On Tuesday March 31, the Board of Trustees and Operations Council, along with representatives from the Annual Budget Drive team and the Finance Committee and Erin met together virtually to assess FUUSN’s current situation in light of continuing developments with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the recommendations of local and state public health authorities, we collectively agreed to extend the closure of FUUSN’s building and the suspension of all FUUSN-related group activities until at least May 4. The Board of Trustees and the Operations Council also agreed that we will meet on an as-needed basis during the latter half of April to reevaluate the situation. After careful consideration, we also agreed to go forward with this year’s Annual Budget Drive through April and May and to use the Budget Drive as an opportunity to further and deepen our community’s connection with one another utilizing various means of virtual interaction.

We have been impressed and inspired by the way in which our amazing staff and community have come together over the past few weeks to respond to this unprecedented situation. We want you to know that we are doing everything we can to keep our community connected, active, and well in this time of great uncertainty. The challenge for us all is to stay focused on the present and to go forward with what matters in our lives even in the midst of not knowing what the coming days may bring. We do know that it is important to take care of ourselves, our families, friends, and neighbors; to focus on the things we can control; to ask for help or assistance when we need it; and to prioritize connection and mutual support of one another.

Many of you have already responded with thoughts and ideas about how we in the FUUSN community can do this. We want to encourage you to continue to reach out and share your suggestions and your concerns with the staff, with lay leaders, and with one another via email, text, Facebook, phone, video call services, and other means of virtual communication. We will get through this together.

Erin
Chris Krebs on behalf of the Board of Trustees
Susan Bartlett on behalf of the Operations Council