Presbyterian Disaster Assistance 2005 at a Glance

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus . . ." Colossians 3:17

Witnessing to the healing love of Christ, in 2005 Presbyterian Disaster Assistance:

Programmed approximately $15 million to meet the immediate and long-term recovery needs of disasters survivors and to provide a witness of caring in 30 countries internationally, 17 states nationally, and two United States territories. Highlights include:

• Continued recovery efforts related to the December 26, 2004 tsunami. In addition to helping meet basic humanitarian needs, PDA worked towards building resilient communities by assisting and engaging tsunami survivors in rebuilding their lives, both physically and emotionally, and in re-establishing livelihoods.
• Responding to the Pakistan earthquake giving special attention to providing shelter equipment for cold weather in the mountainous regions.
• Supporting a civic education and trauma healing workshop hosted by the Presbyterian Church of Sudan for church and community leaders to further the peace initiatives in South Sudan.
• Supporting the ongoing reconciliation efforts and the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-combatants in Liberia. This support led to an additional United Nations Development Program (UNDP) grant for 2005 of approximately $1 million.
• Responding to the emergency food crisis in the Sahale Region of West Africa that includes the countries of Niger, North Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Mauritania.
• Enabled the ongoing distribution of food to benefit vulnerable persons — especially children under the age of five — in the Chingale District of Malawi.
• Responding to Hurricanes Emily, Stan, and Wilma that affected Central America especially the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico.
• Supported 21 immigration offices in their work with under-served populations and asylum-seekers in detention.

• Activated seven mission volunteer specialists for financial accounting and reporting support, community service assessment, and project management in six countries.
• 42 work teams comprised of 584 volunteers contributed approximately 12,605 hours of labor in cleaning, repairing, and rebuilding flood-damaged homes in West Virginia. This wonderful gift is valued at $221,218.
• Hurricane Response — The outpouring of support in financial gifts and gifts of labor by Presbyterian congregations, middle governing bodies, other institutions and individual members to United States hurricanes has been overwhelming.
  • $20,307,00 in financial gifts were given in response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, the largest single response ever to a disaster.
  • Five volunteers from one Ohio Presbyterian congregation helped Louisville PDA staff with hurricane-related telephone calls and data input.
  • 14 volunteers set-up and managed the PDA Volunteer Villages to host volunteer workteams in Mississippi.
  • 18 members of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Team were put in the field to respond to hurricanes along with two PC(USA) mission specialists.
  • 41 volunteers assisted with registering volunteer workteams for recovery and rebuilding activities in the Gulf Coast.
  • From September 2005 through December 2005, more than 2,000 volunteers contributed approximately 11,000 hours through the PDA Volunteer Villages, and an equal or greater number responded directly to affected presbyteries or Presbyterian congregations.