 All life is interrelated. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. Whatever affects one individual directly, it affects all indirectly. Where would America be without the Black Church? Whether spaces of refuge or resistance, sustenance or solace, belonging or building, Black churches have stood at the center of countless Black communities across the nation. Yet, these spaces that have stood at the epicenter of community, activism, and some of our country's most historically significant moments, are fighting to keep the doors open. From aging congregations on fixed income to structural and environmental issues, these churches are experiencing threats that could close their doors forever. We have about 50 members on role here at Burke's Chapel. On an average Sunday, we have anywhere from 25 to 30 people. Most of our members are retired or heading toward retirement. The first phone call I received was from a member. She said, the church is all gone. Tornado hit the church. I've never used the word devastation so much in my life. And for the months and year following, it's been difficult to reimagine. In 2017, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund chose to respond. Since then, we have been doing the work to sustain the legacies and tell the stories of these institutions of impact in our society. From rural Alaska to urban New York, modest community buildings to grand architectural design, we are committed to address the needs that will enable continued spiritual growth, activism, and impact across our country. If you notice, the building has three towers. Over the years, those towers have suffered significant damage. In fact, one of them had a tree growing through it at one point. We have these beautiful stained glass windows and we've had windows to be broken out and there's plaster that needs to be restored and floors that need to be repaired and there's lots that needs to be done to bring this church back to its former glory. I think the Action Fund is probably the best thing that's happened to Berks Chapel. You know, you look around and you see all of these things that need to be done and you make this wish list and the Action Fund has given us a starting place. The Action Fund is able to respond to the climate change-related extreme weather and disasters that are becoming more and more commonplace. And so being able to respond and bring that financial support in times when they need emergency action to stabilize their church and to start that preservation work is really key. When we think about the emergency rapid response grants, it's a bridge. It's extending that hand that you need to come out of the wake of something like a tornado or a hurricane and giving hope once again to people so that they can then preserve and re-establish themselves as a beacon in their community. St. James AME was founded in 1868. We are a few years out of the Civil War. We're during reconstruction time, so people would have been looking for a place for not only spiritual direction, but for resources, for community, for family. And so St. James played a pivotal role in helping those formerly enslaved persons that needed that direction and that help. The Action Fund has enabled or is enabling St. James to become more of a historical presence. Not just in Mayfield, but I truly believe in the world. They've helped us become more of a part of history than it already was. It's just been an amazing partnership. When I finally got to sit down with the elders of St. James AME, they said, if we have to make a choice, there are just two things we want to preserve. Our bell tower and our mural art. We were able to help them do both. And so whether it's conserving that art or stabilizing the bell tower, we're really interested in saving the stories of historic black churches so that they can continue to inspire and drive positive change in our society. Since launching the Preserving Black Churches program in 2022, we have invested over $8 million in funding to more than 70 historic black churches to respond to urgent preservation threats, address critical stabilization needs through our Emergency Response Fund, deployed our team of preservationists, architects, and grant makers and marketers to help churches reimagine how their churches are stewarded into the future. By investing in these sites of American cultural heritage, we can inspire reverence for the past, motivation for the present, and hope for the future. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, make a career of humanity. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in. There is still so much work to be done, and without the support of local and national partners, these important places will be lost. The need is now. Join our movement today.