Emergency Family Assistance Fund
Help that's already there when hardship hits.
A standing fund that gives short-term relief to missionaries and church staff whose household faces a sudden, significant hardship. It closes the gap the hardship created, so a family can meet basic living needs.
Two ways we respond
How this fund differs from the Jubilee Fund.
Emergency Family Assistance Fund
A Standing Fund, Ready Ahead of Time
Jubilee Fund
A Campaign for One Family's Need
They can work together. When a family's need also qualifies for a Jubilee campaign, this fund may cover part of that campaign's goal directly.
Who qualifies
Workers across Rivergate's network.
Any vocational Christian missionary, pastor, or church staff member connected to Rivergate's partner churches, ministries, and mission-sending organizations, whether full-time, part-time, or bivocational.
Inquire to learn about eligibility and available fundingQualifying hardships
Sudden events outside a family's control.
- Death of a household member
- Severe illness or injury in the household
- Uninsured loss from fire, crime, flood, or natural disaster
- Unusual costs of caring for a dependent with a disability
- Loss of household income beyond the family's control
- Unmanageable debt from causes beyond the family's control
What it covers
Basic living needs the hardship made urgent.
Payments go directly to the provider wherever possible. The fund does not replace lost wages or income, cover discretionary spending, or pay debt unrelated to the hardship.
How it works
From request to relief.
01
The need is brought forward
A short written description of the hardship and the needs it created.
02
Rivergate reviews and approves
We set a grant amount for the situation based on the needs described.
03
Providers are paid directly
Every payment is tied to a bill or invoice, and support is reviewed at 90 days.
Give before the next hardship hits.
Grants are paid from gifts already in the fund. What isn't needed for one family stays ready for the next.