Dear familia,

I am so proud to be part of a church that works to cultivate beloved community moved by the Spirit to provide mercy and compassion in this time of need. We continue to see the depth and width of the devastation of the Eaton Canyon and Palisades fire and it is overwhelming! Your compassion and offers to help are confirmation of a Spirit-filled comunidad.

I do want to share in gratitude and praise how our beloved community has become activated so quickly internally and externally:

• Our Emergency Relief Form has mobilized assistance to 11 households.
• Our church’s Disaster Relief Fund has received donations from 32 individuals in the amount of $8,863.19, locally and nationally.
• Our pastoral care team has assessed needs and distributed $4,132.25 to 11 households.
• Our Emergency Support Group on ChurchCenter App has over 58 members of our church familia who have provided prayer, listening presence, resources & mutual aid/support to one another.
• Our church networks have collected over 1500 gallons of clean drinking water for distribution since Sunday

Water Distribution @ Church

We have established a Water Distribution schedule this week at the church Wednesday through Friday, 2-5pm until supplies last. If anyone needs delivery or after-hours delivery, we have volunteer teams available as well. If you or anyone in your community needs clean water, please come by 1041 North Altadena Drive, Pasadena. We know there are precautions on water usage in several zones. Additionally, if you can volunteer, sign up here to help with the Water Distribution Volunteer Schedule.

We know that both federal and state organizations are saturated with requests for aid. Therefore, we are thankful that our mutual aid organizing efforts can quickly respond to the needs of those God is bringing our way. We have a saying in Spanish that says el pueblo salva al pueblo (the people will save the people). Do not underestimate the power and presence through Spirit-filled people who can organize and meet needs! I truly believe that our Body has what we need to care for each other.

Sanctuary Clean-up and Use

Our pastoral care team has been in communication with the leaders of PMC and Conexión about how to re-enter safely back into our shared building. We were informed yesterday that a cleaning person who attempted to clean the kitchen and fellowship hall from the smoke and toxic dust ended up in the hospital with lung damage, coughing up blood. We are grieved for this person and ask for your prayers for their full recovery.

Sadly, this confirms that our cancellation of service out of an abundance of caution was valid. Although the sanctuary seems to simply seem *dusty*, there are dangerous toxins in that dust. Thank you for understanding and patience as we take the safe steps to return to the building without causing harm to any of you. We do not want to be foolish and rush back in simply for the sake of having a regular church service. Instead, we want to be faithful and learn the adequate cleaning protocol for this level of toxic waste/damage.

At this moment, a representative of the Mennonite Disaster Relief team will come do a walk-through of the building this Sunday and let all 3 of our congregations know how the clean-up will be performed – whether professionally or with directed volunteer efforts and the right equipment to do so. We will follow their lead to be wise and faithful.

Sunday Picnic Gathering!

Although we are unable to meet together in our normal space, we recognize the value of being together in this time. We will not be having a regular service in our sanctuary, but we invite you instead to gather with us in Alhambra from 3-5pm for a picnic, a time to grieve, to comfort each other and maybe even laugh a bit together. More details to follow later this week.

Emergency Support Group

Join the “Emergency Support Group” to stay updated and informed on each other’s needs, share prayer requests, and provide tangible support. We have already begun to share specific areas of need to support one another through this crisis.

To Join:

1. Download the ChurchCenter App (Apple / Android) create an account and look for The Church We Hope For.
2. Join the Emergency Support Group as a closed group for privacy.
3. Once you join, we will all be able to send updates as well as create group text threads so that we can check-in and know how to support each other.

Emergency Relief Form

We continue to collect and assess needs in our community. Please do not hesitate to fill out the form as needs arise. No need is too small or too large. Our goal is to meet the most essential needs around food, water, shelter, and clothing, especially for those who have had severe loss. However, this is also for anyone in need during this crisis. Please don’t hesitate to fill this out if you are in need.

How Others Can Help

For those interested in supporting our church’s relief efforts, we invite you to consider making a donation to our Disaster Relief Fund. For the time being, all contributions to Community Partnerships will go towards helping us prepare for and respond to disasters in our community. Here are the ways you can donate:

• Online: Visit our Church Center donation page to give via credit card or ACH transfer.
• Mail: Send a check to 710 S Myrtle Ave #202, Monrovia, CA 91016. Write “Disaster Relief” in the memo line.
• Zelle: Send your donation through Zelle® (similar to PayPal or Venmo, but goes directly to the church’s bank account).
  • If your bank offers this option, you can send money to info@thechurchwehopefor.com which is the email attached to the church’s Zelle / bank account. There are no processing fees associated with this method of online giving. NOTE: Please write “disaster relief” and your email address in the memo field.

Grace and peace,

Pastora Inés