by Alison Pierce

As we begin 2025, the Missions Committee is so grateful for the continued support from our congregation.Your generosity is inspiring.Through you, we can reach outside our church
walls to help the greater community and make a difference to those in need.

One of the immediate needs in January is helping those in Los Angeles County recover from the devastation caused by the destruction of the wildfires. As of this date, the congregation
has responded with amazing generosity by donating over $2,100 to help victims of the fires. WOW! The Missions Committee voted to split all the monies from this special collection between two organizations. The first is the Altadena Community Church, a UCC sister church, which lost their entire church building during the Eaton Fire. We are thankful that we can support their congregation as they face difficult decisions about the cost of rebuilding and work to regroup to find their path forward.

The other half of the collected monies will be donated to the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund. The Foundation is helping to fund other nonprofits aiding in longterm wildfire recovery needs and critical recovery services, including housing, mental health support, medical aid, and infrastructure rebuilding to name a few.The foundation
receives a 100% rating from Charity Navigator, a part of our Missions Committee research before donating to any organization so we do not fall prey to any scammers or fraudsters.

In addition to the contributions given directly by our congregation, the Missions Committee voted to donate an additional $500 to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.We can all appreciate the heroic efforts of the firefighters during these horrific fires. The foundation provides critical equipment, technology, behavioral health programs, and other resources to support LAFD crews battling the fires and receives a 96% charity score from Charity Navigator, so that we can give with confidence.

Lastly, the Missions Committee continues to support the Men’s Shelter in Woonsocket by providing a hot meal once a month in conjunction with the Broaster House. We received a couple of lovely thank you cards from the men at the shelter who are so grateful for our continued support.