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In Kentucky, flooding seriously damaged the UU Church of Bowling Green’s new congregational hall and religious education building. Damage is estimated at $60,000, said Jim Haynes, chair of the building task force. The building was uninsured because the congregation was preparing to move into it and was in a very brief period between its builder’s insurance coverage and a permanent policy. The building, valued at nearly $1 million, had five feet of water in it. It is separate from the congregation’s main building.
Several families in the Greater Nashville, Tenn., UU Congregation lost all of their possessions, as did a handful of families at the First UU Church of Nashville. Other families at both congregations had lesser but still serious damage. Some did not have insurance.
Donations for the 2010 Tennessee/Kentucky Flood Relief Fund may be sent to the UUA, 24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210. Attn: Stewardship & Development Gift Processing. Please note “Nashville Flood Relief” somewhere on the check. Online donations may be made at http://giving.uua.org/.
The UUA’s fundraising appeal says:
“The purpose of the 2010 Tennessee/Kentucky Flood Relief Fund is to bring practical financial assistance, ministry, and spiritual care to those affected by recent tragic flooding in Tennessee and Kentucky, particularly to those in the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville, the Greater Nashville Unitarian Universalist Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bowling Green, Kentucky.”
“Giving to this fund will support these congregations and their communities in this challenging time and let them know that they are remembered by those in the Unitarian Universalist faith community. The fund is a partnership among the UUA, the affected congregations, and their districts, the Mid-South District, the Thomas Jefferson District, and the Heartland District.”
Haynes said the congregation, despite its own losses, collected $1,500 Sunday May 9 for the Tennessee/Kentucky fund. "We're not a rich congregation and we've had our own losses, but we felt Nashville was damaged pretty good too. The congregation wanted to do this."
As much as 20 inches of rain fell on parts of Tennessee on May 1 and 2, causing the Cumberland River to spill into downtown Nashville and inflicting at least $1.5 billion of damage on the city. Thirty people died as a result of the storm in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi.
Related Resources
- UUA Tennessee & Kentucky Flood Relief Fund. Online donation form. (UUA.org)