Fountain City and The Blister Sisters
I plan to air a number of observations about the operation of PDA in the Gulf with the idea I earlier described, to ask what should PDA look like as a disaster relief agency to build an improved schema? I also point out that it is very easy to see and criticize flaws after the fact. The existence of, and search for flaws only represents an opportunity to improve - not the shortcomings of any one person. What PDA accomplished, good and bad, reflects the tireless efforts of the early implementers who stepped into the fray when a helping hand was truly needed. I am after "continuous quality improvement."
The following blog entries will be a stream of conscience review of PDA in the Gulf, specifically for Katrina/2005 hurricane relief.
One of the more remarkable consequences of my working with volunteers coming to the Gulf to work with people with damaged homes was the result of a trip by a staff group not associated with PDA.
I knew next to nothing about PDA in 2006 but was well aware of the challenge to the people in the Gulf hit by Katrina. (Read the "Down In Mississippi stories at the bottom of the blog page). I heard via my Presbytery communications about several relief groups going down to the Gulf area in the year after Katrina. I would get a general printed release in our church bulletin describing three or four groups going down. I never heard a word via any in-person communication to our church about exact what PDA was or was doing, except the story by our pastor of his experience.
When I decided to go down to the Gulf to help I linked up with a group from a congregation in the Knoxville area. It tuns out that was the best thing I've ever done.
What was remarkable was the fact these folks had been going down to the Gulf every three months since a couple weeks after Katrina hit, yet they had never been involved directly with PDA. In fact, they tended to avoid the local PDA villages due to some negative interactions.
This group was quite successful in developing relationships with local people through the Pearlington Recovery Center who provided living arrangements and helped identify and schedule work. For three years this worked smoothly.
They are a highly skilled group and found a niche primarily doing drywall. The have invested in tools, other allied equipment and a trailer. They bring down groups of 10 to 20 each time. In all respects they represent an ideal image of Christians providing help for people in need.
I began traveling to the Gulf with them and made about six trips over 18 months. On one of the trips I recruited some members of my own church in Chattanooga. They had less than a positive experience for a number or regrettable reasons.
But rather than just throw up their hands, the women of the group returned to Chattanooga at the end of the trip and energized an informal group of women who were helping people in need around Chattanooga. The group comprised mostly of women (and a man or two) from our church called themselves, "The Blister Sisters."
What is the message PDA might learn from these two groups?
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