The community of faith at Westover Hills Presbyterian Church is no stranger to natural disasters. Members and community neighbors have lost property or have been directly affected by tornadoes and winter storms. But, even before those events, the congregation has been active in reaching out and continues to respond to natural and human-caused disasters. Through organizations such as Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Ferncliff Disaster Assistance Center and the Presbytery of Arkansas, individuals and groups representing Westover Hills participate in work teams on the Gulf Coast helping rebuild and recover from Hurricane Katrina; donate and prepare clean-up buckets and hygiene kits for eventual shipment to communities in need; perform quality control work to inspect and pack Gift of the Heart Kits (hygiene, school and baby kits); manage disaster supply inventory and prepare kits and clean-up buckets for shipment; transport surplus tools and equipment from disaster recovery sites for re-deployment; and serve on presbytery and national response teams ready to deploy to disaster sites to serve as a visual reminder of our connectional church – a caring presence listening to and planning with communities to meet their needs. Westover Hills actively pursues the admonition of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to fill the GAP – Give, Act and Pray.

The spiritual nature of humanity inspires the deep compassion and spontaneous generosity that we see demonstrated by individuals and whole communities after great catastrophes.

Light Our Way: A Guide for Spiritual Care in Times of Disaster, National VOAD