PCUSA disaster relief group approves seven-year plan for spending contributions By John H. Adams The Layman Online Friday, April 7, 2006 Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has decided to parcel out over a seven-year period the $14.4 million remaining from a record-setting burst of generosity by Presbyterians despite some complaints by hurricane victims in the Gulf Coast states that the denomination has been slow to respond to their needs. The decision to adopt a seven-year plan was made during a recent meeting of PDA's advisory board. The denomination raised $23 million in response to hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. About 70 percent of the contributions were made within 90 days after the storms. Donors were not informed that the distribution of their gifts would be extended over a seven-year period. Through February, the PDA said its expenditures were $4.5 million, with another $4 million designated for pastoral support and church rebuilding. The report did not say how much of the money for pastoral support and church rebuilding had been spent. Several Presbyterians in the Gulf Coast region – particularly in Mississippi – have contacted The Layman Online to complain that their churches and people have been slow to receive assistance. According to some reports, individual congregations in the denomination have contributed more to the Mississippi needs than PDA. Mississippians also complain about the denomination's red tape in meeting requirements for assistance from PDA. One church member said the PDA required that the congregation provide a list of its contributors before it would be eligible for assistance. The complaints were made by Presbyterians who asked that their names not be used because they feared that their churches might not benefit from future PDA distributions. In a news release, the PDA acknowledged that this is the "first time PDA has identified needs beyond the typical two-to-three years allocated for domestic disasters." "The area of need is larger than Great Britain," said PDA coordinator Susan Ryan. "We don't have a U.S. model for a response of this size and complexity. But based on our analysis of the need and our experiences over the last decade, the volume of work ahead will require at least seven more years of repair, rebuilding and interpersonal services." In response to questions and criticisms about the slow distribution of funds, the PDA has posted on its Web site a list of "frequently asked questions" about relief efforts using contributions for Katrina victims, as well as later hurricanes, Rita and Wilma. The first question is, "Is there a reason that only $4 million of the $20 million received has been expended?" PDA answered: "Yes. The donation-to-expense timetable is purposely front-loaded to prevent PDA's long-term response from falling short as media headlines about the disaster fade. PDA funds follow and do not replace governmental funds that are available in the early days of the disaster." In response to another question, the PDA said its seven-year plan, through the year 2013, "is focused on the maintenance of an expansive network of villages and church host sites for volunteers, as there is no available housing in the area and the needs for able-bodied workers in the recovery is enormous." It added, "A volunteer village costs about $8,500 a month to operate and sustain."

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