There is no script for these times. We are all learning as we go—building skills of resilience and letting compassion, connection, and ministry be our guide.
~ Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, UUA President
I am heartened by the connection and care our congregation members are giving to one another in recent days. You are stepping forward with your gifts and ideas, giving strength to each other. As we expand our pastoral care teams to meet greater need, both sides benefit – the giver and the receiver, for we receive by giving.
Our active seniors in The Chronologically Gifted Group are sending each other poems, weblinks, TV exercise programs, and are wisely stepping back from helping in physical ways. Members under 50 years old and at low risk for the virus are stepping up to become Pastoral Care Providers. This is proving to be an opportunity for the generations to connect in new ways.
Many former Pastoral Care Associates joined our current team to make phone calls to all our members in high risk demographics for the virus. This is an ongoing process to ensure our community feels held in care and gets the help they might need.
If you would like to talk to a PCA on the telephone, please contact our Pastoral Care Associate Coordinator Jane Peterson at fuspastoralcare@gmail.com or 414-967-1471. If you’d like to talk to Rev. Dena or Rev. Jennifer, please call our Pastoral Care Emergency line at 414-216-3113, as this is the quickest way to reach us, even if you are not in an emergency.
If you are among the folks most vulnerable to this virus and need practical help, such as grocery shopping and delivery, or a ride to the doctor unrelated to coronavirus, please contact Jane Dorweiler, our Pastoral Care Provider Coordinator at fuspcprovider@gmail.com or 414-839-3053. If you are not in an at-risk demographic and would like to help as a Provider, please contact Jane Dorweiler.
If you have concerns about personal financial resources for medical supplies, medical care or missing work, please contact Rev. Jennifer to ask about the Ministers’ Discretionary Fund.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please contact Rev. Dena immediately on our Pastoral Emergency Line at 414-216-3113, so she can support you and our community. As the virus spreads in our interconnected city, we are already hearing about church members who self-quarantined because they came in contact with someone who tested positive. It’s going to happen and it’s OK. We are here for one another.