TO:                     Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery Churches

SUBJECT:        Disaster Relief

FROM:              Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery Council

DATE:               September 1, 2005

Hurricane Katrina has left devastating disaster in her wake.  Over half of the churches in South Louisiana Presbytery are gone!  Some of the pastors and members of those churches have also lost their homes and belongings.  There will be no job to go back to for many of them.  Income expected by the South Louisiana Presbytery will not be coming in. 

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has already sent $500,000 of undesignated funds and One Great Hour of Sharing Gifts to respond to the needs of disaster survivors and to support the deployment of members of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Team to help presbyteries, congregations and communities organize their response to Hurricane Katrina. 

The Council of Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery has decided to change the designation of the offering at the September Stated Meeting to disaster relief for victims of Katrina.  Half of the offering will go to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and half to South Louisiana Presbytery for individuals with needs. 

The Council of Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery is encouraging churches in the Presbytery to take a special offering for disaster relief.  Proceeds from that offering should be sent to Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery and will be divided the same way. 

This memorandum will be posted on our web site with links to donation opportunities at the Synod of the Sun and at Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).