The Hurricane Ida Storm damaged meeting properties and placed many Friends in our PYM Community in precarious situations. While no injuries have been reported, many meetings sustained multiple tree losses, flooding, and significant building damage. A member of Plymouth Friends experienced damage to her home. Upper Dublin Meeting had many trees fall in their driveway and burial grounds, with estimated damages to the meetinghouse and property of $60,000. As of this date, many are involved in cleaning up in the areas devastated by the storm’s tornados and floods.
PYM Emergency Grants can help support PYM’s Monthly Meeting’s by granting up to $2,000 in one-time emergency assistance to members of monthly meetings. These funds may also be used to supplement each Meeting’s own emergency assistance fund in helping members meet basic needs (including but not limited to housing, food, employment, and medical difficulties) during times of personal financial crisis. Applications must come from the Clerks of PYM Meetings or Clerks of Care, Counsel, and Overseers committees.
Clerks requesting funds should write to the Director of Grant Making at ngutowski@pym.org, and follow up with a brief and concise letter of request describing the need and individuals involved. Individuals cannot apply and beneficiaries must be PYM members. There are no deadlines — applications are processed as they are received.
For Meetings, Schools, and other Friends organizations within the PYM area, the Quaker Buildings & Programs Granting Group will consider applications for building repairs and renovations; their next deadline is not until February 1st.
Photograph of Upper Dublin Meeting’s burial ground courtesy of George Schaefer
