Central Indiana flooding draws neighborly response from PC(USA)
Fellow Hoosiers and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance are assisting with recovery
LOUISVILLE — In the wake of severe flooding last month in central Indiana, Whitewater Valley Presbytery, local congregations and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance have lived into the phrase, “It's not about our buildings; it's about our neighbors.”
Storms came through Aug. 11-17, dumping torrential rain in that part of the state, and northwest Indiana (which is outside Whitewater Valley Presbytery) experienced widespread wind damage. At least eight people were killed and more than 950 structures received major damage in the Indiana storms, which also included tornadoes.
Multiple rounds of thunderstorms with heavy rain resulted in some areas receiving more than a foot of rainfall, and “the White River rose to levels not seen since 1913, with some locations setting new records,” according to the National Weather Service.
Though Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) buildings were spared from the central Indiana flooding, Presbyterians have pitched in to help community members with recovery in multiple ways.
“We continue to say in this presbytery that it's not about our buildings; it's about our neighbors,” said the Rev. Dr. Erin McGee, lead presbyter for Whitewater Valley Presbytery. “Every church who is part of the response in their community is … trying to be good stewards and good neighbors.”
From small churches, such as First Presbyterian Church of Lewisville, to bigger ones in Indianapolis, congregations stepped up, using pre-existing connections and making new ones.
“Whitewater Valley Presbytery churches have put together hygiene kits, cleanup kits and school kits,” McGee said. “Congregations have also responded to needs through local partners or response groups like the Red Cross.”
From the beginning, the congregations have been “looking to the particular needs in their community and seeing what they can do to help,” she added.
The Rev. Kelley Jepsen, pastor of John Knox Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, said, “I think people were eager to act because it felt so close to home. You feel so helpless when you watch your neighbors go through such tragedy, losing everything. And so putting together the buckets felt like a small act of hope.”
And people responded quickly. “I gave folks about 36 hours’ notice we would be assembling buckets,” Jepsen said. “I figured I’d probably have to go out and buy more sponges after the fact to complete the buckets, but I was so wrong. We had nearly a hundred extra sponges when we were done. They’ve been dropped off locally to help people with cleanup. It just warms your heart to see people jump into quick action to help their neighbors.”
PDA has been there to assist them by providing a grant to the presbytery and deploying the Rev. Jim Garrett, a National Response Team member, to the area.
One of Garrett’s roles was using a minivan to help get supplies, such as hygiene kits and cleanup buckets, where they needed to go.
For example, he helped to take buckets supplied by John Knox Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis and White Lick Presbyterian Church in Avon to the First Presbyterian Church in Anderson.
Garrett also was able to bring up nearly 200 kits from Harvey Browne Memorial Presbyterian Church in Louisville to help out one of the hardest hit areas in Indiana.
“I picked up the kits before I went to Indiana and took them with me and delivered them to Cambridge City, so it was a nice streamlined effort and just timely that they were making those kits,” he said.
First Presbyterian Church of Lewisville was part of helping to supply hygiene kits to Cambridge City Christian Church, said Alan McCraine, session moderator and pulpit supply pastor at the Lewisville church.
FPC Lewisville also has been instrumental in assisting four Henry County families recovering from flooding that impacted their homes. The church combined forces with the presbytery to give each family a monetary gift and plans to remain in touch with them, McCraine said.
Meanwhile, Garrett said the first initial phase of cleaning up and mucking out is likely to wrap up soon in central Indiana.
“We're beginning to look at what's needed for recovery, repairing, rebuilding homes and sheltering people,” and PDA will be continuing to help connect people together who want to assist their neighbors, he said.
McGee said, “We're aware that recovery is more than the first few days or weeks, and we're grateful for the partnership with PDA.”
Churches in the Presbytery of Wabash Valley also have been active in helping their neighbors, and PDA has provided grant assistance to help people in the area, which endured storm impacts, such as lengthy power outages, last month. The presbytery noted that it would be helping congregations to be responsive to needs for food, repairs and replacement of things lost.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is a ministry of Presbyterian Life & Witness. Consider supporting PDA’s response to the Indiana flooding by giving to DR000191.
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