Dear St. Luke’s Family,
I remember my very first summer in Florida when my family and I moved to Orlando in 2000. Just when I thought we survived the Y2K hype, it felt as if I was thrown into an inhabitable land. If you are thinking…”But you grew up in Sub-Saharan Africa!”, yes AND I grew up in a California-like lovely climate. So, no, I wasn’t prepared for scorching heat. I am now a pro in enjoying the Florida summer.
Through my Mission work at St. Luke’s, I also learned inequities summer exposes in two specific areas. First, it’s a terrible time for children and their families who rely on school breakfast and lunch; second, hurricanes impact our most vulnerable worse than the rest. The good news is, as a church, we can prepare well together, show up for our neighbors during these challenging times and get serious about Creation Care (check out our webpage for the St. Luke’s Creation Care Ministry). To alleviate food insecurity for 25 Mollie Ray families staying in motels, we are planning weakly meal distributions. If you are interested in helping, email me at mmengistie@st.lukes.org.
Now to hurricanes…. The prediction for this year’s hurricane season according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is 85% chance of an above-normal season (June 1 – November 30).
Preparing for a hurricane during the summer can be a bit daunting...
