Recovery efforts are ongoing in both Tuscaloosa and the Birmingham area. For information about Tuscaloosa Tornado Recovery, go to First Presbyterian Church-Tuscaloosa's website. For information about recovery efforts in the Birmingham area, the presbytery is a part of the Disaster Relief Coalition - see below.

Click here for "Gift Registry."  Click here for "Volunteer Meal Sign-up."

The Disaster Relief Coalition is a coalition of community members, faith-based groups, and supporters of recovery for the Pratt City area (B'ham).

DRC Report

Key outcomes of the two evening meetings at Daniel Payne Middle School and the Aug. 2 meeting at 1st United Pres. Forestdale :

• At the first meeting interested persons from the area and churches were identified

• At the second meeting, those attending formed four subcommittees shown below with

specific tasks in these areas – Immediate Needs, After-School, Host Site, Long-term Housing.

• On August 2, at its third meeting, update on Immediate Needs was reported; people identified to that group should be encouraged to contact 211; After School program planning for Daniel Payne Middle and South Hampton is progressing; Host Site committee had two representatives attend training in Louisville, KY; First United Pres. Forestdale volunteered and is being evaluated as a site to host incoming volunteer mission teams. See below for more details. Click for downloadable report-aug2011.   UPDATE: Click for downloadable report-sept2011. 

Next meeting: TBA

At the July DRC meeting churches present were each assigned 5-6 families on Scott Center list. Churches which took these names should ask each family to contact Peaches Brown at Scott Center to expedite their registration in the United Way 211(Call 211) System. Some of the cases are being handled directly at Scott Center now. [211 system certifies the family’s needs and insures that responses are not duplicated.] Churches are asked to follow up with their assigned families to be sure needs are being addressed. Southminster Presbyterian hosted a "Christmas in July" for their families.

Contact person:

Lu Mahon – 879-4157

Email

Next meeting: TBA

Purpose: to provide a place for out of town volunteer Teams to be housed while providing assistance for tornado recovery and to connect them with work to be done.

Volunteer opportunities:

 

Contact persons:

Mark Hopkins – 790-6499

E-mail

 

Cassandra Carter- 566-5883

E-mail

News regarding Pratt City rebuild - A meeting was held Aug. 8 involving the Mayor, American Institute of Architects (AIA), and FEMA to hear from residents, etc about desires for the long-term rebuild vision. National AIA spent two days early in September on the ground with community leaders and the Mayor’s office gathering information. A steering committee has been formed. Pastor of Mt. Moriah Church, Pratt City, is on the Steering Committee of this process.

Watch for public meeting dates.

Contact person:

Kwani Dickerson (point person for progress on this aspect of the recovery)

Mayor's Office

E-mail

 

AIA Birmingham

Rhea Williams, Exec. Director

322-4386

--See your place to get involved? You are needed to make Pratt City Better Than Ever!

Contact:

Rev. James Ephraim, First United Presbyterian Church Forestdale (1stUPCF)

798-5571 or 798-5882

E-mail