Pray for the souls of the dead and comfort the living.

From the Lancaster New Era:

Tragedy spurs funds, other aid to Amish
(All emphasis below is mine.)

Ken Sensenig, assistant director of the Mennonite Central Committee East Coast, visited the Nickel Mines Amish and said he found families coming together in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, such as milking cows so parents could go to hospitals.

He also saw non-Amish neighbors driving people to hospitals or helping in other ways, he said in a prepared release from MCC and the Mennonite Disaster Service.

For those unable to help in that way, MCC and MDS are accepting financial contributions to help the Amish community. Donations can be made by phone at 859-1151, or (888) 563-4676; online at www.mds. mennonite.net; or by mail to MCC U.S., 21 S. 12th St., P.O. Box 500, Akron, Pa., 17501-0500.

Donors are asked to write “Amish School Recovery Fund” in the check memo line.

The Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau has called on its members to offer transportation, meals or lodging to the families of the Amish victims and their extended families who may be traveling to the area.

The tourism bureau will be working with someone close to the closed Amish community to coordinate services. Anyone who wants to help can contact Janet Wall at the PA Dutch CVB at jwall@padutchcountry.com or 391-6005.The bureau will also be working with its partners in Philadelphia and Hershey to offer lodging to families visiting victims in hospitals in those places.

The visitors bureau, which has long promoted Amish tourism, called on its members to donate to funds established on behalf of the victims.

One fund, coordinated through Herman Bontrager, secretary/treasurer of the National Committee for Amish Religious Freedom, has been established at the Strasburg office of HomeTowne Heritage bank, a division of National Penn Bank.

Donations to that fund can be mailed to:

Nickel Mines School Victims Fund, HomeTowne Heritage Bank, 100 Historic Drive, P.O. Box 337, Strasburg, Pa., 17579. They may also be taken to any division of National Penn Bank.

Two other funds have been established through Coatesville Savings Bank.
Contributions to either the Nickel Mines Children’s Funds or the Roberts Family Fund may be sent to the Coatesville Savings Bank, 1082 Georgetown Road, Paradise, Pa., 17562.

The Roberts Family Fund was set up to benefit the family of the gunman, who had a wife and three children under age 8.

The New Era has received electronic messages from people as far away as Alaska offering to donate funds to the victims.

Capital Blue Cross has also created a $500,000 medical fund to pay the costs of urgent and ongoing care for the victims.

“Our hearts go out to the victims of this terrible tragedy and to their families,” said Capital Blue Cross CEO Anita Smith in a prepared statement.

“We want to do what we can to help our neighbors and their community as they recover and heal.”

Capital Blue Cross is also offering the services of medical care case managers to assist the families during their children’s hospital stays and afterwards.

Nonmonetary aid is also being offered by Upward Care Counseling Services in New Holland and Georgetown. That organization is offering two weeks of free counseling to victims and their families.

“We counsel many people in the Plain community,” said counselor Drew Metcalf. “We walk humbly with the Amish community, and they trust us.”

Metcalf said he and others from Upward Call spent much of Monday talking with the families of victims at the Levi King farm in Nickel Mines, where the families gathered in the wake of the tragedy.

He said Upward Call also will serve as a “link” between the Amish and other Christian counselors who wish to volunteer their services.

Anyone wishing to send cards or letters of condolence to the families may do so in care of the Bart Township Fire Company, P.O. Box 72, 11 Furnace Road, Bart, Pa., 17503.

Bontrager said the Amish are overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of help.

“They feel so humbled by it,” he said.