"Out of Chaos, Hope" is the slogan for the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) projects in Louisiana and Mississippi. As part of a seven-year commitment, PDA is restoring hope to some of America's poorest families by offering genuine concern and hands-on long-term assistance. The national organization supports six volunteer villages on the ravaged Gulf Coast.
In February, 21 members of Church of the Hills, Presbyterian USA, Evergreen, went to the Good Earth Presbyterian Volunteer Village, about 7miles from the city of Houma, Louisiana, west of New Orleans, to assist with the rebuilding efforts in this devastated rural area. They joined other disaster aid volunteers from Missouri, Washington and Nebraska.
Each PDA village, which is a self-contained community run by the volunteers themselves, can host between 90-120 aid workers at one time. Housing consists of hard corrugated polypropylene tents accommodating two to 10 persons each. These tents are clustered into neighborhoods, an arrangement, along with shared kitchen and dining facilities, that strengthens a sense of community.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept ashore on the Louisiana coast, but it was a second hurricane named Rita that pushed a massive storm surge into the already eroding wetlands and five bayous of Terrebonne Parish. Residents, mostly Houma and Biloxi-Chitimancha Indian, French Cajun, or Black, with limited financial resources, suffered loss of home and livelihood as structures, possessions, and fishing boats were damaged and soaked in six to ten feet of water for as long as three weeks.
PDA works closely with the recovery committees in each community. Bayou Grace, a local response organization, connected the Evergreen volunteers to three local families needing assistance. The current construction projects were installing and covering insulation, handling electrical projects, painting, and doing carpentry repairs. "Each week a new group arrives, gets organized, and accomplishes whatever they can," said Carl Grisshom, work supervisor. "Every bit of progress is appreciated. Everyone contributes something." Volunteers help by stretching any money the residents received through FEMA or insurance. That money can be used for supplies while volunteers provide free labor.
Homeowner, Miss Pauline, a Houma Indian who has lived through several weather related disasters in the bayous, pointed out, "Families don't leave. They have deep roots in the community so they just start over and thank God for any help they receive." "My family can't believe the amount of help I've gotten," said Miss Pauline. One grandson asked Miss Pauline, "Are these people real, Grandma?"
Evergreen trip participant,
Jeanne Gibbard, expressed her feelings this way, "The Church of the Hills mission trip was nothing short of miraculous. Our group, which had never traveled or worked together before, found its way to the bayous of Louisiana to meet and help three families who touched our hearts ... and allowed us to touch theirs" Gibbard added, "This trip was indeed 'life-changing' for many of us and is surely the first of many such trips."
To receive bulletins on the ongoing Presbyterian Disaster Aid efforts, subscribe at
www.pcusa.org/pda. To volunteer for any future Gulf Coast work team or to donate money or materials, contact
Pamela Burdine, Louisville, Kentucky at 888.728.7228, ext. 5839. To view pictures of the Church of the Hills trip, go to
www.churchofthehills.com.
Sharron Leonard is the Outreach Coordinator
at Church of the Hills Presbyterian USA in Evergreen.