National Mission

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

First Presbyterian Church has mobilized teams of volunteers to go to communities in need throughout the United States in times of natural disasters. We have rebuilt homes, religious institutions, and spiritual relationships for people in need. Yes, we love to build.

Members from our church have a long history of piling into cars and caravanning south to help rebuild disaster areas. These are some of the places and disasters we have responded to.

Hurricane Katrina - New Orleans and Alabama - 7 trips

Hurricane Matthew - Columbia, South Carolina - 3 trips

Economic Disaster relief - Mission, Texas

Hurricane - Houston, Texas 

Hurricane - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Hurricanes Matthew and Florence - New Bern, North Carolina

Hurricane Ian - Fort Myers, Florida

Report on a Recent Mission Trip to New Bern, NC - Jan. 2023

On a gray Rochester day in early January our mission team set out for a weeklong trip to New Bern, NC to help hurricane disaster victims recover from past storms. Our team included Dan Harrison, Janette Henderson, Craig and Calypso Kunkle, Adam Petersen, Carol Anne Strawbridge, Steve and Sally Christensen (Gates Presbyterian) and Nick Tangney (Dan’s nephew).

New Bern is located near the coast in eastern NC where the Neuse River and its tributaries meet the sea. The land is very low lying and easily floods with the storm surges from the biennial hurricanes which pass through this area. We learned that much of the low-lying, unproductive land in this region was given as reparation to freed slaves after the civil war. Breaking the cycle of poverty in this area is an ongoing challenge.

Our work was coordinated by Craven County Disaster Recovery Alliance (CCDRA) (https://cravendra.org) an organization dedicated to long-term disaster relief in this coastal area. “CCDRA’s vision is to  continue assisting those still affected from Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence with long-term recovery and unmet needs assistance; and to be an ongoing resource for all future disasters that will happen again in Craven Country.” With a backlog of 400 families needing assistance, CCDRA’s mission is expected to go on for years to come.

Our accommodations for the mission trip were hosted by Neuse Forest Presbyterian Church and their Volunteer village (previously their education building) consisting of 9 bunk rooms, showers, bathrooms, laundry facilities, a lounge and use of one of their 2 kitchens. It reminded me of the book many of us read on the Neighborhood Church - partnerships with local organizations to extend the impact of the church into the community. On Sunday, we worshiped and ate lunch at the church. A big surprise for us all was that the Pastor, Rev. John A. Robinson, Jr., had preached at our Church shortly after the fire as a part of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance’s response to our disaster. That sermon inspired some members of our church to partner with PDA on mission work. 

Our work focused on 4 different locations. CCDRA tries to repurpose building materials of all kinds – our first day was spent removing a whole medical clinic full of cabinets, counters, and sinks that will be put to use in homes and facilities where those items were damaged beyond repair. The rest of the week focused on work in 3 homes.

Miss Barbara’s home was flooded during Hurricane Florence, when water 6 feet deep washed through her street. Most of the repair work on her home was done, but we were able to complete some painting and electrical work. She is an elderly veteran, wheelchair bound with multiple health problems, yet striving to maintain a home for herself, her chronically ill daughter, and grandson. We met Miss Mary, whose home received roof damage during the storm in 2018. She had taken out a loan and paid a contractor to repair the roof, but she became the victim of contractor fraud – the work was never done, and her entire home filled with black mold, was condemned and torn down. Through the efforts of CCDRA and other agencies, Miss Mary now has a safe, brand new home on the site of her old house. We were able to help her assemble some furniture, but most of our time with Miss Mary was spent listening to her, enjoying each other’s company and her beautiful, optimistic outlook on life.

Mr. Eddy is Miss Mary’s next-door neighbor. His trailer home was damaged in 2018, and he qualified for disaster assistance. The trailer then burned down, and he no longer qualified for help. He accepted the offer of an old, dilapidated trailer and had it moved to the site of the burned-out one. CCDRA became aware of Mr. Eddy’s situation when he asked if there were any plywood scraps at Miss Mary’s building site that he could use to cover the holes in his floor. Other CCDRA volunteer groups already rebuilt and insulated part of the trailer floor, but there was still much to be done. In 4 days, our team ripped out and rebuilt the rest of the floor – new framing, insulation, subfloor, and vinyl plank flooring. The plumbing was redone so that the tub, sinks and washer no longer run from the trailer directly onto the ground. All of the electrical outlets are now functioning. Everything in Mr. Eddy’s home, including the trailer itself, have been given to him by neighbors and friends and he is currently undergoing daily chemotherapy, yet he has taken in his developmentally challenged cousin and given her a home. His sense of humor kept us all in good spirits as we worked! The transformation of Mr. Eddy’s cousin over the course of the week was inspiring. At first we were just a disruption to her normal routine. By the end of the week she was pitching in and helping, sharing smiles and hugs with the group and referring to us as family.

On a bright and sunny day, we departed New Bern with smiles on our faces and a deep, satisfying warmth in our hearts. It is so inspiring to meet people who have been through so much yet maintain their faith and optimism that life is good. “Go where God sends you, do what he wants you to do” – words to live by.  While our mission work was outwardly focused on “fixing and rebuilding” people’s homes, the overarching purpose is to help restore people’s lives. By engaging in neighborly love for one another, we are all moved. The folks we help feel loved and cared for and in the process, we are changed and touched by the love we receive back. All of us grow through the experience of Mission by being God’s hands and hearts in our world

A Recent Mission Trip to Fort Myers, Florida - Jan. 2023

Although Hurricane Ian struck Florida in the fall of 2022 many people suffered severe damage and are still recovering. Some of those people won’t have power until 2024. Click HERE to see a video of the trip.

Youth Mission Trips

Early in our Christian Education programs, our youth learn the value of mission. They conduct fundraising events and participate on mission and work trips outside our community and state.