PDA outlines unprecedented 7-year budget for Katrina recovery

FOR MORE INFORMATION (working media only) : Pamela Burdine: 502-569-5839 or pburdine@ctr.pcusa.org

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 31, 2006)—Recognizing the unprecedented amount of damage caused by last year’s Gulf Coast hurricanes and the extent of rebuilding required, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has outlined a $14.4 million budget for relief efforts that extend through 2013.

The extended response plan is the first time PDA has identified needs beyond the typical two-to-three years allocated for domestic disasters.

“The area of need is larger than Great Britain,” said PDA coordinator Susan Ryan. “We don’t have a U.S. model for a response of this size and complexity. But based on our analysis of the need and our experiences over the last decade, the volume of work ahead will require at least seven more years of repair, rebuilding and interpersonal services.”

Unlike first-responding agencies, PDA’s efforts are designed for long-term needs. They seek closure beyond clean-up and rebuilding, to restoring a community sense of normalcy. PDA involves survivors in every phase of the relief effort, training and equipping them to regain control of their lives.

Along the Gulf Coast, PDA currently operates six Volunteer Villages designed to house and feed up to 125 volunteers each. Volunteers with previous experience in this disaster have been recruited to manage the villages, overseeing volunteers from around the country, as coordinated and dispatched by the PDA Call Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. We anticipate recruiting and training Young Adult Volunteers to take over the management of the majority of the Villages by the fall.

“The villages concept was created just for this disaster, and they’ve been the key to maintaining responsible, cost-effective application of our funds,” said Ryan. “We’ve created safe, organized, predictable environments where volunteers can come with reasonable expectations that their time, talent and material will be put to good use. That’s why we’ve had some teams return three, four or five times.”

The concept has brought value as well as order to the disaster response process. A single Village may require monthly overhead of $8,500 to operate, but the financial impact of the volunteer hours expended can easily exceed $240,000.00. Operation of the villages also leverages funds in terms of improved purchasing controls, quantity discounts, and better distribution and tracking.

The seven-year budget, which totals $14,480,000 includes continuous operation of the Volunteer Villages, relief and rebuild funds for five presbyteries located in the heart of the storm-damaged areas, community based recovery funds, and a reserve to cover needs expected to emerge as the situation on the ground changes, and as key decisions about rebuilding are made in New Orleans.

Approximately 70 percent of the budget was donated within 90 days of the Katrina storm through efforts of the 2.4 million-member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), but PDA will continue to solicit and accept funds through the term of the budget. Funds not required for immediate needs are maintained in safe, interest bearing financial instruments that offer ready access as recovery activities demand.

The donation-to-expense timetable is purposely front-loaded to prevent PDA’s long-term response from falling short as media headlines about the disaster fade.

“Our donors are generous, committed and loyal,” said Ryan, “but we cannot expect them to respond to pleas that come months or years after a disaster has occurred. Other pressing needs always arise and they have their own urgency, and we must respect that, so we focus on asking when it’s most appropriate and they are most inspired to participate.”

ADDITIONAL CONTACT INFORMATION (working media only):

PC(USA) Treasurer: Joey Bailey, 888-728-7228 x 5672