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Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, Susan Ryan, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Coordinator, read an article in the Biloxi Sun Herald dated December 14, 2005, that expressed the community’s fear that they would be forgotten once the national media coverage of Hurricane Katrina had faded.
Filled with deep compassion, Susan wrote a letter to the editor to encourage Mississippi hurricane survivors and to let them know that PDA would walk with them on the road to recovery.
PDA is proud to say that we have kept that commitment with the help of thousands of Presbyterians from across the country that have done so much to help disaster survivors experience the grace and generosity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
PDA expresses a deep and heartfelt thank you and invites all Presbyterians to celebrate what has and is being accomplished.
In just over two years, more than $10 million of funds designated for the 2005 Hurricanes have been disbursed and are supporting recovery efforts from South Texas to the tip of Florida. More than $4 million have been disbursed to support pastors and the repair and recovery of Presbyterian congregations. Volunteers have provided more than $20 million in donated labor.
Once again the church hosting sites and Presbyterian Volunteer Villages in the Gulf Coast are filling up with volunteer work teams who are enabling families to have hope and a home once again. Modeling our ministry after the free grace that we have received, everything that Presbyterians do in disaster response is a free gift.
With the solid case management by the Presbyteries of South Louisiana and Mississippi, volunteers can rebuild a 1,200 square foot home (with an average value of $150,000) for between $35,000 and $40,000 — only a third of what it would cost with a private contractor. This is because of the timeless commitment of volunteers who return year after year to the Gulf.
PDA’s partnership with other faith organizations, government assistance and the survivor’s own resources, along with gifts from volunteer work teams, means that there is only a gap of about $3,000 to $5,000 of unmet needs that PDA would need to fill.
Presbyterians have been, are and will continue making a difference in the Gulf Coast. We encourage you to express your thanks by giving a week of your time in the Gulf this coming year.
Call today — (866) 732-6121. |
