‘There will be a lot of needs to come,’ Arlington pastor says

ARLINGTONBy Jean Parietti

More than $800,000 has been donated to local Catholic relief efforts after the March 22 Oso mudslide that wiped out a neighborhood and killed 43 people.

It has been “an incredible outpouring of generosity from people all over the archdiocese and all over the country and Canada,” Father Tim Sauer said in a recent email.

Father Sauer, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Arlington and St. John Vianney Mission in Darrington, is managing the funds that have been donated directly to his parishes and through Catholic Community Services of Western Washington.

So far, more than $300,000 has been spent on funerals, burials and cremations for the 43 people killed in the slide, as well as other funeral-related costs, Father Sauer said. Those costs have included flowers, funeral receptions, cemetery plots and plane tickets and lodging for family members so they could attend services, he said. He expects these costs to total about $400,000.

In addition, some of the donated funds will be directed to families who are trying to rebuild after losing their homes and everything in them. “Many of them will be struggling just to come up with enough money to purchase land for building, or make a down payment on a home purchase or rental,” Father Sauer said.

The parish also has received “many thousands of dollars” in donated gift cards for groceries, gas and other items, as well as cards, letters, and items like quilts and blankets. “All of the items and most of the gift cards have been sent on to the Oso Community Chapel for disbursement to needy individuals there,” Father Sauer said.

In addition to providing monetary assistance, the two parishes are involved in long-term recovery groups established in Arlington/Oso and Darrington. The groups consist of federal, state, county and local agencies, as well as community leaders, local pastors and organizations, including CCS. The focus is working together “to respond to new needs as they emerge — and new needs are arising each week,” Father Sauer said.

The Arlington Ministerial Association, of which Immaculate Conception is a member, is setting up a disaster recovery center in downtown Arlington. “People can drop in for comfort, counseling and to get connected to various resources that are available for assistance,” Father Sauer said. “Immaculate Conception is very involved in this project.” CCS disaster case managers are working in all three communities and probably will be for five to six months, Father Sauer added.

Officials from FEMA estimate it could take two to three years for the disaster-affected communities to fully recover to their “new normal,” Father Sauer said. “There will be a lot of needs to come,” he said, “and we will be providing financial support for all of those as they emerge and as we are able.”

Donate to Oso recovery efforts   Immaculate Conception Church P.O. Box 69 Arlington, WA 98223 Make checks payable to “Immaculate Conception (ICC)” and write “Disaster Relief” in the memo area. Catholic Community Services Online: www.ccsww.org By mail: Catholic Community Services Attn: Oso Mudslide 100 23rd Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98144-2312

Learn more about the Oso aftermath:   Ron and Gail Thompson remain strong in faith, even after losing their Oso home and neighbors. Read their story from the July/August 2014 issue of Northwest Catholic.   Father Tim Sauer, pastor of parishes in Arlington and Darrington, talks about the response to the devastation on Northwest Catholic’s radio show (at the 15-minute mark): Trouble listening? Head to our SoundCloud stream directly.

July 3, 2014