Presbyterian Disaster Assistance mobilizes support for communities impacted by Hurricane Matthew

Superstorm leaves thousands homeless as it makes its way along the US eastern seaboard

by Rick Jones | Presbyterian News Service

A survivor is carried to safety through a flooded street. (Photo courtesy Lutheran World Federation, Haiti)

LOUISVILLE – Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has issued an appeal for help in the wake of Hurricane Matthew as the superstorm continues to spin along the eastern seaboard. More than 800 people are known to have been killed and thousands have been displaced since the storm made landfall in Haiti this week as a Category 4 hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center says Matthew, which is now a Category 3 storm, continues to spin off the eastern coast of Florida bringing dangerous winds, flooding rainfall and a hazardous storm surge that will stretch into Georgia and South Carolina through the weekend.

“Presbyterian Disaster Assistance urges the PC(USA) to join in prayer and in providing tangible support to those affected by Hurricane Matthew,” said the Rev. Dr. Laurie Kraus, PDA director. “We have been in touch with partners on the ground in the affected areas and have reached out to all presbyteries in the projected path of the storm.”

Both Haiti and Cuba are still recovering from the recent large-scale natural disasters including the 2010 devastating earthquake in Haiti and Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

“As the final reports come in, we expect the damage to be severe since the infrastructure was still struggling to recover from the earlier catastrophes,” said Kraus. “PDA will continue its partnership with the people of Haiti in response and longer term recovery projects following this latest crisis.”

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is the emergency response and refugee program of the denomination, committed to the long-term recovery process. It is funded by the One Great Hour of Sharing and designates funds for specific disasters.

For more information and resources, including a bulletin insert and prayer, visit the PDA website and link to this page http://pda.pcusa.org/situation/hurricane-matthew-response/.

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To support recovery efforts in the wake of Matthew, go to this page https://pma.pcusa.org/donate/make-a-gift/gift-info/DR000148/. The PC(USA) website provides opportunities to donate securely and quickly.

Donors can also mail a check with “DR000148-Matthew” on the memo line and send to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
PO Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700

Donations can also be made by phone by calling 1-800-872-3283, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EST).

Visit pda.pcusa.org for continuing updates.