Building Dreams, Transforming Lives - June 2025

When the U&I 4 USI Committee first came up with the $202,600 goal for the campaign to help the Unaccompanied Students Initiative organization build a new home that will provide housing for unhoused student mothers and their children, I was very skeptical. After all, I saw the amounts for contributions and other income that FCC received on a monthly basis and wondered how we would ever be able to raise this additional amount. I have been pleasantly surprised, and am so proud of how far we have come with this campaign. I sincerely believe that we will reach this goal.

Currently, the amount of funds from contributions and fundraising events that we have invested into CDs through Edward Jones, along with interest earned on those CDs, is $173,149.78. We have less than $30,000 needed to reach our goal!

For some history on this project: The 100th Anniversary of the formation of the First Christian Church of Cheyenne, Wyoming is in January, 2026. This church has a long tradition of supporting outreach programs and projects in our community, our country, and beyond USA borders. In looking for a way to honor that tradition for our 100 year celebration, a committee was formed over three years ago to come up with an appropriate project. Committee members agreed that a project to support a non-profit organization in our community which serves people in need would be the right fit. We asked the members of our congregation what types of things you would like to support, and the top issues were Homelessness and Youth. Unaccompanied Students Initiative (USI) was a perfect fit! We met with them to determine their needs and the U&I 4 USI Campaign was created.

You - the congregation of this church - have generously supported this project, and continue to do so, along with others outside of our church family. The U&I 4 USI Committee has held a variety of fundraising events, from an “Elvis” concert to raffles, Chili Cook-offs and “garage sales”, which have also been supported by you, and there are more being planned  for the last 7 months of this campaign. We are closing in on our goal, and need your help - not only your monetary contributions, but physical help with the fundraising events we are planning in these last few months of this ambitious campaign.

I look forward to the big 100th Anniversary celebration in January, 2026. We can all be proud of FCC Cheyenne, for the many projects undertaken in past years, and for the generosity shown through this U&I 4 USI campaign.

Please continue to fulfill your pledge to this campaign, give extra if you can, and volunteer to help with upcoming fundraising projects. Together we will meet this $202,600 goal!

Thank you to everyone who has donated time and/or money to U&I 4 USI.

Rita Basom, FCC Treasurer