This calendar year has been an eventful year for disaster impacting our UU congregations. The Disaster Relief Fund is in place to help channel donations from individuals and congregations to our UU congregations to help them in the wake of disasters, and for them to also be able to support their local community’s recovery, particularly those most affected and unable to access other funding sources.

Already this year, thanks to the generous contributions over the past few years, the Fund has distributed more than $275,000 to our congregations impacted by hurricanes, flooding, and other natural disasters. This is the second highest amount since the fund was created in 2017—the highest year was 2018. In total we have given out more than $1.5 million in grants over the 7 years of the Fund’s existence.

But we need your help—the Fund is at its lowest level since the beginning—we have under $50,000 on hand, and that can be distributed with just one more request. Can you share some of your funds with congregations that will be impacted because of natural disasters, many of which are worsening because of climate change? 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?

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!

Information on the Disaster Relief Fund, including how to donate, and how to file a claim, are on the UUA website.