast, the number of volunteers for traveling to Minot now has greatly diminished, leaving the question — who will help in Minot?

St. Peter Lutheran Church in Whitefish is planning two trips in 2013: the first is June 23-29, and the other is Sept. 29 through Oct. 5.

Thrivent Financial is matching 50 cents on the dollar of all funds raised for the trips through March 31.

Anyone wishing to donate can send checks payable to St. Peter Lutheran (for the Minot trip) to: St. Peter Lutheran Church, PO Box 883, Whitefish, MT 59937.

Financial donations that are made are used solely for rebuilding. Any money that is not used during each of the rebuilding trips stays in North Dakota and is donated to Lutheran services to help those organizations provide needed assistance.

Nearly two years later, there are still over 145 families who are displaced and have no home. Hundreds of families had been moved to trailers or were forced to move in with family or friends.

Much has been accomplished in the way of rebuilding Minot, but because of so many other natural disasters that have occurred since June 2011, the region still needs help including not only monetary donations, but volunteers to help rebuild the town.

Groups of volunteers typically travel to Minot for a week, donating their time, skills and talents, and plain old “elbow grease.”

Volunteers come from all over the country, even loading school buses with crews or driving personal vehicles filled with all manner of power tools and other equipment.

The trips are paid for; there are no out-of-pocket expenses to any volunteer crew member who chooses to donate a week’s time, unless they would like to buy something extra and personal for themselves.

Another way to help would be to visit the Montana Disaster Response Team website at www.gofundme.com/mtdisaster response to make a donation online or offer personal skills and talents.