Matching Grants for CWS Buckets, Kits, Backpacks
Click here for a UCC Disaster Ministries Kits/Buckets/Backpacks Matching Grant Application
Click here for a UCC Disaster Ministries Kits/Buckets/Backpacks Matching Grant Report Form
UCC congregations assembling Church World Service Emergency Cleanup Buckets, CWS School and Hygiene Kits and now CWS Backpacks may apply for UCC Matching Grants of up to $250 from UCC Disaster Ministries.
Members of the denomination pre-assemble these supplies, which then are warehoused by CWS, ready to be shipped at a moment’s notice when the need arises. The Kits and Cleanup Buckets assist hurricane and other disaster relief efforts. The Backpacks welcome newly arrived immigrants, who often come with few or no possessions.
CWS Buckets, Kits and Backpacks are more than just relief supplies, they are an expression of love and symbol of hope for the future.
2022 marks the eighth year UCC Disaster Ministries has offered the matching grants. The ministry will continue to fund participating and qualifying congregations up to $250 per congregation on a first-come, first-served basis to congregations that raise $250 in cash and in-kind gifts for CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets, Kits and now Backups.
Not a UCC congregation or group? Partner with a UCC church near you!
BUCKET RECIPIENT, PARTNER TESTIFY TO THE NEED
Celesta Bridgeforth of Athens, Ala., remembered the grief of losing her home to a tornado in 2011.
“We received a CWS Emergency Cleanup Bucket at that time,” she said. “It wasn’t a million bucks but it was nice, convenient and timely and sure did help when I’d lost almost everything and didn’t know what was going on.”
When residents of Lumberton and Warsaw, N.C., were affected by severe flooding, the need for cleanup buckets was substantial. The UCC ordered 1,000 CWS buckets for the Red Cross. Those supplies helped families clean out their homes enough to assess the damage, muck out and tear out ruined drywall.
CeCe Williams, a Red Cross warehouse manager, said, “It was a crucial stage in their recovery from the flood. We are so grateful to our partners who supported our communities. Without them, we would not have been able to help the great number of people in need.”