From EOD: April 10, 2020
Hello to all from my home office.
Today I will give you some insight into what I have been involved in this week.
On Monday and Tuesday I completed the Paycheck Protection Program (part of the CARES Act) application with the hope that we can obtain a loan with a 1% interest rate. This loan will be forgiven if we use the funds for paying staff. Currently, most of our staff is working from home, keeping up with their regular duties and helping us serve our congregation remotely. The exception is lobby staff, kitchen staff and child care. We have estimated their typical hours and, so far, continue to pay them. Each person is valuable to us and we want to keep them during these difficult times. The PPP loan will assist in that effort.
This week I am also working on projecting the church’s income through June 30, which I will share with the Integrated Stewardship Council at our Zoom meeting on Tuesday evening. I am projecting expenses and income and assessing where we will be at the end of our fiscal year on June 30. Your pledge payments will help us get through these tough times. However, we will experience a substantial loss due to the cancellation of Rummage Sale and many rentals. I continue to work with our existing renters on event rentals late in the calendar year and early next year, and we are also hopeful that it may be possible to stage the Rummage Sale in the fall. However, the loss of rentals and the Rummage Sale will result in at least $46,000 lost revenue in this 2019/20 fiscal year.
The Pledge Drive Team continues to meet on Zoom each Tuesday to review pledges received for our upcoming 2020/21 fiscal year, and our strategy for contacting members to encourage pledge forms to be turned in. This week a small group of stewards are calling upon those who have not yet pledged. We need a pledge form from everyone—even if you are unable to pledge, please sign the member affirmation line and return to us. These commitments are crucial as we review a few versions of a budget we compiled when we realized our world was shifting and our income next year may be impacted. As we know more we will keep you informed.
Throughout the many challenges and griefs resulting from the virus threat, we have learned to be tech savvy and stay connected to fellow staff members, the board and ministers. Adam has been helping us with Zoom and, as you know, has been the key driver in the virtual service technology.
Projects continue to move forward. Our Capital Campaign Implementation Committee is making great strides to get five major projects done in the next two months. I will not expand on these as Janelle is looking forward to providing you and updated timeline in next week’s newsletter. We are taking advantage of the time the building and exterior is not in use to move projects up so that congregants can enjoy the many benefits of our Capital Campaign. Carol Nielsen and I stayed with the kitchen project through the end and continue to talk about punch lists, items to be restocked and items we are still awaiting to be shipped to complete our wonderful new space.
On the last day we were open, March 11, our new phone system was switched over and calls are capable of being forwarded to Jessica Meis at home. Congregants can call or email UCE, and Jessica is very ably helping congregants with all of their questions. We are trying to keep the daily operations of UCE as normal as possible. Thank you for all your good cheer and support—the staff greatly appreciates it!
Sandra Robinson,
Executive Operations Director