wfn.org | Presbyterians help tornado victims

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Note #6318 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

20-December-2000
00463

Presbyterians help tornado victims

Saturday windstorm in Alabama killed 12, destroyed thousands of homes

by John Filiatreau

	In the wake of a Dec. 16 tornado that killed 12 people and damaged or
destroyed thousands of homes in and around Tuscaloosa, AL, Presbyterian
Disaster Assistance (PDA) has dispatched $10,000 in emergency aid from the
One Great Hour of Sharing offering to the Presbytery of Sheppards and
Lapsley.

	The tornado, with wind speeds up to 200 mph, left 12 miles of devastation
in its wake as it roared through Tuscaloosa on a Saturday afternoon. Since
then, relief efforts have been hampered by plummeting temperatures and
widespread power outages. James Lee Witt, director of the federal Emergency
Management Agency, visited the area Wednesday. An official federal disaster
declaration was expected before the weekend

	None of the Presbyterian church buildings in the area was seriously
damaged.

	The Rev. Mary Newbern-Williams, associate executive presbyter for outreach,
said 10 Presbyterians have been appointed to a task force that will help
assess the damage and look for ways to help families affected by the
tornado. The task force, which met on Dec. 19 with representatives of other
churches, community activists and Red Cross officials, is co-chaired by the
Rev. Sam Haun, pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church; his wife, Ann, an
elder at the same church; and Dr. Charles Nash, an elder at Brown Memorial
Presbyterian Church.

	Newbern-Williams, who survived "two tough earthquakes" when she lived in
California, said the tornado damaged caused her to experience "flashbacks of
California" and left "a lot of people feeling pretty scared."

	"People are seriously traumatized by natural disasters of this kind," she
said, "and I know it takes a lot of time for people to work through that.
The community has really come together to help one another -- especially to
help the residents of a certain trailer park, who now have no place to live.
.. We're trying to help restore some of the peace that was shattered by
this event.

	"I have spoken with just about all the (Presbyterian) pastors in
Tuscaloosa," Newbern-Williams said. "They and their churches came through
intact. The pastors are all out working now. Our volunteer crews are helping
to clean up debris, and also doing some planning for the next phase, which
will be rebuilding, through Habitat and other programs."

	Newbern-Williams said the presbytery had received nearly $5,000 in private
contributions by Dec. 20.

	People who want to make contributions should mark their checks "For
Tuscaloosa Tornado Assistance," and send them to the Presbytery of Sheppards
and Lapsley, 3603 Loma Ridge Drive, Birmingham, AL 35216. Contributions also
may be made through local congregations, or directly to PDA's national
disaster-assisted account, numbered 9-2000015; those checks should be
payable to the PC(USA).

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