May 2024 Newsletter
An Update from the Board
A joyous spring to all of you. Our thanks to everyone who made it to Jo’s 20th Anniversary celebration—it truly was an inspirational afternoon. I was especially fond of the Irish sing-a-long, as it was great to hear everyone singing together.
I want to remind you about our organization and how we will use your gracious gift in service to our community. United Churches Emergency Fund (UCEF) was founded in 1986, when several University District churches decided to pool a portion of their emergency funds and provide direct financial intervention to those in need of rent and utility payments.
We believe that everyone deserves a home. UCEF’s assistance is provided to anyone who meets our basic criteria, regardless of race, gender, religious affiliation, immigration status, or sexual orientation.
Too many of our neighbors live on the financial edge. Most of those that we help have jobs but have run into a situation where they just don’t have enough to cover basic needs and keep a roof over their heads. That’s where UCEF intervenes and tries to make a difference. UCEF helps cover the gaps by providing up to $250 per family for rent or utility payments. This help, matched with additional help from other organizations around the area, can keep people safely housed. In 2023, we kept almost 600 people in their homes, including nearly 150 children.
I’ve been on the board since 2018, and it is these numbers, month after month, year after year, that keep me motivated. The need is so great. The line between housed and unhoused is so thin. It takes relatively little help to keep people from falling into homelessness. Thank you for your continued support. We can’t do it without you!
Andy Tischaefer, Secretary
Passive Giving With Bing
Microsoft Rewards is making it easier for you to donate to UCEF: Give with Bing.
To Give with Bing, you need to join Microsoft Rewards and select “University Churches Emergency Fund” as your designated nonprofit, so you can give back to your nonprofit simply by searching with Bing. Once you join and make this selection, Bing searches will earn Microsoft Rewards points that are automatically donated to us each month through our Benevity Cause account.
Go to https://www.bing.com/give and click “Join.” If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you’ll need to create one.
Select University Churches Emergency Fund as your cause.
Use Bing (www.bing.com or the Bing app on your phone) when you do searches.
You will automatically earn Microsoft Rewards points and they’ll automatically get donated to UCEF!
It is easy to set up and it really does make a difference!
From the Director’s Desk
What a fantastic day of celebration we had to mark my 20th year as the Executive Director of UCEF!
First of all, thanks to Haller Lake United Methodist Church for hosting the event. And then a major thank you to all the talented singers and musicians who participated: Katie Skovald, choir director and Luke Raffanti, pianist from Richmond Beach United Church of Christ for their beautiful solos; Elisabeth Ellis, director and the choir from First United Methodist Church; Matt Turner, director and the choir from Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church; and Dr. Lisa Lewis, director and the choir from Haller Lake UMC. The final piece sung by the combined choirs was truly uplifting and I’ve had many requests from people asking if there was a recording they could get. Sadly, no.
This was also a fundraiser. Money continues to come in, but at this time, I can report we brought in over $5000- the most money ever raised since I have been here. My deepest thanks to all who attended and for your support. All the money we received will go directly to help our clients stay in their homes and off the streets. And remember, most of what we send out is matched by 2-3 other help agencies.
I can’t begin to stress how much your support is needed. Just this week I learned from a client that Salvation Army was out of funds now until July. In fact, they told me we were the only ones to have money currently in the zip code they live in. I’ve never seen things like this and suspect part of it has to do with the anxiety caused from being in an election year. Be that as it may, clients are being served with eviction notices at an alarming rate.
UCEF will continue to provide funding to those in crisis in zip codes 98103, 98105, 98115, and 98125. Here is a letter I recently received from someone we were able to help: “I cannot thank you enough!!! Every little bit helps out right now!!! This move to a new environment… should do amazing things to help me continue to fight off the depression, anxiety, and overall negative emotions I have to deal with on a regular basis. I firmly believe this change of homes for me, will help to make more positive steps to have a better way and quality of life. That should allow me to take better care of myself and truly live independently.”
We cannot do this without you. Thank you for all your support!
Jo