LARRI's June 2010 Newsletter is now available here on the web site. Just click on 'Newsletter' in the side menu to check it out.

By Michael Gonzalez - Post-Tribune Coorespondent   

Days ago, the tiny, often overlooked park next to the North Gleason Pavilion was weed-choked with bottles, discarded cigarette packs and other garbage strewn around.

By Friday, a group of teenagers on a mission trip from a Hershey, Pa., Lutheran church transformed it into a family friendly site with the start of a new, roofed pavilion with benches.

"Every year, I'm impressed with how much work we get done in such a short time," said Michael Brommer, an organizer with LutheranHANDS -- the latter part of the name standing for Helping And Serving.

"They're gifted by God to come here and do this work for their neighbors."

By Heather Augustyn - Times Correspondent

Instead of hitting the beach or loafing on the couch, these youths are pounding nails, digging holes with augers and pouring cement.

They're not getting paid, and they're doing it because they want to just help.

Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana, or LARRI, formed to assist in the region's recovery from the widespread flooding of September 2008.

The group returned last year and this week is bringing in some 400 youth volunteers to complete community outreach projects.

 By Lu Ann Franklin Times Correspondent 

More than 400 youth and adult volunteers with two national faith-based groups are in Northwest Indiana, laboring to assist with flood recovery efforts that continue nearly two years after the floodwaters of September 2008 receded.

The work by Lutheran Hands and Southern Baptist World Changers, as well as AmeriCorps, is being coordinated by Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana, or LARRI, which formed to assist in the region's recovery from the widespread flooding of two years ago.

"With hundreds of willing volunteers available in one week, LARRI has been able to arrange opportunities for these group to not only assist some of the individual homeowners affected by the flood, but to impact entire communities," said Jane Delligatti, LARRI's executive director.

Pepsi employees Dave Brown (left), Darrell Barnett (center) and Ron Reichert (back) deliver and unload a full pallet of drinking water donated to Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana. LARRI is making preparations for the July 11 arrival of nearly 500 volunteers with Southern Baptist World Changers and Lutheran Hands in northwest Indiana to assist the organization with flood relief and community projects. A single call to Pepsi’s Region Manager, Bob Gritzman, to alert the company of the need, resulted in the almost immediate delivery of the water. Pepsi’s original donation to LARRI over 20 months ago had just been depleted.

Ken Chapman noticed the little playground at 11th and Washington, though overgrown with weeds and bushes it was the main recreation area for children living in the Gary Housing Authority’s scattered site property.

After work at the Calumet Township Trustee Office one day, Chapman took his weed whacker to the play lot and cleared what weeds he could. Chapman next asked Adonia Community Services if they could help. 

“Yes, we can,” said Adonia’s George Peach, who sent a work crew to the park, clearing thick brush that hid much of the play area. Last weekend, volunteers with the Froebel Community Council added the playground to their regular cleanup duties along 11th Avenue.

This week, some long lasting improvements started. Monday, crews from Gary’s Parks Dept. and volunteers from LARRI (Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana) put their boots on the ground.