Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
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Stories of hope: Presbyterians respond to bring hope following Hurricanes Katrina/Rita/Wilma

 
         
 

Photo of the Brunswick team behind a table
Volunteers from Brunswick Church in Troy, New York, have made trips to Pearlington, Mississippi. Photo: Colleen Lais


Survivor Stories

Links to stories submitted as web sites

Other Stories of Hope

Children's Stories of Hope

 
             
 
 

Work Team Stories

United Church of Big Rapids, Michigan, returns to Pearlington, Mississippi

College Student reflects on her recurring involvement with Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts, March 2008

Cary Presbyterian Church of Cary, North Carolina, journeyed to Gautier, Mississippi, October 2007 pdf icon

First Presbyterian Church of Charleston, Illinois, team serves at Pearlington, Mississippi, summer 2007

Cajun Night Fundraiser - Brunswick Church of Troy, New York, raises funds to send returning volunteer work team to Pearlington, Mississippi, September 2007

Three Washington churches serve in Luling, Louisiana - Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church of Puyallup, Washington, organizes a tri-church work team for the New Orleans recovery efforts

Head down to New Orleans - Oahe Presbyterian Church mission team serves in Louisiana, May 2007

Two South Carolina Churches unite to send a team to Bayou LaBatre, Alabama

The Dirty Dozen - volunteers from Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri, serve in Houma, Louisiana

    Photo of volunteers and homeowner
    Survivors and volunteers often work together in the clean-up and rebuilding efforts. Photo: Bobbi Updegraff

Cincinnati Presbytery team of 11 churches serves in Gulfport, Mississippi, October 2006

First Presbyterian Church of Hickory, North Carolina, serves in Gulfport, October 2006

First Presbyterian Church of Greenville, North Carolina, serves in New Orleans, August 2006

First Presbyterian Church of Virginia Beach, Virginia, team serves in Biloxi and D'Iberville, July 2006

First Presbyterian Church of Wappingers Falls, New York, serves in Mississippi

Churches ready to respond should a hurricane threaten the Panhandle - article by Kris Thoma, Pensacola News Journal

Grand Opening at PDA Volunteer Village in Houma, Louisiana - article from The Courier (Houma, LA)

White Memorial Presbyterian Church of Raleigh, North Carolina, volunteer work team serves in Mandeville, Louisiana

First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood, Missouri, volunteer work team serves in D'Iberville, Mississippi

Washington State University K-House team serves in Louisiana

Member of First Presbyterian Church of Portland, Oregon, reflects on her work through the Luling PDA Volunteer Village

Michigan youth group serves locally to support disaster survivors

The Brother Craig Project - team serves in Pointe Aux Chenes, Louisiana

Reflections from an Orange Grove volunteer - "...there was still life in the branches..."


The New Beginnings Ministry of Grand Bay before and after a team's visit. Read the story. Photos Samuel Hensell

Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church of Rock Hill, South Carolina, sends teams to serve in D'Iberville, Mississippi

First Presbyterian Church of Richmond, Virginia, sends a team to the PDA Volunteer Village in D'Iberville, January 2006

West Side Presbyterian Church connects with other churches to send team to New Orleans, January 2006

A True Thanksgiving - two Pennsylvania churches team up for a work team trip to South Alabama, November 2005 (photo at right)

Diary of our Trip to D'Iberville, by members of Monmouth Presbytery Bill Brennan and Gary Kohler

Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church in Duluth, Georgia, holds "Goodies for Good" sale to benefit hurricane survivors

First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans opens newly refurbished child development program, January 2006

Monmouth Presbytery reports on its October 2005 trip to the Gulf Coast

Winter Park Presbyterian Church brings care to Hurricane affected areas, October 2005

Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program employees volunteer during the early days of the U.S. Hurricane Response

Mid-Kentucky Presbytery response focused on Gautier, Mississippi; work teams being planned

Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Texas, October 2005 reports on ways its members are supporting the United States hurricane recovery process

Presbyterian Support Helps Move UNICEF Kits to Hurricane Evacuees

 
     
 

Previous field reflections — reports from early congregational response teams, PDA volunteers and Team members, and congregations affected by the hurricane; September and October 2005; includes early response photos.

 
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Survivor Stories of Hope

Photo of Canal Street Presbyterian Church's incomplete kitchen
The kitchen at Canal Street Presbyterian Church is not yet completed, but the congregation met in their sanctuary on Palm Sunday. Photo: Eleanor Soltau

Update on Canal Street Presbyterian Church of New Orleans - first worship service in the sanctuary since the hurricanes held on Palm Sunday

Restaurant owner in Gautier, Mississippi says thank you to the many Presbyterians who have helped the community, April 2006

Atakapa Tribe survivor story, by Marian MacNeill

PDA Team member Marian MacNeill shares survivor story, December 2005

Survivor hopes to return to New Orleans

Child to Child Letters — survivors of the 2004 Asian Tsunami in Indonesia write letters to child survivors of the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the United States

 
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Work team stories of hope submitted as links to other Web sites

 
         
 

Photo by Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church of Maryland — a volunteer in New Orleans.

Brunswick Church of Troy, New York, returns to Pearlington, Mississippi, April 2008

First Presbyterian Church in Ogdensburg, New York, team will serve in Mississippi in May 2008

The Guinston Gutters volunteer work team from Airville, Pennsylvania, makes multiple trips to Louisiana

Presbytery of Cincinnati team returns to the Gulf Coast, April 2008

Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church of Gaithersburg, Maryland, makes another trip to the Gulf - March 2008

Vienna Presbyterian Church of Vienna, Virginia, serves in Gulfport, Mississippi, July 2006

First Presbyterian Church of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, serves in Gulfport, Mississippi, July 2006

Princeton Seminary Students Reflect on Service in Mississippi - article from inSpire, Princeton Theological Seminary

First Presbyterian Church of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, sends volunteer work team to Mississippi, February 2006

Coe College sends alternative spring break mission team of 15 faculty/staff and 45 students to Gulfport, Mississippi

Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church of Puyallup, Washington, sends a team to New Orleans, April 2007

Dirt, sweat and shingles make memories on Gulf Coast volunteer trip: The Jewish News Weekly of northern California article by Suzan Berns, March 31, 2006

Christ's Church — Methodist and Presbyterian United of Monmouth, Oregon, reports on its December 2005 volunteer work team experience in the New Orleans area

Mountain Valley Mission Community of Shenandoah Presbytery sent a work team of 25 to the Volunteer Village at Orange Grove in Gulfport, Mississippi for 10 days in January 2006

 
             
 
 

Katrina Response

  Stories of Hope  

Children's Stories of Hope

 
             
 
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