In 32 seconds, a lone gunman in downtown Dayton, Ohio, injured 27 people and killed nine, including his sister. This mass shooting happened back to back with another shooting 13 hours earlier on Aug. 3 at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. In that rampage, 22 people died and 26 were injured.
Two Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) National Response Teams (NRT) returned from deployment recently in southern Georgia and northwest Florida. They were there to assist in the recovery efforts after Hurricane Michael swiftly blew through the Florida panhandle and southern Georgia as a strong Category 4 storm earlier this month. The teams deployed into Flint River Presbytery and the Presbytery of Florida, where they made damage assessments in coordination with presbytery executives, worshipped with church members, assisted with short-term disaster response plans and identified opportunities for volunteers to help clean up the mess left behind.
As Hurricane Florence bears down on the eastern coast of the United States, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) and Presbyterian Women (PW) are sending out the reminder that September is recognized as National Preparedness Month (NPM). Since 2014, through the Presbyterian Women Disaster Preparedness program, PDA and PW have collaborated to assist congregations and presbyteries to create disaster preparedness plans.
For the 22nd year, national volunteers who give of their time to assist presbyteries, congregations and communities impacted by disasters through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance have gathered for their annual meeting. This year’s gathering in Louisville, brought together nearly 100 members to take part in a time of “learning, connecting and relating.”
Cada año, más de cien ancianos/as presbiterianos/as, pastores/as, ejecutivos y líderes laicos se reúnen para orar, adorar y aprender a ayudar a la gente durante los peores momentos de sus vidas. Recientemente, El Programa Presbiteriano de Asistencia en Desastres llevo a cabo su 21ª reunión anual del equipo de respuesta nacional (NRT por sus siglas en ingles). Este año, voluntarios/as de todo el país, se reunieron en Atlanta, Georgia para re conectarse y aprender a cómo pueden servir mejor a las iglesias y comunidades que se encuentran en medio del desastre.
Each year, more than a hundred Presbyterian elders, pastors, executives and lay leaders gather to pray, worship and learn how to help people during the worst times of their lives.
They may have been traveling for days or even weeks, but asylum seekers hoping to start new lives in the U.S. are finding a bright spot in their long and difficult journey. A Catholic church in McAllen, Texas provides a rest stop for the weary travelers, giving them a place to rest, eat and fellowship with volunteers who have come to help.
Controlled chaos. That’s how Joan Stewart, executive director of the West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps—the long-term recovery response arm of the Presbytery of West Virginia—describes flood-damaged communities nearly two weeks after record flooding. The water has receded, but the clean up is just ramping up.
Discernment to determine heart and commitment to disaster support The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance National Response Team gathered recently in Jacksonville, Fla., to consider adding a group of new members. The so-called “Discernment… Read more »
