From: Jim Williams [mailto:JWilliams@thepresbytery.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 6:05 PM
Subject: URGENT NEED from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Dear Friends in Christ,

This afternoon, we received the message from PDA which follows my signature block about additional and critical ways in which we can help support relief efforts in the wake of this week's Tsunami. It also provides to worship resources for our use.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and our sister churches throughout the world under the auspices of Church World Service are mounting an aid effort like nothing we have seen before. This is straining every resource and outlet, so our active participation is critical. If there should be another disaster in the immediate future, there will be precious little to offer unless we help meet the immediate need while at the same time replenishing supplies. The primary CWS warehouse is in New Windsor, MD, so it is easily accessible should we want to transport items there.

To see precisely how our support is needed and being used, go to www.pcusa.org/pda.

Checks for the relief effort may be written to National Capital Presbytery, 8401 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 805, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (put DR000167 in memo line).

You may contribute using a credit card by going to www.thepresbytery.org and clicking on the Tsunami Relief link. It is gratifying to see so many of you taking advantage of the presbytery's secure web site to make you contributions.

Your support of PDA and CWS in times such as these makes God's love real in ways and to people we'd never expected or even thought possible. So, to those of you who have already taken action, "Thank you." To those considering which course of action to take, "Thank you for being open to the moving of God's Spirit."

We will endeavor to keep you as up to date as possible about needs and opportunities.

Please keep those so far away who are facing unbelievable loss and those who are caring for them in your thoughts and prayers.

Shalom.

Jim Williams
Director of Communication and Resourcing National Capital Presbytery www.thepresbytery.org


-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Ryan [mailto:sryan@ctr.pcusa.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 3:00 PM
To: office@carlislepby.org; roger@donegalpby.com; shenpres@shenpres.org; ncp@thepresbytery.org
Subject: URGENT NEED from PDA

This morning I ws part of an ecumenical conference call around the disaster response for Asia. We heard from Church World Service that they are receiving requests from partners specifically for their health kits as well as the IMA medicine boxes. 40,000 health kits have been shipped to Indonesia, and another 50,000 will be sent to Sri Lanka.
That will leave the warehouse empty!

PDA's experience has been that the health kit, simple as it may be, can be the difference between disease and health. A good bar of soap prevents many hand born diseases.

All of your presbyteries are within driving distance of the warehouse in Baltimore. At a time when churches and groups are looking for hands on projects and to collect things, we have a real need to be met.

Can you promote the assembling of health kits for this emergency? The need is now and urgent. They must be shipped soon.

Thank you so much for your support. Updates, a bulletin insert, a hymn, and other information is all available on the PDA web site www.pcusa.org/pda.

Distribution list:
Shenandoah
Carlisle
Donegal
Baltimore
National Capital
New Castle
Huntingdon

Susan Ryan
Coordinator
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, KY 40202-1396
Tel: 888-728-7228 ext. 5840
Fax: 502-569-5704