Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is the disaster recovery program of the church. We are called to support presbyteries as they seek to reach out and serve disaster-impacted communities. We seek at all times to find ways to engage the PC(USA) membership in the response, and own the responsibility of providing opportunities for response that are as safe and secure as possible.

Given the particularities of the situation on the Gulf Coast, the minimum age for participation in work teams going to Presbyterian Volunteer Villages has been set at 18 years of age. There are many other places for churches to take younger mission teams, including: disaster response work camps in West Virginia and Florida, and a vast array of possibilities posted in the National Volunteers Office of the PC(USA). Many of our mission partners have been suffering from lack of volunteer support because of the great attention to the Gulf Region.

The PDA advisory committee, after extensive conversation with the PC(USA) risk management office, has adopted this position. PDA staff continues to have regular conversations with the insurance underwriters for the PC(USA) regarding activities in the Volunteer Villages. While these guidelines are for the Volunteer Villages only, groups may want to take these concerns into consideration as they look at other organization in the affected areas that may host youth.

Key reasons for setting the minimum participation age at 18 include:

• Physical Safety

  There are high mold levels in the area and unknown toxins. While adults can make reasonable decisions about health risks, we feel that it is not advisable to expose young bodies to toxins. In addition, the work sites have relatively high risks because of the use of power tools, and the level of activity.

• Emotional Well Being

In some places bodies are still being found in houses. The destruction is massive — far beyond what people can visualize until they arrive. These sorts of experiences can be really devastating for young people.

• Environmental

The scope of this disaster has led PDA to open up volunteer villages that are quite large. The sites host up to 120 people living in close quarters. We simply do not feel that this is an appropriate setting for young teens. The potential for inappropriate behavior and the crossing of boundaries is just too high in such settings.