Katrina Recovery Updates

Since recovery from hurricane Katrina is going to be a long process, this page will collect our various reports. Check back periodically for the latest.

Updates will be posted blog-style, with most recent at the top.

Thank you for responding with continuing compassion and prayer for those in need.

7/23/06:

NV: Mission News: Katrina's Mississippi in June and After Katrina

Note: Baltimore Presbytery is organizing a group to go the week of October 15th-21st. If you would like to participate, please contact the Presbytery Coordinator, Pete Berlowitz.

3/06 Updates

Andrew Brooks sent a batch of photos from the Katrina relief work.

NV: Mission News: Ongoing Katrina Rescue

12/18/05: Service to the Gulf Coast

A team from Central will go to Mississippi on January 7th. The general scope of the work to be done is removing trees, debris, damaged parts of homes and rebuilding houses and town buildings. If you have the desire to go, please contact Andrew Brooks, or Phyllis DeSmit (missions@centralpc.org).

Donations of the following much needed items would be welcomed. They include sheets, blankets, towels, new warm work clothes, jeans, and sweats, disposable diapers, underwear, canned food, Ensure, dry milk, vitamins, pots, pans, and cleaning products. Please bring the donations to church, marked Katrina Relief. Monetary donations are welcomed as well. Please place Central Katrina Relief Fund on the memo line.

See also NV: Ministering in the Gulf.

11/6/05: Service Opportunities to The Gulf Coast

The need remains to help rebuild homes, churches and towns on the Gulf Coast. World Relief, an organization working with churches, has steered us to Meadow Brook Church in Jackson, Mississippi (www.meadowbrook.org).

A team from Meadow Brook has determined to rebuild the town of Delisle, Mississippi (30 miles southwest of Gulfport, Mississippi). Lodging, i.e. tents and later homes, meals, work orders and materials will be furnished. The general scope of the work to be done is removing trees, debris, damaged parts of homes and rebuilding houses and town buildings.

The possible team dates are the weeks of December 5, 2005 and January 9, 2006. The trip could be longer.

Travel will be by van and will take 2 days each way. If you have the desire to go and help rebuild, please contact Andrew Brooks, or Phyllis DeSmit (missions@centralpc.org).

These two trips are for adults due to the current conditions of the work and the potential for disease. The expected cost is $200 per person for the transportation and meals on the road.

In addition, First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge has work relief teams going into the New Orleans area. Their requirements for help are ongoing. A new position of Hurricane Relief Coordinator has been established at the church. Details of plans and needs will follow in a later News & Views. The need is great and our response will be life changing.

10/9/05:

NV: News From First Presbyterian in Baton Rouge

10/2/05: September Contributions for Katrina Relief

Baton Rouge	$20,523.33
Presbyterian Disaster	$1,375.00
Katrina Undesignated	$2,250.00
World Relief	$2,290.00
Total:	$26,438.33

10/2/05: Work Team to Mississippi

A relief-building team from Central and Seventh Baptist departed BWI on Thursday, September 29th, to travel to Liberty, Mississippi. Our mission is to repair two houses damaged by fallen trees for two widowed missionary ladies. These two homes have necessary utilities - water, power, etc.

There will be plans for other mission teams in the near future. If you are interested in mission work in the Gulf Coast for a week or longer, please respond to the Church Office. Please indicate skills, availability and other information that would be helpful in assembling our next team.

Your continued prayers are requested for the families in the devastated Gulf Coast areas, the work crews, military and local forces, relief agency workers, as well as our team.

9/11/05: Katrina Update from Baton Rouge

By Rev. John Schmidt

Two weeks ago hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana Gulf Coast, and many of you are asking, "How can we help?" One of the ways Central Presbyterian Church has decided to help is by partnering with First Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge. Let me share a little from their Senior Pastor, Gerrit Dawson:

"Chaos is starting to settle a bit. Normalcy is rising. We're actually busier than ever, but it's just that this marvelous staff seems to have hit their stride, and our members are connecting to meet the needs. We're finding our niches and trying to fill them with love. About 125 people slept at the church a few days back. Entergy (local power company) workers filled the gym, and members of Mobile Loaves and Fishes were in the In [like our Loft]. Our niche seems now to be housing relief workers. Some 15 federal marshals will be basing out of our church as they assist in the delivery of pharmaceuticals to New Orleans.

Two young Presbyterian women, one a youth director from Washington, DC and the other a college admissions staffer from Missouri have arrived in town just to give their lives to relief work. They've already been a huge help in working with the youth to organize the In, and move out the donations that come in.

Yesterday, our youth (yes OUR youth!) cleaned all the bathrooms and scrubbed the floors to keep our Presbyterian Hilton clean and hospitable. Tee, our pastoral intern, will be taking a turn offering pastoral care to relief workers over at the River Center. The 170 blankets made by the young adults were snapped up so quickly that they're going to make some more Thursday night. Now the Presbyterian Women are getting organized to do the nitty-gritty vital work of providing food and laundry for our guests. The good news: no one is bored!"

Last week, Central church members gave over $8000 to various channels of the relief effort. At your request, over $5000 will be going to First Presbyterian to assist them, as they assist others. How else can we be of service? First, be sure to continue to pray. Second, we have placed our church on a "Family Adoption" list being coordinated by Baltimore County churches and social service agencies. In addition, families who are interested in housing evacuees can contact the Red Cross directly; however, be aware that these housing needs can extend to be more than a year. Habitat for Humanity is also assembling a volunteer list for work on the Gulf Coast at 410-366-1250.

As the city becomes more accessible, our contacts in New Orleans may suggest new ways for us to serve in the near future.

9/11/05: Katrina Relief Efforts

In the wake of Katrina, a number of relief organizations are accepting donations. At this time, financial gifts are more useful than goods or clothing. If you wish to make a donation to relief efforts, the following organizations are suggested.

• The Schmidt's former church (First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge) is using funds for vouchers for food, gas and clothing.
• Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is establishing an office in Baton Rouge.
• World Relief will work with participating churches to provide assistance on the basis of need.

If you are writing a check to Central, please use the memo line to designate one of the above. If there is no designation, the amount will automatically go into the General Fund.

Thank you for responding with compassion and prayer for those in need.

From the webmaster:

• "Be sure to investigate any organization thoroughly before donating, he added. That can be as simple as going to a website such as Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org) or the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (www.give.org), both of which provide information about charities' fundraising, programs and expenses." -- Trent Stamp, executive director of Charity Navigator
• Be Wary of Scam Artists After a Disaster Strikes: Fake charities and business opportunities abound in the wake of a tragedy.
• FBI warns of fake sites for charities
• Some pursue profit, mischief amid disaster