Fall 2023 Newsletter

An Update from the Board

As a lifelong Seattleite, I was shocked when I returned to my beloved city after a 6-month absence. Campers, tents, fires, and even cardboard structures lined our city streets in many neighborhoods. The problem of homelessness is front and center in our otherwise beautiful city. However, amid this crisis, there are proactive measures being taken.

United Churches Emergency Fund (UCEF) has one goal: to keep people on the cusp of losing their home in their housing and prevent them from joining the masses on the streets. Since 1986, this agency has been true to their vision.

For 20 years UCEF has been run by Jo Gustafson, who has made it her life-long mission to keep people housed. Our budget is relatively small, and an astonishing 80% of the funds go directly to keeping people in their homes.

Johnathon is an example of the people we help. He supported himself by driving for Uber but was in a car accident that totaled his car and landed him in the hospital. This meant that he not only lost his job, but suddenly had many medical bills to pay, causing him to fall behind on his rent. He was resourceful and found a used car, started driving again, and getting his bills paid off. By assisting him, and paying $250 towards his rent, UCEF was able to stop him from being evicted, and joining the masses on the streets. He was also referred to other agencies that matched UCEF’s assistance dollar for dollar.

UCEF serves zip codes 98103, 98105, 98115 and 98125. On a monthly basis, dozens of families contact the agency. UCEF assists with direct rent payments sent to their landlords. All landlords are contacted to ensure that UCEF’s help will keep the family in their home before funds are sent.

The best way to solve a problem is always to prevent it from happening in the first place. In this case scores of families are quietly being prevented from entering life on the street due to the diligence of Jo, and her loyal crew of volunteers at UCEF.

Laurel Ailie, UCEF Board Member

Rain City Symphony Concert on Nov 29th — a UCEF Fundraiser

Rain City Symphony is presenting their fall concert on November 29th, 7:30 pm, at St Andrews Episcopal Church (111 NE 80th Street, Seattle).  The Rain City Symphony is conducted by Dr. Theresa Metzger Howe.  The concert will feature works by Mendelssohn, Harbach, and Brahms.

Admission to the show is free, and during the show the Symphony will be taking donations for UCEF.  We are grateful to the Symphony for their support.

You can learn more about Rain City Symphony at www.raincitysymphony.org.  Hope to see you there!

Message from the Treasurer

UCEF depends on the generosity of our donors to provide assistance to individuals and families who are trying to stay in their homes. In the past twelve months, UCEF was able to buy additional time for more than 532 individuals and families by making direct payments to landlords and utility companies that allowed people in need to stay in their homes and not be thrown out on the streets. The UCEF lifeline provides people who are facing a housing emergency with additional time to look for work and find a long-term solution for their housing needs.

UCEF would like to help more people who are facing a housing emergency in the North Seattle area, because the need in this area is significant. However, UCEF is operating on a limited budget and has been forced to turn away individuals and families who qualify for assistance, due to a lack of available funding.

Please donate to UCEF if you can, and help us provide assistance to people in Seattle who need short–term help to overcome a housing crisis in their lives.

David Gebben, UCEF Treasurer

 From the Director’s Desk

Imagine what it would be like to fall on hard times, faced with selling anything you own of value in order to pay rent or keep the lights on. Or imagine being unable to find a job, forced with spending down your savings just to stay in your apartment. Now picture the people described above as a 78-year old woman with no family and who only speaks Russian, or a family of five all recovering from COVID and job-loss, struggling to keep clothes on their backs and food on the table. These are the folks UCEF talks to and helps to keep in their homes and off the streets. 

January marks my 20th year as the Executive Director of UCEF. I have seen many changes through those years, both within our agency and in the world around us. COVID forced us to move the office to my home in order to protect our volunteers and clients. We have streamlined the way we do business in order to accommodate the ever-increasing demand and yet continue to provide high-quality service for those in housing crisis. 

A few months back we had to make the difficult decision to change our policy of helping people once a year, three times in a lifetime, to just one time only now. We simply cannot keep up with the ever-increasing need. It is hard to fathom how things have gotten to this place given all that we know about homelessness. How in the world can we evict somebody for owing less than $100, knowing it will take thousands of dollars for that person to get back into housing once they are on the streets? If they can’t come up with $100, how are they expected to get thousands?

We sure cannot put all the blame on greedy landlords. I had a conversation with an apartment manager recently. I called her to pledge our $250 for a man who said he needed help with his deposit. She told me they were in the process of trying to evict him. He moved in a month ago, a single man, who demanded the best two-bedroom unit they had. His checks bounced and they found used needles and filth all over the apartment. Fortunately, this is not the norm - yet.

We live in challenging times. Many of us are just trying to keep our heads above water. As we head now into the colder, darker months of winter, I once again ask for your support in helping us help keep families in their homes. We need your financial help more than ever before. As always, we are grateful to each and everyone for your continued support and to those who, like us, can maybe give one time only. Know that whatever you give will go to our clients and is usually matched by two to three other agencies.

Before I close, I want  to extend my deepest thanks to Lynn Williams and Jan Orlando, who, after many years of leadership, have both recently left the UCEF Board. We thank them for all that they’ve done for the organization.

All of us at UCEF wish you and yours a safe and joyous holiday season. May the grace of God be with you.

Jo Gustafson