Faces of Hope

Latin America and South America

Guatemala received assistance following Hurricane Dolly, which struck the Latin America country as well as the U.S. Texas coast in August, 2008. A pastoral care project for response to trauma is being supported in Peru, and PDA responded to earthquakes in both Costa Rica and Honduras in the first half of 2009.

Darfur, Sudan

PDA continues to support emergency operations in Darfur, Sudan, where more than 2 million internally displaced people were forced from their homes by conflict.  Ongoing assistance in Darfur, through Action by Churches Together, International (ACT), includes support for more than 297,000 people in South and West Darfur, including distribution of household items, hygiene kits, mosquito nets, jerry cans, blankets and school kits; provision of clean water and sanitation; health clinic services; psychosocial, nutrition and agricultural support and training. [Learn more about the ongoing work in Sudan]

Sri Lanka

Fighting in Sri Lanka in early 2009 forced more than 300,000 people from their homes. Those still displaced or returning home are in need of assistance.  PDA is supporting the response, including food, water, sanitation, and health education and awareness. [Read more]

China

PDA responded to the May 2008 earthquake in China, supporting the relief and recovery work of long-time partner, the Amity Foundation.  Families in vulnerable, rural communities were assisted with food, quilts, shelter materials, psychosocial care, reconstruction of houses, schools and clinics, and repair of water systems. 

Sudan

Torn apart by civil war for nearly 25 years, southern Sudan was in need of peace.  PDA worked with the Resource Center for Civil Leadership (RECONCILE) to help equip communities in southern Sudan with knowledge and skills for peace building, trauma healing, good governance and social transformation.

Despite political challenges in the spring, support for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South and West Darfur, Sudan, continues.  In order to fill humanitarian gaps left when some aid agencies were expelled from the country, ACT took on extra water and sanitation activities in two IDP camps and supported additional clinics and nutrition centers.

Pakistan

PDA responded with One Great Hour of Sharing gifts to help with immediate needs following the October 2008 earthquake in Pakistan.  Urgent help was available for up to 40,000 people, including provision of tents, blankets, food and other necessities.

PDA is also responding to the humanitarian crisis caused by fighting in the North West Frontier Province.  Families living in IDP camps are being supported with basic necessities such as food packages and shelter kits.  [Read more]

Middle East

Following fighting in Gaza in January, humanitarian assistance included food, clean water, household items and medical care for tens of thousands of people.  Responding through ACT, PDA is also addressing immense psychosocial needs of the affected population.  [Read more]

Indonesia

Sri Lanka is one of the countries affected by the December 2004 tsunami.  A film sharing the stories of four tsunami survivors over the past four years is available for screening.  Email us if you would like more information about “Kepulihan: Stories from the Tsunami.”

Presbyterian Volunteer Villages

Four years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast, recovery efforts continue.  PDA and volunteer work teams from around the United States continue to serve Christ in this hands-on mission as they clean up and rebuild, often along with the homeowners.  Hurricane Ike struck the Texas coast in September 2008 as the third largest hurricane to make landfall in the United States.  Because of the election, the massive destruction of Texas communities was largely overlooked by the media, and Ike has been called the Forgotten Storm.  Villages are now open to host volunteer work teams in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.  Iowa and other locations are also in need of help following flooding and other disasters.  Please contact the PDA Call Center at (866) 732-6121 if your team is ready to engage in a disaster recovery short term mission opportunity. [Learn more about the Presbyterian Volunteer Villages]