rev. jim kirk Archives

Fifteen years after Katrina, many volunteers have made disaster response their lives

Posted October 14th, 2020

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.

What can we do about disasters? Fight climate change

Posted October 13th, 2020

For the last few months, the Rev. Jim Kirk has been managing Presbyterian Disaster Assistance’s (PDA) response to situations across the country.

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.

PDA helps California presbytery navigate wildfire response

Posted September 9th, 2020

Whenever a disaster strikes, the Rev. Erica Rader does three things: she gives to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), she gives to a food bank in the impacted area, and she prays. Now she is finding out what those gifts to PDA are supporting.

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.

Responding to the trauma of gun violence

Posted May 29th, 2020

The Rev. CeCe Armstrong had barely arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015, when a white supremacist opened fire on a Bible study class at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, killing nine people.

Coalition pushes for farmworker protections against COVID-19

Posted April 27th, 2020

The way some advocates see it, farmworkers in Immokalee are up against an invisible clock, counting down to the day when the coronavirus could take off like wildfire in their South Florida community.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance approves more than $1.1 million in COVID-19 grants

Posted April 21st, 2020

In less than a month, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has granted 208 requests for assistance in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic for a total of $1,119,688 in grants.

PDA ready to make COVID-19 grants thanks to One Great Hour of Sharing

Posted March 26th, 2020

For decades, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has stood ready to respond to domestic and international disasters — even a crisis on the monumental scale of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How does PDA respond to a disaster during a pandemic?

Posted March 25th, 2020

Somewhat submerged in the barrage of headlines about COVID-19 is news that Mother Nature is still doing her thing.