08239
March 27, 2008
PDA taps $10,000 for flood relief
Disaster-response agency urges Presbyterians to contribute buckets and money
LOUISVILLE — Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is using $10,000 in One Great Hour of Sharing funds to help families clean up from severe flooding in the Midwest.
A late March storm system with heavy rains and some snow swelled creeks and rivers across much of the central United States, especially in Missouri and Arkansas. Rivers in Missouri have been cresting well above flood level, sending thousands of Missouri residents to Red Cross shelters.
Neglected Arkansas levees proved no match for torrential rains that is causing the worst flooding the state has seen in a quarter-century.
Flooding also affected parts of Ohio and southern Illinois, according to The Associated Press. At least 17 deaths have been attributed to the high waters, wet roads and other weather conditions, according to national media reports.
PDA’s $10,000 will go to purchase about 250 five-gallon buckets, which will be in high demand once floodwaters recede and families begin cleaning up and removing debris.
PDA, the disaster-response and relief agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is also purchasing other items that will be included with the “clean-up buckets,” such as work gloves, sponges, brushes and scouring pads.
The Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center in Little Rock, AR, which operates a Disaster Assistance Center that works in cooperation with PDA and Church World Service (CWS), will coordinate volunteers to assemble the cleaning materials and buckets into CWS Gift-of-the-Heart kits. The kits will be consolidated and distributed to disaster survivors in Arkansas, Missouri, and other areas affected by the severe flooding.
PDA is encouraging Presbyterians and their congregations to help by donating buckets and cleaning items, or through a financial contribution of $50, the suggested donation to purchase a bucket and its contents.
“There’s a massive need for clean-up buckets or funds to buy the materials for them,” said Pamela Burdine, PDA’s associate for constituency relations.
Information about the buckets, their contents and shipping them can be found on PDA’s Web site.
Financial contributions, which will be used to purchase buckets, may be sent through normal mission-giving channels by designating gifts for the following account: DR000151. Gifts by credit card can be made by calling PresbyTel at (800)872-3283, or by visiting PDA’s Web site. Checks payable to the PC(USA) can be mailed to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) , Individual Remittance Processing, P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700 or to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Central Receiving Services, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202.
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