As a Synod executive based in Texas and now Florida, Valerie Young is exceedingly familiar with Hurricanes. The striking thing about the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is the breadth of the area severely impacted by the storms.
The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance solidarity visit following Hurricanes Milton and Helene concluded last week with a day in Holston Presbytery in Tennessee, where resilience, innovation and togetherness were on display just as they were throughout the 10-day visit.
The next-to-last day of the solidarity visit Presbyterian Disaster Assistance held with churches and mid councils affected by the September hurricanes focused on Salem Presbytery in north-central North Carolina.
After showing visitors the massive food and disaster relief distribution program going on daily outside and inside Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville, North Carolina, the Rev. Amy Kim Kyremes-Parks still marvels at what she sees every day. “We are Matthew 25 for real,” said the church’s Director of Formation for Children and Their Families.
A spirit of solidarity and hope was evident throughout a prayer service hosted by the Synod of South Atlantic last weekend to comfort those trying to rebound from recent storms — particularly Hurricane Helene and its more recent cousin, Milton — and to lift up those assisting survivors.
In the midst of the devastation from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, Black Mountain Presbyterian Church (BMPC) has become a refuge for those seeking food and comfort in a time of crisis.
In the midst of organizing hurricane relief to secure the physical well-being of neighbors, PC(USA) leaders recognize the spiritual effects of trauma. With back-to-back hurricanes striking Florida within less than two weeks and disasters in general becoming more intense because of climate change, “there is so much loss of life, so much stress,” said the Rev. Dr. Kathy Riley, Associate for Emotional and Spiritual Care for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).
In the midst of the devastation from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, Black Mountain Presbyterian Church (BMPC) has become a refuge for those seeking food and comfort in a time of crisis.
As longtime ministry colleagues in the Presbytery of Charlotte in North Carolina, the Revs. Drs. Lori Archer Raible and Amantha Barbee have maintained a close friendship through the years, united in their love of neighbor and their shared passion for justice.
Nearly a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall, communities that sustained damage are still reeling from the consequences of the storm that tore through a major swath of the southeastern United States and caused an estimated 160 deaths.
