News from the Executive Presbyter/Stated ClerkMISSISSIPPI TORNADOES
Living in Florida, I find I must remind myself of what is going on in the rest of the country, weather-wise. For instance, my four brothers all live in the northeast, except for one who divides his time between Boston and Albuquerque. I note when they mention the most recent winter storm they experienced, which for me is but a distant memory. My usual joke is that we also had a hard winter in Florida – both days were rather cold and gray. Then an event happens like occurred in Mississippi and other locations last Friday night. It seems on the run-up to Easter every year severe weather like this happens. The tornadoes were strong, and at least one stayed organized for an hour. In the aftermath of the storm, I received some inquiries as to whether I knew of any churches in the presbytery or in Florida that were organizing a response to these storms, like donations of clothing and household items. I am not aware of any specific efforts being organized. A good place to start for information on a response to any disaster is to check what Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is doing, https://pda.pcusa.org/. At this point, nothing has been posted about the response to these tornadoes, but I expect information – stories and bulletin inserts -- will appear as the week goes on. It is good to remember that PDA is able to respond in these disasters in large part due to the One Great Hour of Sharing special offering received during the Lenten-Easter season. Around one-third of the offering supports PDA’s ministry. Another resource connected with PDA is the Florida Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Network (FLAPDAN; flapdan.org). While the recent storms happened outside of FLAPDAN’s area, Kathy Broyard often is able to comment on what is happening in terms of a response, and may have information about opportunities to assist. Usually, at the outset of an emergency such as this one, there is not an immediate need for donations of clothing and other materials, as the networks to respond to the unfolding disaster have not been fully established. The focus now is on sheltering and protecting the lives of those affected. Soon enough, the focus will shift to recovery. Another place to investigate for possible support is Church World Service, to see whether they need donations of Clean-Up Buckets and blankets. Churches assemble these buckets according to the directions on the CWS web site (https://cwskits.org/), and deliver them to the nearest CWS warehouse. These buckets get distributed to those in need in affected areas. CWS always needs a flow of donations to replace the kits that are distributed in response to a disaster. As we hear of any response being made to help the folks in Mississippi, we shall surely pass it along. For now, keep checking the PDA web site for the denomination’s response, and don’t forget the importance of the One Great Hour of Sharing special offering! Dan Williams Executive Presbyter / Stated Clerk |
APRIL 2023
Rev. Dr. Dan Williams
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