CHICAGO—Lutheran Disaster Response, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, continue to organize recovery work in Nebraska after a series of tornadoes and hail storms struck the state May 22-23.

According to a press release from the ELCA, Dana College in Blair, Neb., sustained more than $1 million worth of damage after baseball-size hail struck six of the college's buildings May 22, commencement day. There were no injuries. Dana is one of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA.

Lutherans and others continue to clear debris on farms, homes and communities in eastern Nebraska, reported Linda Janssen Gjere, director for communication, ELCA Nebraska Synod, Omaha. Nebraska Lutheran Disaster Response and congregations in the state have pulled together to organize volunteers for recovery work and to distribute food and materials. They're "ready to serve neighbors and friends to recover from storm damage," she said.

Some Lutherans from Omaha volunteered to clean up debris in rural areas, Gjere reported. She said they had a "difficult time finding a way to express the emotional impact of seeing the destruction, and how it affected people not only negatively but positively." The volunteers said that they "became more aware of how everything earthly can be taken away from us in a moment by an act of nature. We also marveled at how many good people there are who all found some way to help."

Gjere said members of the ELCA Nebraska Synod also volunteered to clear up fields, donate quilts, provide and serve meals and snacks for volunteers.

The Rev. Gilbert B. Furst, director for Lutheran Disaster Response, said members of the church "can offer prayers of support, volunteer for clean up and repairs and contribute money, which enables the church to respond at once and makes it possible to offer help and hope for the long haul."