It’s April and with spring comes, well in many parts of our country, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and flooding. In the past week we have experienced one of the worst outbreaks of severe storms and tornadoes in years and the start of what meteorologists are calling generational flooding. Forecasters say this is looking like it will be one of the more active hurricane seasons, which starts in May. And we’ve already seen wildfires at the start of the year in California and recently in South and North Carolina. Natural disasters seem to fill the news and be all around us right now. Who knows what we will encounter as we move into summer and fall. So with that news, I want to remind you of our UUA’s Disaster Relief Fund.

The UUA is gathering of congregations, held together by a covenant. That covenant calls on us to support each other in times of need and to provide assistance when requested. It also calls on us to hold each other accountable.

The Disaster Relief Fund is one way that we honor that covenant by supporting each other in times of need and providing assistance when requested. This fund exists to support congregations who have been affected by natural disasters. And it is funded by donations from congregations and individuals who want to help other UU congregations get back on their feet.

But we need your help to meet the need as more disasters happen. If your congregation does “share the plate” Sundays, can your congregation be part of the group that lives out our interconnectedness by sharing the collection with the Disaster Relief Fund? If you are thinking about where to put your personal charity dollars, will you consider the fund as a recipient?

Often our grants are the first to roll into the congregation and allows them immediate resources to protect their people and their buildings. We have had a couple of congregations return the funds, when they discovered that their insurance or other sources paid for their needs, and they have been pleased to be able to support the fund in that way.

Please consider joining us in this way to live out our covenant with each other!

Please learn more about the Disaster Relief Fund or make a donation. If your congregation is in need, please email your primary contact who will connect you with your region’s representative.

Need a video to share with your congregation to help them learn more about the fund? We have that! And if you need more information like where to send checks, how to do text to donate or other questions please check our DRF Congregational Collections page.

However you decide to help — through donating, spreading the word or organizing a share the plate collection in your home congregation, we thank you for you assistance. And for those you need help, we are here to support you.