Hurricane Helene Update 1

September 27, 2024

Hey Camp Friends,

Our prayers go out for everyone across the southeast navigating the disaster. We have been asked about the camps.

Luther Springs and Lutheranch have come through okay.

Lutheridge has trees down at both entrances making it impassable. There are trees and power lines down across campus. There are trees laying in Beam and the Thornburg parking lot looks like a forest.

Lutherock seems the hardest hit. The roads to Founders, Crowsnest, and the Creek from the Director’s home are impassable. They are threaded with trees and power lines. In other places there are 10’ sections of road washed away. We know there are trees that hit the director’s home, we don’t yet know about the other buildings.

For both Ridge and Rock it will be a long recovery.

As you lift up our camps, please lift up our staff also as several in the mountains have had their homes/property damaged by trees or flooding. Many are without regular cell service and there is no power.

If you would like to help, we will be working to have crews remove trees and make repairs. We will need to coordinate with professionals so give us a bit of time to get things planned. For now, please email me directly to share your interest. This will allow the staff the time needed to manage their own lives. Expect to hear from us early next week. My email is mitzie@gsbfr.com.

I can’t post on our pages and our staff who does isn’t able. Please share this post with camp friends.

Thank you all! We already feel the camp love and we so appreciate it.

Mitzie and Mike Ward

UPDATED: If you’d like to make a gift online for clean up please select “where needed most” or your preferred camp. If mailing a check, you may put “clean up” in the memo line. Thanks for asking!