THANK YOU from Saugatuck Congregational Church
Since a fire devastated our church on November 20, 2011, the depth and breadth of the outpouring of offers of help and support across our faith and secular communities have truly been inspirational.
We are reminded daily of our debt of gratitude to the many Westport firefighters, and the firefighters from Weston, Wilton, Fairfield and Trumbull, who worked so valiantly to save the structure of our Meeting House and steeple on November 20, 2011. We are also grateful to the Westport Police Department and all the first responders.
We were blessed by our UCC Connecticut Conference Regional Minister Sarah Verasco, and by all the area clergy who participated in the prayer service on our lawn the following day. We are comforted to know that they continue to hold us in prayer. Christ & Holy Trinity displayed their “faith in action” by hosting our Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts, and they continue to offer us meeting space. Temple Israel opened their doors to us for our Sunday worship services and fellowship time.
The 12-step programs continue to meet at Christ & Holy Trinity, St. Luke Church, United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston, and St. Paul’s on the Green in Norwalk. The Y’s Men and our choir now gather regularly in the Unitarian Church. Saugatuck Nursery School found temporary space in the Westport/Weston Family Y and is now in the First Church of Christ Scientist. Green’s Farms Congregational and Christ & Holy Trinity have extended gracious invitations to us for holiday teas. Cambridge International Securities and the Town of Westport have provided meeting space. Others have also offered space when possible.
How blessed we are to be part of such a supportive community! We are deeply grateful to everyone for their words of encouragement. In addition, we would like to thank the following organizations and individuals for their spontaneous and generous donations to our rebuilding fund:
- Amnesty International Group 79
- Boy Scouts of America, Troop 36
- The Church of the Assumption, Westport
- Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, Westport
- Fairfield West Association, Connecticut Conference of the UCC
- Faith Congregational Church, UCC, Hartford
- First Church of Christ Scientist, Westport
- First Church Congregational, Fairfield
- First Congregational Church of Stamford
- Grace Baptist Church, Norwalk
- Green’s Farms Congregational Church
- Grey Sheeters Anonymous, Saturday morning meeting
- Interfaith Council of Westport and Weston
- League of Women Voters of Westport
- Norfolk Church of Christ Congregational UCC
- Rocky Hill Congregational Church
- St. Anthony Group Church, Bridgeport
- Seymour Congregational Church UCC
- Southport Congregational Church
- Trinity Episcopal Church, Southport
- United Church of Christ – One Great Hour of Sharing
- Union Memorial UCC, Stamford
- Lebanon United Methodist Church, Lebanon, NH
- The VanVactor FD Inc., Seattle, WA
- Westport Garden Club
- Women’s Fellowship, The First Congregational Church of Stamford
- David & Pippa Ader
- Scott & Sandy Adzick
- Janet R. Aley
- Anonymous
- Henry Atterbury
- Wendy Baldwin
- Debra and Andrew Barer
- Joyce and Edward Barnhart
- Eric Bernstein
- Christine Bisceglie
- Sherwood “Woody” Bliss
- Steven Brown
- Glenn Campbell
- Kathy Canning
- Carol & Gene Cederbaum
- KC Cress
- Barbara Culp
- JoAnn W. Davidson
- Mary Demko
- Toni Morton Dimes
- Alice Ely
- Gillian Eversman
- Janet Filling
- Michael Feigin
- Jacqueline S. Flournoy
- Dorothy & John Fox
- Arthur Gang
- Lester Giegerich
- Robert Gill
- Gloria Goodenough
- Dorothy Gulish
- Abigail Hagel
- Jeffrey Hare
- Richard & Pat Harris
- Nancy Helmig
- Dennis Jackson
- Nuala Jebb
- Betty Jennings
- Jean Kaiser
- Avi Kaner
- Harriet Karassik
- Penney Kimbell
- Carmella Klinga
- Peter Kolbrener
- Emily Kulak
- David Leyshon
- Joseph Myers
- Janet & Andy Neilly
- Gwen Noto
- Marshall & Nancy Perrin
- Stephen & Barbara Raffel
- Carole Reichelm
- Elisabeth Rose
- Riet Rose
- The Rowland Family
- Mary Ruggiero
- Mario Sacouto
- Cynthia Scheetz
- Katherine See
- Marianne Seggerman
- Michael Sharpe
- Alex Sherman
- Rev. Dr. Don & Rev. Arlene Studer
- Robert & Nancy Strong
- Carolyn Suffern
- Roy E. Taylor
- Richard Towers
- Barbara Uttings
- Elizabeth Leaman Waronker
- Bill Watson-Canning
- Jean Wells
- Gregory Wolfe
- Anne-Marie Ziegler
- Peter Zucker
We are humbled and blessed. Thanks be to God!
In every way and everywhere… we accept this with all gratitude.