Affirmation of St. Paul’s Building Closure

Affirmation of St. Paul’s Baptist Church Building Closure

As an outcome of the Covid-19 pandemic, and an abundance of caution in supporting the safety of St. Paul’s members and visitors, our leadership appropriately determined it was critical to cease services and activities at St. Paul’s.

Thankful for the blessing of technology and St. Paul’s Technology Team, we have been able to effectively stay connected as one body in Christ via zoom and most recently live streaming.

The Relaunch Taskforce’s mission is to protect the safety and welfare of St. Paul’s Church family and community against the spread of Covid-19. In alignment with the Centers for Disease Control, State of Pennsylvania and county guidelines the church building has remained closed. As guidelines have continued to be updated, requests have been made for events to take place at St. Paul’s. To ensure your safety, the building and property will remain closed to all activity and events with the exception of work required for live streaming. This can be safely managed by following a strict schedule of tracking and monitoring of a limited number of individuals in the church. This monitoring includes temperature checks, screening for symptoms of Covid-19, social distancing, use of personal protective equipment and disinfecting protocols.

Although our church facility remains closed, the Relaunch Team is working diligently in planning for the day when it will be safe for us to physically join together and fellowship at St. Paul’s.

St. Paul’s Baptist Church Relaunch Taskforce Dr. Lisa Croft - Chair

ST. PAUL’S BAPTIST CHURCH RE-OPENING UPDATE

MISSION: Protect the safety and welfare of the St. Paul’s family and members of the community against the resurgence of Covid 19.

GOALS: To ensure the safety and well- being of Congregants and members of the community, the St. Paul’s Relaunch Team recommends following scientific data using the following metrics to increase the probability of a sustained re-opening:

CDC guidelines regarding congregant gathering, including wearing face masks, frequent hand washing and social distancing. Consistent trend in decreases of cases, hospitalizations and deaths based on national, state and local data.

Equipment and personnel are available at the church to meet Covid 19 safety guidelines.

We encourage and hope that everyone will get the vaccine when available, although, it will not be required to enter the church.

We will keep members apprised of pertinent, accurate information via email blasts, public service announcements and St. Paul’s Relaunch web site regarding Covid 19 and its impact on re- opening St. Paul’s.

At this time, there is no projected date or concrete measures to be used for our re-opening. We are still following unstable data and once the data stabilizes more definitive information will be shared. We are taking every precaution to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our congregation and members of the community.

COVID-19 Funeral Assistance

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters. We are dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus.

Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020.

We are working with stakeholder groups to get their input on ways we can best provide this assistance, and to enlist their help with outreach to families and communities. FEMA will begin to implement COVID-19 funeral assistance in April.

Additional guidance is being finalized and will be released to potential applicants and community partners as soon as possible. In the meantime, people who have COVID-19 funeral expenses are encouraged to keep and gather documentation.

FEMA will begin accepting applications for Funeral Assistance on Monday, April 12, 2021 through the dedicated call center.

Who is Eligible?

To be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet these conditions: The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. The death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020. There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.

How to Apply

COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number Applications begin on April 12, 2021 844-684-6333| TTY:800-462-7585 Hours of Operation: Monday -Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time

If you had COVID-19 funeral expenses, we encourage you to keep and gather documentation. Types of information should include: An official death certificate that attributes the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19 and shows that the death occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. Funeral expenses documents (receipts, funeral home contract, etc.) that includes the applicant’s name, the deceased person’s name, the amount of funeral expenses, and the dates the funeral expenses happened. Proof of funds received from other sources specifically for use toward funeral costs. We are not able to duplicate benefits received from burial or funeral insurance, financial assistance received from voluntary agencies, government agencies, or other sources.

How Funds are Received

If you are eligible for funeral assistance you will receive a check by mail, or funds by direct deposit, depending on which option you choose when you apply for assistance.