PCUSA report: Katrina gifts exceed $20 million
The Layman Online, February 21, 2006
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance of the Presbyterian Church (USA) raised, as of the end of 2005, more $20,307,003 to help the Gulf Coast victims of Katrina, but had spent only $3.18 million.
Designated Funds Total ReceiptsDisbursements Pastor Support$943,340$840,000Church Rebuilding $643,431 $514,465Hurricane Relief/Recovery $18,720,232 $1,825,445 TOTAL$20,307,003 $3,180,310 The denomination’s latest report on the Katrina fundraising showed high percentages of the contributions designated for pastor support and church rebuilding had been spent. But, of the $18.7 million contributed with the purpose of helping the most people, less than 10 percent had been spent.
The report said the denomination had spent $840,000 to support pastors (89 percent of the $943,340 contributed for that purpose) and $514,465 to rebuild churches (61.2 percent of the $643,431 contributed).
What has been spent in terms of relief and recovery is Presbyterian sweat. Through December, an estimated 2,000 Presbyterian volunteers, many recruited by local congregations and presbyteries, sent work crews to the hardest hit areas in Louisiana and Mississippi to tear out molded sheetrock and clean up. They gave more than 11,000 days of labor, which, at $100 a day, would be valued at $11 million. Those efforts continue.
As of Dec. 31, 2005, the denomination said it had recorded:
- 21,060 contributions from 17,761 unique donors, during the four months period since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005.
- Many congregations made multiple gifts, the most frequent being 55 gifts in the four-month period by one presbytery.
- The smallest gift was $1.50 and the largest gift was $250,000.
- 7, 750 gifts from 4,882 congregations and presbyteries totaled $15,255,847.