Reflections on Katrina and Plans for Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky Executive Presbyter, Rich Cooper, spent six days in South Alabama helping the staff and “fact finding” for Western Kentucky’s future support on behalf of victims of Katrina. Rich worked to find facts on the state of the churches in southern Mississippi and supported the South Alabama Presbytery staff. Both Cooper and the South Alabama staff thought the visit was beneficial for all.

“I just can’t describe the devastation from Katrina and the positive outlook of everyone I spoke with along the coast of Mississippi. The staff of South Alabama is exceptionally generous in contributing their time to coordinate work with the effected churches. The Presbytery of Western Kentucky is fortunate to be in the same Synod with these hard working folks,” said Cooper.

Cooper continued, “With the approval of the Presbytery, Western Kentucky will likely focus on providing support for the area later in the year or early next year. As Katrina is replaced by other concerns or disasters, the Mississippi coast will receive less attention and need continued support. Western Kentucky plans on being part of the long-term response.”

Many churches and individuals are volunteering with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Several have responded in very unique ways to help our brothers and sisters whose lives were horribly disrupted by the Katrina event.

Four ladies, Marcella Davis, Caren Gibson, Linda Knight, and Elizabeth Webb all from the Franklin Presbyterian Church, headed to Gautier, Mississippi with a car loaded with cleaning supplies. They will spend the week helping to clean someone’s home.

Men from Madisonville recently returned home after spending the week of September 11th in D’Iberville, Mississippi. They left Madisonville towing a Bar-be-cue cooker and $10,000.00 in cash that they had collected from the First Presbyterian Church and members of the Madisonville Community. They stopped at a Sam’s Club in Alabama, and bought hamburger and other food to cook for the relief workers. They joined a group from Canada who had already set up two large tents. They fed 500 people for breakfast and 1500 for lunch and dinner each day that they were there. To add a little levity to the situation, they decorated their area to resemble a Caribbean paradise complete with blow-up palm trees and Jimmy Buffet music. “Cheeseburgers in Paradise” became their theme.

Lon Lorton, pastor of the Madisonville Presbyterian Church, reflecting on the mission, stated, “I came away being blessed more than I was a blessing. This was really about God and what He was doing.”