UCEF Summer 2026 Newsletter

From the Director’s Desk

Wouldn’t you know it? On the day of our annual fundraiser it snowed! Despite that, our concert went off without a hitch. Choirs from Haller Lake United Methodist Church and Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church were featured and a young and gifted saxophone player named Wilson Manis stepped in to play some great show tunes. There was a fun sing along to classic Broadway shows and all seemed to have a wonderful afternoon. Despite the low attendance due to weather, we were still gifted with around $3,000. Our sincerest thanks to those who gave.

Sasha was a young college student with two kids and living with her mom. She’d recently been laid off her job making her mom the sole bread winner. Her mother drove her car for a living, making deliveries. She was in a car accident and their money had to go to fix the car. So, when Sasha called, she was looking for help to pay the light bill and keep the electricity on. We were able to help with $250 and a referral to another agency that could pay the rest.

Dan was a single man, 79 years old, living on social security in low-income housing for seniors. His manager reached out to us asking if we could help. He’d been in hospital for a couple weeks with a respiratory problem and the bills from his stay took his monthly check and then some. The manager really liked him and was calling around trying to get him the help he needed. This is a very rare thing so when I get a call like this, I will do what I can to help. Our $250 plus giving her some referral info kept him housed and cemented a new partnership with this manager.

As always, I want to thank all of you for your continued support, allowing us to help folks like Sasha and her family and Dan. We can't do it without you!

Blessings,

Jo

UCEF Progress to Date

To help keep people in their homes and off the streets, our goal for this fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) is to provide financial assistance for 240 households. We are on target to meet this goal. In April, we financially aided 27 households consisting of 32 adults and 15 dependent children. For several households, our engagement leveraged financial assistance from 1-2 similar organizations. For another 99 households for whom we could not help financially, we provided referrals to other agencies which might be able to assist them. With King County evictions at an all-time high, all it takes is one car repair, an unexpected medical bill, or a rent increase to fall behind in rent. In addition, surging gas and food prices amid current economic uncertainly are making it extremely more difficult for people to meet their monthly rent payments. Various organizations rank Seattle between the 6th and 12th most expensive city in the United States. We appreciate your continued support and hope to increase the number of households we can assist in our upcoming new fiscal year.

Ray Moser, President

UCEF Social Media

In addition to doing a great job as the UCEF Secretary, Remy Golla has been actively improving our social media presence. He has been focused on creating new content for our Facebook page including client stories, testimonials, and helpful resources for followers to share with their network. In addition to the quarterly newsletter, UCEF's Facebook is another avenue to stay informed of the organization's activities and impact in our community. We'd love for you to follow the page, grow our community, and help spread UCEF's work preventing homelessness in Seattle. If you haven't already, check out our page at www.facebook.com/ucefseattle!

Mike Alvine, Board Member

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United Churches Emergency Fund 4515 16th Ave NE, SeaƩle WA 98105 / 206-524-7885 Website: www.ucef-seaƩle.org. You can donate to UCEF through our website, by texƟng UCEF to 44-321, or by sending a check to our office address above. UCEF is a 501(d)3 nonprofit organizaƟon. Director: Jo Gustafson Board President: Ray Moser, Treasurer: David Gebben, Secretary: Remy Golla, Board Members: Cheryl Milloy, Laurel Ailie, Michael Alvine, Volunteers: Melissa Morrell, Andy Tischaefer, Jenny Hoffman

United Churches Emergency Fund (UCEF) also known as University Churches Emergency Fund, located in SeaƩle Washington, is a registered charity with the Washington State ChariƟes Program (WSCP). AddiƟonal informaƟon about WSCP is available by phone at (360) 725-0377, or online at hƩps://ccfs.sos.wa.gov/#/