Miss Mable had taken to her bed.
Her New Orleans home was badly damaged when Hurricane Katrina struck in the late summer of 2005. Then, unscrupulous contractors stole her funds to repair the house.
The psychological weight of living through today’s challenges, from COVID-19 to racial oppression, was acknowledged during a panel discussion hosted by the Presbyterian Mental Health Network.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Presbyterians researched their church histories in hopes of discovering how congregations responded to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Some were dismayed, though, to find that there was little to no mention of the flu in session minutes. Trinity Presbyterian Church, however, is making sure history doesn’t forget its response to the current pandemic. The Valdosta, Georgia, congregation has created a photobook called “Porch Pictures.”
It’s been a year since a trio of hurricanes wreaked havoc on Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, leaving a path of destruction, major power outages and many people without homes. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in quick succession, pummeled their targets over several days late last summer.
More than a dozen wildfires have been burning across Colorado and parts of Utah and California in recent weeks, leaving a path of destruction that includes nearly 300 homes and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that firefighters appear to have gained the upper hand in most of the fires.
Strong hurricanes, record flooding and massive wildfires have taken their toll on volunteer groups aiding in clean up and recovery. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance says that groups have been working hard in recent years to help communities rebuild, but the continuous string of powerful hurricanes and other natural disasters are making it harder to find enough people to meet the need.
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.”
As the 2017 hurricane season draws to a close, the bulk of the work for this year’s storm season is just beginning for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. To help in that effort, PDA has hired David L. Myers as senior advisor for PDA’s 2017 hurricane recovery.
After changing its annual meeting location from Houston to Chicago due to the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, members of the Cuba Partners Network found themselves listening to reports from their Cuban friends recounting Hurricane Irma’s slow, spinning assault on their beloved Cuba on Sept. 8.
