Decades ago our church established a Caring Fund. The money of this fund is to be used, at the discretion of the Minister, to help members and friends of our church in times of emergency or one time need. Most often this money is used to pay overdue utilities, but it has also been used to help a single parent family keep their car running, to cover a small medical expense, to help an elderly person buy a warm shawl and blanket in winter, and even to help with one mortgage payment in a time of trouble. People who receive help from this fund can choose to pay back the money or not. The Caring Fund is not a part of our church budget; it is supported exclusively through the generosity of our church members and the collection we take during the Solstice/Christmas Eve service. Our desire is to keep about two thousand dollars in the fund. As of the first of August the fund had dropped to less than five hundred and now needs to be replenished. If you would like to “pay it forward” or be generous or make sure that our community can help individuals in times of trouble, please send your donations to the UU Church Office, marked Caring Fund.