Over the years, UCG has collected funds for a host of disaster relief efforts in communities around the globe. On several occasions, funds have come in after donations to other organizations have been made; or were not designated for a particular need; or were collected, but then permission to disburse them was not officially given. Those remaining funds have been in a designated fund, waiting for the right occasion to be disbursed. That occasion has unfortunately come again, as we have witnessed the destruction wrought by wildfires in Hawaii and even more recently Hurricane Idalia here in Florida. Instead of taking up a special offering now, we are sending emergency funds we have on hand. Thank you to all who contribute to these recovery efforts, and to all our ministries at UCG. Sending relief dollars is one critical way we can address the harms of climate change, even as we work to reduce our own footprint and seek systemic change.