We are “on mission” when we reach across the street to make God’s love so real to those experiencing a crisis that it radically gives hope in a difficult situation. Thank you to those who continue to contribute to our ongoing partnership with Crisis Assistance Ministry. We’ve give over $1000 EACH MONTH to assist with utilities and rent.
If you would like to add your support to this vital ministry, simply designate your donation to PUMC (by check or online) the fund “Crisis Assistance Ministry.” To give online, click HERE.
Crisis Assistance Ministry Impact Story
Summers are bittersweet for Trina. As a school bus driver, she loves the freedom of the season but dreads the dip in income. Still, after nine summers of making it work, she had no reason to think this one would be different. Trina's expenses are relatively low, thanks in large part to living in the home she inherited from her mother. With no mortgage to pay, she budgets carefully to cover the utility bills each month and the property taxes each year. Even so, by the time August rolls around, herbudget is stretched thin, but she always manages to squeeze by until her first back-to-schoolpaycheck.
This summer, though, a water leak changed all that. When Trina opened her water bill to find it was nearly ten times the normal amount, she assumed it was a mistake. It turned out to be a broken pipe, and because the leak was between the meter and her home, rather than between the meter and the street, the city held her responsible not only for fixing it, but for paying for all the water that had poured straight into the ground.
After hiring a plumber to replace the damaged pipe, Trina agreed to a payment plan with the city that spread the cost across six smaller payments, added to her regular monthly water bill. But when she looked closer at the terms, she realized the first payment was due ten days before school started - ten days before her income would start again.
The plan, she soon learned, was non-negotiable. If she missed a payment, she'd be in default and her water would be shut off. The thought of being unable to shower after long shifts driving a bus full of children in the late-August heat - or do laundry or even flush a toilet - brought her to tears. A sympathetic city employee told Trina about Crisis Assistance Ministry, and she reached out for help. Funds were available from Providence UMC to cover the looming payment and keep her water on.
This time, Trina cried from relief - knowing her paychecks would be flowing again, and her budget back on track, before the next payment came due.
Have questions about our partnership with Crisis Assistance Ministry?
Contact the Rev. Brandon Dirks, Minister of Missions & Strategic Initiatives, HERE.