Mutual Aid
We help pay each other's bills. It's older than insurance.
Anabaptists have shared money in hard times since the 1500s. At Clearwater that means a fund, three deacons and a rule that nobody else needs to know.
Need help today? Call Joan Nafziger, deacon, at (555) 014-7386. She answers evenings.
Asking for help
How to ask the Mutual Aid fund
Members and neighbors can both ask. Most requests are answered within a week; emergencies the same day.
Step 1: Talk to a deacon
Call, email or catch one of us after church. Tell us as much or as little as you like.
Step 2: One page, if you want
There's a short form for bigger requests. For a utility bill or groceries, a phone call is enough.
Step 3: We decide together
Three deacons meet on Thursday evenings. Your name never goes beyond the three of us.
Step 4: No repayment
It's a gift, not a loan. Some people give back to the fund years later. Most can't, and that's fine.
The fund this year
What Mutual Aid did, compared with last year
Reported to the congregation in September. No names, ever.
September to August
| Measure | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households helped | 33 | 41 | +24% |
| Given in bills, rent and repairs1 | $29,450 | $38,600 | +31% |
| Comforters knotted for MCC | 109 | 124 | +14% |
| School kits packed | 310 | 380 | +23% |
| Work-crew hours on neighbors' homes | 1,040 | 1,260 | +21% |
- 1Largest single gift: a furnace in January.
Audited by two members who are not deacons, every September.
Kit list
What to bring for MCC school kits this month
Each kit goes in a cloth bag sewn by the Tuesday group. Tick what you'll bring, copy your list, and drop it in the bins by the fellowship hall door.
Updated Monday, October 5
School kits3
Hygiene kits2
Comforters1
Not on the list, but call Lois: we may still need it.
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