national response team Archives

A Matthew 25-inspired Stations of the Cross

Posted March 31st, 2021

For the Rev. Jeanie Shaw, leader of Eventide Community, a new worshiping community in Sacramento, California, Holy Week has a whole new meaning this year. As an active member of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance National Response Team, people in her community are used to being sent into neighborhoods across the nation and around the world to work on PDA-connected projects.

West Virginia vaccination effort seeks volunteers

Posted February 25th, 2021

Forrest Palmer said a prayer as he received his initial dose of COVID-19 vaccine last month in the state of West Virginia. The prayer emanated from a place of gratitude, not of fear.

COVID-19 delayed her disaster ministry. Then a disaster came to her

Posted September 11th, 2020

The Rev. Kristin Hutson’s road to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance’s (PDA) National Response Team started as a college chaplain.

Pennsylvania’s Nottingham Presbyterian Church hosts 11th annual Back-to-School Fair

Posted August 24th, 2020

The last Saturday before school starts has come to be known as Back-to-School Fair day for Nottingham Presbyterian Church in Nottingham, Pennsylvania. This year the tradition continues with the 11th annual event set to provide 850 to 900 elementary through high school students in the Greater Oxford Area with grade-specific essentials, allowing financially disadvantaged students to begin the year on an even playing field with their peers.

Iowa storm hasn’t made headlines, but PDA is there

Posted August 19th, 2020

The storm took 14 million acres or 40% of Iowa farmland, plus numerous barns, silos, and other structures. In Cedar Rapids, more than 1,000 homes have been declared uninhabitable, and most buildings have sustained some damage. People displaced wait in tents for help, while across the state, power and other utilities are still out.

Busy Atlantic storm season impacts Texas and beyond

Posted July 30th, 2020

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is monitoring the fallout from Hurricane Hanna in Texas and keeping tabs on tropical storm Isaias, which is forecasted to reach Florida by this weekend.

In times of need, local volunteers step up

Posted July 20th, 2020

When tornadoes tore through South Carolina, church members quickly mobilized and launched a massive community cleanup effort.

Going back to school during crisis

Posted July 1st, 2020

It’s almost time to go back to school, to campus, to a new normal. What can leaders of youth and collegiate ministries do to prepare for success in the midst of COVID-19?

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance suspends volunteer trips

Posted March 16th, 2020

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has made the difficult decision to call for the closure of volunteer host sites and cancel volunteer trips through June.

A new volunteer venture

Posted February 25th, 2020

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has worked in long-term recovery efforts following disasters for years. This includes scheduling volunteer work teams at recovery host sites who clean, rebuild or repair homes years after a disaster. In the past two years, PDA has scheduled 16,516 volunteers from 468 different churches, universities and organizations to stay at one of our many host sites.