UUA President Responds to Tsunami Disaster

A Statement from the Rev. William G. Sinkford

William G. Sinkford

UUSC/UUA TSUNAMI AID UPDATE More than $2 million in aid has been received by the UUSC. Disbursement of funds is being targeted to grassroots organizations providing assistance to marginalized, neglected and politically oppressed populations who do not have access to traditional aid distribution. In addition to fishing communities, aid is being directed to landless farm workers and to groups offering job training, women's empowerment, trauma counseling, alternative employment skills, and human rights education. Please give generously.

(December 30, 2004) The Indian Ocean tsunami reminds us all how precious life is and how quickly life can end. As the death toll continues to climb, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and the Unitarian Universalist Association are working together to collect funds for disaster relief and to speed them to the Indian Ocean countries most affected by this immense tragedy.

I urge you to be generous in your giving so we can do as much as possible to relieve the suffering of the survivors. The money you donate will be channeled by the UUSC to its partner organizations in tsunami-affected countries in the region and by the UUA's Holdeen India program to on-the-ground indigenous partner organizations in India.

I grieve this loss of life, especially the deaths of so many children. My prayers and condolences go out to the survivors and their families. I trust that Unitarian Universalists will take this opportunity to demonstrate our compassion for the people who must now begin the grim task of rebuilding their lives from the ruins left in the wake of this horrendous natural disaster. And I pray that we all recognize again that our lives are a precious gift.

Please note: Both the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee are not for profit organizations. Your donation to the UUSC's Tsunami Aid is deductible from your 2004 Federal Income Tax return.

For additional information:

• Tsunami update: Weblog of UUSC staff visit to region
• Tsunami Aid Relief Update from India: a report from Katherine Sreedhar, Executive Director, UUA Holdeen India Fund
• Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
• UUA Joins UU Service Committee in Seeking Aid for Tsunami Victims
• Liturgical Resources for Reflection on the Indian Ocean Tsunami
• Congregational Success Story: Tsunami Relief Effort, South Nassau UU Congregation in Freeport, NY

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