PC(USA) - Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)


	PDA National Volunteers National Response Team, April 2009. Photo by Beth Snyder, PDA Trainers \| National Response Team \| PDA National Volunteers

	Trainers PDA is seeking 10 to 12 persons to act as regional trainers (within a six-synod area) to serve an initial four-year term. Trainers will be asked to provide a minimum of three two-day trainings per year to Synod and Presbytery Disaster Response Teams covering topics including basic disaster response, long term recovery, self-care for leaders, volunteer management and spiritual care in disaster. Applicants should have: excellent communication skills, experience in training in the church or other non-profit environments, knowledge and experience in disaster response. Candidates will be required to present two references and an endorsement of their Session (for elders) or Presbytery (for ordained clergy).


	National Response Team PDA National Response Team members are the first PDA representatives in the field following a national disaster. They provide support to presbyteries and synods as they assess the impact of the disaster on both the church and the community, and they assist in connecting presbyteries to recovery resources. A three-year appointment requires a minimum availability of four weeks per year — two weeks for field work, one week of disaster training, and one week for the annual NRT meeting. Typically, response will be required within 72 hours of a nationally declared disaster. Applicants should have excellent communications skills, demonstrated ability to work under stress, experience in disaster response, organizational skills and experience in conflict management.


	PDA National Volunteers PDA is continuously seeking those with experience in long-term recovery, volunteer management and disaster recovery organizing. These persons are not part of the National Response Team and therefore do not commit themselves to the same level of involvement. However, the National Volunteers do make themselves available for specific tasks during the relief and recovery period following a disaster. PDA National Volunteers with specific disaster-related expertise may be asked to represent PDA at meetings in their area of expertise. For those with difficulty giving extended time to response, or who already have a heavy schedule, this provides an important way to be involved with PDA national response efforts.


	Apply to serve with PDA Application and appraisal forms are available in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat formats. Microsoft Word documents can be downloaded, completed on your computer, and emailed to pda@pcusa.org. PDA Application - Word Appraisal Form (print three copies) Adobe Acrobat (pdf) documents can be downloaded and completed by hand; the document can then be scanned and emailed, mailed, or faxed to PDA. PDA Application Appraisal Form (print three copies) For more information on becoming part of the PDA Volunteer network, contact John Robinson.


	- Files marked with this icon can be downloaded in printable Adobe Acrobat format. This file requires the free Acrobat Reader. For best results, right-click the link (or click and hold for Macintosh), select " save target as" and save the document to your desktop for viewing and printing.



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