Wadena tornado victims gather for Camp Noah reunion

Posted at 3:21 PM on December 13, 2010 by Tom Robertson
Filed under: Central Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, Weather

MPR Photo/Tom Robertson

Some 30 families affected by the devastating June 17 tornado in Wadena will gather tonight for a Camp Noah reunion at the Wadena Elementary School.

Camp Noah is a program sponsored by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. It's a week-long therapeutic day camp that focuses on helping children recover emotionally after a natural disaster. Seventy Wadena area children participated in Camp Noah in August.

The reunion event tonight will include a dinner and small group sessions for children and adults.

The Lutheran Social Service Disaster Response office in Wadena reports that 92 families have been served with case management services.

With outside donations of about $175,000, 88 families have received help with unmet needs in areas of loss not covered by insurance. Some of those needs include furniture, beds, car repairs, sheet rock, shingles and windows.

Lutheran Social Service case manager Wendy Molstad says the organization continues to accept donations for Wadena tornado victims. Molstad says there are still unmet needs totaling an estimated $900,000.