Family of faith,

I know so many of you are eager to participate in relief efforts for the Spokane Complex Fires. I want to provide a few clear avenues for how best to do this work.

First, I want all of us to remember—our first General Rule as United Methodists is to Do No Harm. In a situation of this magnitude, we all have the capacity to let our guilt drive us to do things that make us feel better. This is one of the worst natural disasters on record for our city, and the road to relief and rebuilding will be a long one. There will be no quick fixes. While there are a number of local organizations focusing on the rapid response, we are taking a slower path to be in this for the long haul. I have been in contact with UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), and we are intending to continue to partner with them in the days ahead.

One way to help: starting Thursday, August 27th, we will be hosting the UMCOR Early Response Team at Covenant UMC. They will be sleeping here in the building, as they coordinate with other UM Churches in our area. We will be splitting food duties with Audubon Park UMC for these dates. Covenant UMC will be responsible for providing breakfast and some dinners for them. When we have finalized numbers, food restrictions, and confirmed dates, we will put out a sign-up sheet. Thank you all who have already volunteered!

Another way to help: we can help financially. In the coming days, all of the many survivors who lost homes will be looking for permanent or semi-permanent housing while they rebuild or look to buy. This means that while we may want to give something more tangible, such as home goods, the survivors will not have any place to store these items until they secure housing.

Audubon Park UMC, Greenbluff UMC, and Manito UMC all have at least one person who lost their home in the fires. Audubon Park UMC has set up a fund specifically for the survivors; here is the link. Likewise, you can give directly to UMCOR or the Red Cross.

In the works is an option to host an open grief group here at Covenant UMC. It will be led by a licensed counselor and be open to anyone affected by the fires. More details will come out regarding this, as it is finalized.

Finally, let us continue to pray and check in on those we know experienced loss or displacement from the fires. Directly ask your friends, neighbors, and others how they are. Let’s practice kindness and patience when we are out in the community, as we do not know what everyone is processing.

– Pastor Megan