Perspectives for February 2024
- Upcoming Services
- An Active Membership and Congregation - by Anabel Watson, Connections Coordinator
- Staff Changes - Jo Bowman, Communications Coordinator
- Introducing the '24-'25 Pledge Drive Committee!
- From Your Board of Directors: GA Delegate Applications due Feb 21!
- From Your Ministerial Search Committee
- News from Lifespan Religious Education
- More Upcoming Offerings in Lifespan Religious Education
- Solar Eclipse Announcement
- Task Force of the Month: Rainbow Rights
- Racial Justice: Black History Month
- Reproductive Justice - “Siding with Love” Bake Sale
- Green Sanctuary - Task of the Month
- Hunger & Homelessness - There’s a New Kid on the Block - Mobile Integrated Health Program
- Hunger & Homelessness - Filling the Little Free Pantry
- The Path to becoming a UUCB Poverty Abolitionist
- Attendance, Offertory, and Membership Information
Table of Contents
Upcoming Services
Sunday, February 11
10:15 a.m.
Religion, Ethics, and Health
David Craig, Pulpit Guest
Mary Craig, Worship Associate
How do congregations cultivate wellness and advocate for healthy communities?
Healthcare ethicist David Craig, professor of Religious Studies at IUPUI, will share his community-engaged research exploring “cultures of wellness” in a broad range of Indianapolis-area religious communities (Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic).
An Active Membership and Congregation - by Anabel Watson, Connections Coordinator
This past Sunday we welcomed four new members into our congregation; Beth Henkel, Beth Macdonald, Ian Macdonald, and Anna Reine. All four participated in last month’s Exploring UUCB course (click HERE to register for the March course), facilitated by Stuart Yoak and myself along with presentations by Reverend Grant and Drew Schrader. It is a joy to accompany folks on their journeys of learning about Unitarian Universalism and the UUCB Community, and a further joy to see some choose to officially make our community a religious home. Please read below to learn more about these new members (and make sure to say “hello” on an upcoming Sunday!):
Beth Henkel - “Brief Bio”
I graduated from law school in 1981 and married Dan Henkel, the love of my life. While it would take another page to tell that part of my story, the briefest version is that we loved each other much – and also music, classical guitar, folk music, word play and having children. We had three marvelous children: Sarah Montgomery, Abby Henkel Roman, and Tom Henkel. Sarah and Abby now live here in Bloomington and are attending UUCB. Tom lives in Indy and visits often. Abby and Sarah persuaded Dan and me to move down here for our retirement years. Sadly, shortly after we moved here in April, 2023, my beloved husband passed away suddenly of a massive stroke. I am meditating a lot as I experience significant grief.
As a lawyer, I’ve worked in big firms and small. In the 1990s and early 2000s, I worked for the state at IDEM, served as a Deputy Attorney General for eight years, then general counsel and Commissioner of the Department of Local Government Finance. I opened my own solo law office in 2009 and have been practicing ever since then. I am now in the process of winding down my practice in semi-retirement.
We’ve been members of the UU Circle Fellowship and UUI in Indianapolis for about 45 years. I have been president of the Board of UUCF, program director, music director, RE Director, and on and on. Currently, I am a member and a worship associate at UUI.
Namaste.
Beth Macdonald
grew up in Orleans, Indiana. She works as a medical assistant for a community healthcare center in Bedford Indiana. She lived in Richmond, Virginia for 14 years and was a member of the Unitarian Universalist church there, as well as living on the beach in South Carolina before returning to Indiana. She likes to hike and see live music and hang with her cats and puppy. Excited to be married in May!
Ian Macdonald
is a 34 year old hippy from the land of the ice and snow. He is a project manager with Memnon Archiving Services in Bloomington Indiana, where he has worked for about seven years. In his free time he likes to read, hike, cook and play guitar. He has a bachelors in history and philosophy from the University of Vermont. Proud uncle of two nieces and excited to be married in May!
Anna Reine
is a life-long UU who grew up in New Orleans and recently moved to Bloomington from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is currently working on a postdoc as an experimental physicist studying tiny particles in underground laboratories. Anna is a huge book-lover who especially likes fantasy and sci-fi, and she enjoys yoga, baking, board games, and good conversations with friends. She’s looking forward to getting involved in social justice work at UUCB.
Congratulations to all our new members!
As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions relating to membership or engagement, whether you are looking for a social group to join or a way to volunteer and give back. I am available via email at connect@uubloomington.org and available to schedule a Connections Chat at a time that works for you. Below are a couple of areas where I am seeking further volunteers. I hope that these activities feel rewarding and meaningful for folks. Please let me know if you have an interest or any questions.
- Membership Anniversary Calls: each month, a team calls folks to congratulate them for joining membership in that month of a previous year. This experience can provide meaningful connection, gratitude for community and our faith, and spread smiles to those who keep our church running. If you feel you would make a great new team member, please reach out!
- Sunday Morning Volunteering: each week I send out reminder emails to all those subscribed to notifications on Java Crew, Flame Keeping, and Greeting (click to join each group). We can always use help in these areas. If you are looking for a way to help make Sundays more welcoming and lively, to have something tangible to do, to support the community and meet others, please join one of these groups!
It is a great joy to help this community thrive in connection. I am grateful to each one of you.
Anabel Watson, Connections Coordinator
connect@uubloomington.org
Staff Changes - Jo Bowman, Communications Coordinator
Hello, all! I have been working as the Office Assistant at UUCB since June. As of February I will be stepping into the Communications Coordinator role while still maintaining my previous responsibilities. I am so looking forward to continuing to learn about this new role and working with all of you more closely moving forward! Thank you all so much for your continued guidance and knowledge.
Jo Bowman, Communications Coordinator
They/Them
Introducing the '24-'25 Pledge Drive Committee!
Celebrating Our History - Funding Our Future
2024 marks the 75th anniversary of The Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington. The 2024-25 pledge drive will both celebrate our history and fund our future.
The committee will begin sending out information to the congregation during the month of February. Look for a letter in the mail, an email, articles in the Perspectives newsletter and Friday Updates. Information will be posted at church and on Facebook.
SAVE THE DATE:
Sunday, March 3 will be the kick-off of the Pledge Drive.
Please contact committee members with your questions.
Back: Pat Slabach, Joan Caulton, David Frew, Corrin Clarkson
Front: Judy Witt, JaneAnn Gifford
pledgedrive@uubloomington.org
From Your Board of Directors: GA Delegate Applications due Feb 21!
General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Participants worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. This year GA is June 20-23 and will be entirely virtual.
Anyone is welcome to attend GA, but only Delegates selected by each Congregation may vote. Consider being a delegate for UUCB this year at GA. We can have up to 11 delegates to represent our church and vote on matters on our behalf.
If you are interested in being a delegate this year, please fill out this simple application.
Once applications are in, the board will strive to present a slate of delegates that includes those with GA experience and those without, and that represents the breadth the congregation.
Delegates are expected to:
- Familiarize yourself with the business items on the GA Agenda. Discuss agenda items with your congregation.
- Learn how to effectively speak in General Session and how to vote on GA business items by reviewing the Rules of Procedure. The Rules of Procedure are found in the final agenda, which is published in late May.
- Consult the UUA's Delegate frequently asked questions.
- Familiarize themselves with the dates and costs associated with attending the GA.
- After GA, share information about your GA experience with the larger UUCB congregation.
Application timeline
- Sunday, February 18, 12:00-1:00 - Informational forum with previous UUCB GA delegates in the Sanctuary
- Wednesday, February 21, noon - Application deadline
- Wednesday, February 21 8:00pm - Board meets to review applications.
- Monday, February 26 - Applicants informed of decision.
Applications may still be submitted after February 21, but those submitted before will be given priority.
The church will provide up to $280 in financial support to each delegate selected.
Abby Gitlitz, Board President
pres@uubloomington.org
From Your Ministerial Search Committee
Greetings from your Ministerial Search Committee. We’re very happy to share that we received a strong list of applicants in response to our congregational record. Through mutual discernment and interviews, three wonderful pre-candidates have emerged. The committee will meet with those pre-candidates in February and March. Out of care for the pre-candidates' existing congregational relationships, this part of the process remains confidential; we won't have much to share with you in this phase, but you can trust we'll be busy!
We will announce a candidate in April. Remember to mark your calendars for Candidating Week, April 21-28, when there will be many opportunities to meet and get to know the candidate. And please do be here on April 28th for a special congregational meeting after service when we will vote to call the candidate.
Finally, a big part of the Search Committee's job is describing our congregation to interested ministers, both in the Congregational Record and in interviews. As we continue this work, we want to say thank you, to all of you, for making UUCB a congregation that's easy to describe with love and pride. Ministers are excited to learn about this congregation, and we get to tell them about it--thanks for making this a joyful task!
Your Ministerial Search Committee: Ann, Christine, Denise, Mary Beth, Michael, Olaya, and Von
News from Lifespan Religious Education
A Journey through UU History
March 2
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Register here
In the morning, our journey begins with the religious controversy concerning the trinity in 325 CE. From there we jump to 1531 and meet a Spanish theologian and physician who argued the concept of the trinity was not Biblical; a Transylvanian King who decreed tolerance for all faiths; and discover England’s anti-trinitarian law that imposed the penalty of death sent UUs fleeing across the ocean to a new world.
At noon we'll break for lunch (provided) and informal discussion, resuming our tour at 1pm.
Safely in North America, we meet the UU signers of the Declaration of Independence; founders of the first Universalist convention in 1790; a Unitarian minister and poet at the center of the transcendentalism movement in America; the first woman to be ordained as a minister of any denomination in the United States; as well as UU activists and social reformers along the way.
We are the beneficiaries of amazing women and men who, because of their courage, determination, and a commitment to the inherent dignity and worth of all people, we today have the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana.
Poetry as a Spiritual Practice
Linda Pickle, Facilitator
There is a new Adult Religious Education offering, Poetry as a Spiritual Practice, facilitated by Linda Pickle. The course will meet five times in a hybrid format (participants meet face-to-face at church or via Zoom) on Monday evenings (7-8:30 pm), beginning March 25, 2024, and continuing after that every two weeks: April 1, April 15, April 29, ending May 13.
Those welcome to join: youth (age 14 and up) and adults who are interested in exploring new ways to engage in spiritual practice and those who may or may not already love, read, or write poetry. Engaging in literary analysis is not a purpose or goal of the program.
Contact Linda with your questions: 812-369-4430, linda.pickle@wku.edu
Sign-up will take place in February and March, 2024. Watch the Friday Updates for additional information.
More Upcoming Offerings in Lifespan Religious Education
Death Cafe
February 11
3-5 p.m.
Register Here
Everybody dies. Yet we do not talk about it. Death Cafe is here to normalize the undoubtedly normal fact of our own mortality.
It’s important to note that Death Cafe is NOT counseling, nor is it a grief support group. It is simply a place to talk, and listen, about our thoughts and feelings around death.
Sponsored by the 2023 cohort of Inner Work of Age.
A Journey through UU History
March 2
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Register Here
We are the beneficiaries of amazing women and men who, because of their courage, determination, and a commitment to the inherent dignity and worth of all people, we today have the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana. Sign up to learn more about our history!
Sound Baths for Relaxation
February 10
March 9
April 13
11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Register here
Lie back and receive the healing vibrations of the sounds of instruments such as crystal singing bowls, Himalayan singing bowls, gong, buffalo drum, voice and more. Offered by Jill Courtney.
Poetry as a Spiritual Practice
Monday evenings, beginning March 25, every two weeks, ending May 13.
7-8:30 p.m.
Register Here
Exploring new ways to engage in spiritual practice and those who may or may not already love, read, or write poetry. Engaging in literary analysis is not a purpose or goal of the program.
Solar Eclipse Announcement
As many of you know there will be a Total Solar Eclipse occuring Monday, April 8, 2024 and Bloomington will be a prime viewing location. We are anticipating a lot of traffic this day and are in need of parking volunteers! People who live walking distance from the church are especially encouraged to sign up for a shift. We will handle the solar eclipse parking as we do football parking, except all proceeds will go directly towards UUCB's Solar Panel Maintenance Fund.
If you wish to volunteer please register here.
Task Force of the Month: Rainbow Rights
Shades on the Spectrum - By Jason Michálek
Rainbow Rights is collecting a diversity of experiences of becoming individually confident in an identity and being collectively accepted into community. By interviewing congregants we’re hoping to capture different cultural and relational factors of gender and sexuality that inflect the past and present to show how our congregation/community is welcoming--and to suggest what work we still have to do to make/keep that vision a reality.
As a teaser into a few stories this will feature, what follows are a few profiles from what collectively can be described as “Women who Love Women.” Our overall hope is to frame the collection of accounts to inform the congregation about what queerness looks like and how everyone can participate in reducing harm and truly supporting diversity in Beloved Community--which also makes space for confusions, tensions, and growth. So, here are a few accounts from women who feel welcomed in loving women within our community, in their own words.
Olaya Fernández Gayol related a journey of knowing and being accepted, saying, “I was never uncomfortable. What I was (for 31 years) was unaware. The ‘inciting incident’ for my coming out story was a woman I became really close friends with through sharing some workplace trauma and lots of emotional vulnerability. She made me realize that those bad or unfulfilling experiences with men, one of whom was actually a very sweet person, had a quite simple explanation and it was in my hands to do something about it (living in NYC at the time made things way easier).
So I went on OKCupid, talked to a few people and went on my first date with Corrin. The only thing that remained to be done was to tell my family and friends. I wanted to tell my mum in person so I waited until the Christmas trip back home, and then waited until I was about to go through the security checkpoint, because if you’ve met my mother you know she can be a bit intense and I didn’t want to live with the version of her that knew (and could ask questions I didn’t necessarily want to answer, or knew the answer to myself).
She took it well during the 10 minutes I spent with her afterwards, asked an inappropriate question, and said she had suspected it at some point. Now, despite a couple of dramatic episodes over the years, she has now become Corrin’s biggest fan and supports and cherishes our relationship. All my friends have also been really supportive and enthusiastic about it, even if some of them were shocked at the beginning (the gay man of all people). I have been very lucky in my short coming out story and would like to think that it just all happened at the right place and time.
My relationship with a woman now feels ‘right’, when before there was always something missing, or the feeling that I was being selfish.
I also think I’m now more aware of other identities and how language can be really harmful. Growing up (in Spain, in the 90s and 00s) I essentially had no close and positive LGBTQ references. There were gay men on TV but Spain still had a culture of homophobia (some still remains, and a lot of slurs are casually used) and the only lesbians were butch women who were not spoken about very kindly either. The casual homophobic comments are the hardest to endure now. The other interesting thing about language is that I don’t really have the words to talk about ‘gay culture’ in Spanish, and also lack some of the American historic references. I do sometimes feel like an infiltrator who hasn’t ‘earned her place.’
For Carol McCord, church was always a place of acceptance that was just passively welcoming:
“I was becoming comfortable with my orientation, I had identified as lesbian since college and coming out of college then, that…that was difficult for me: to come out. But then I moved to Bloomington right after college, and so I brought that sense of myself having just kind of accomplished that or gotten to that when I moved here. It was pretty new for me, and it wasn't a time in the world when it was that common–or at least in the places I found myself. I did find a women's community, and I found gay people, but I didn't feel like the general society was that open.
I had been much more careful or circumspect about who I chose to come out to–and particularly in terms of work, too. So I was working in a couple different places. Planned Parenthood, for instance. I did not want to come out intentionally. I didn't come out. I felt like that would not help my mission of being able to get good information about sexuality to people because Planned Parenthood has enough trouble getting to places, being welcomed into places to speak and provide information. And then as a lesbian in that role, I just thought it was going to be too much. But at church, I never made a big announcement or anything. I just kind of was who I was, and came and went. I did other things, and over time, I think everybody just kind of knew. I became looser and more comfortable sharing that information, and I was around longer and more people talk to each other. I felt myself becoming comfortable with my orientation at church. And it just sort of happened kind of over a period of years.
Then during the time, the congregation was working on becoming a Welcoming Congregation, I wasn't actually participating very much. I was away doing other stuff. When I came back, it was a Welcoming Congregation. And I hadn't even realized that it had been something I hadn't spoken with people about very much before. I realized, ‘Oh, that's really nice. That makes me feel welcome and I like it.' They've done that, and I appreciate that being the case. I guess I hadn't even really thought about the fact that I hadn't felt comfortable or welcomed in particular. But I also felt comfortable and welcomed in other ways. I mean, I like the congregation, the values of the Church. Why, the congregation stood for their very many nice people. It was much better, and I hadn't even realized that it hadn't been okay. I was just happy to realize that an explicit statement was missing, but I'm very glad to have it now. It was more or less an affirmation of what the congregation already did, just achieving the official designation.”
For Melinda Swenson, the process played out over a longer period:
"Orientation is a word that I don't relate to so much. My husband Daniel and I were members of UUCB for almost 30 years as a couple before he died, and everybody knew that we were together. We didn't have to explain our hetero orientation. We had a child, and all 3 of us were welcomed into UUCB world.
I taught human sexuality to IU undergrad nursing students in Bloomington and graduate students, mostly on the Indianapolis campus. Lesbian couples are common in many women-focused occupations like nursing. I had friends from IUPUI campus School of Nursing who were lesbian, I also had friendships with lesbian faculty members in Bloomington. After Daniel’s death, I went to the summertime Women's Music Festival in Bloomington. Carol was there with other gay and straight friends. I went with a lesbian couple from Indianapolis. Daniel liked women's music, and I liked women's music, and we never said this was lesbian music. We just said it was women's music. It was not about orientation. It was just about being with friends and enjoying the music.
A few months after Daniel died in 2005, Carol invited me to go to a student presentation at one of the IU dorms. It was The Vagina Monologues being put on by the students. It was sort of a date. After the show, Carol walked me into my car because I wasn't exactly sure where it was, and we just started talking. She was the first person I told the whole story of his death. She listened to me talk about my grief for two hours, sitting in my car.
About a year later I found myself thinking about Carol when I was off with my family on a Disney cruise. And when I came back, we started talking more. And even went on a movie date or two! And months later, she visited my house more often because she had a cat who was very sick, and I had 2 cats who were very sick, and we decided to put them all together in my bathroom and have a cat infirmary. Carol came after work every day to give her cat IV medication.
I said, 'You are here very often, and you have a long drive home. Why don’t you just move in here?' It was a gentle evolution to becoming lovers after years of friendship. We don't have an dating anniversary, but we do have a wedding anniversary (when we got married in June 2014– One of the two days it was legal in Indiana. Mary Ann Macklin married us in our own church, with two witnesses. That was the whole wedding. It was perfect, and the Self-Hugging Tree was our “best man.” Yes, that sculpture is Daniel Willard's sanctuary tree. We just pulled him over, and his spirit stood up with us.
I don't necessarily identify as ‘lesbian’: I identify as ‘Carol-oriented.’
My orientation is focused on my loving relationship with Carol. I like women. I like men. I don't feel bisexual. I don't have a label that fits me. When I was married, I was married, and it was just fine. Now I'm married again, and I'm still married, and it's even better than just fine. It wasn't an existential shift for me. What I loved was that nobody at church even raised an eyebrow. I have felt welcomed and at home in the UUCB since 1977."
—
This is what one strand of the spectrum looks like. How do you belong and extend the welcome? If you'd like to participate in the video project and share your story, contact us at RainbowRights@uubloomington.org
Racial Justice: Black History Month
What does Black History Month bring up for you? Perhaps it raises your awareness of how little you learned about Black History in school, and particularly about Black History presented from a Black perspective. Perhaps it makes you reflect that Black History is not separate from US History and feel that Black History should not be designated as a focus only during the shortest month of the year. Perhaps it motivates you to learn, to move toward a more complete and honest understanding of the complex history that has laid the groundwork for the place we are today. Perhaps it brings up all – or none – of these feelings. This year, Black History Month prompted me to realize how little I know about Unitarian Universalism’s Black History. This year, I’m spending some time learning more. Here is one article by Mark Morrison-Reed that I’m reading. I invite you to join me – let’s learn more about our UU history.
By Ruth Aydt
Racial Justice Task Force Chair
Reproductive Justice - “Siding with Love” Bake Sale
February 11, 2024
After the service in Fellowship Hall
By Pat Slabach
After two COVID years, Reproductive Justice Task Force "Siding with Love" Bake Sale will be live this year. Our highly skilled volunteer bakers are busy at work making an assortment of fabulous treats, just in time for Valentine's Day! The Reproductive Justice Task Force works in partnership with 4th Trimester and All Options Pregnancy Resource Center. This is our major fundraiser, supporting diaper drives, reducing maternal mortality, and providing abortion and transportation funding. Valentine-themed decorated cookies, brownies and fruit bars will be sold. Individual cookies sold by the piece, or by the box. Also available, gluten free options and savory snacks.
Pay as you are able, using cash or credit card. Donations also welcome!
Thank you!
Reproductive Justice Task Force
Green Sanctuary - Task of the Month
Our suggested February Task of the Month is to “Eat green. Plan meals, buy local and compost to reduce waste.” According to Project Drawdown, adopting plant-rich diets and reducing food waste are among the top actions that households can take. Adapt a favorite dish by using beans or quinoa in place of the meat and add it to your repertoire.
Mark your calendar! On February 25th the Green Sanctuary Task Force will be hosting a vegetarian potluck during Community Hour (11:30-1:00) in Fellowship Hall. Please join us and bring a favorite vegetarian (or vegan) dish to share if you can.
Be sure to list your ingredients for those on restricted diets, and drop off your dish in the kitchen before the 10:15 service. If you’d like to share your recipe, send it to us: zero.GSTF@uubloomington.org
We hope you will come to the potluck even if you can’t bring a dish!
By Molly O'Donnell
Green Sanctuary Task Force
Hunger & Homelessness - There’s a New Kid on the Block - Mobile Integrated Health Program
Once again the Bloomington Fire Department held a successful food drive during the month of December, exhibiting not only their compassion, but also their generosity in helping to feed hungry people in our community. Their donations were plentiful and varied.
That’s not all! BFD tagged each piece of food with a Mobile Integrated Health sticker. MIH is new to Monroe County. Being a sub department of BFD, MIH has been trained (all are EMTs) to respond to non fire-related 911 calls, such as lift calls when someone has fallen and can’t get up. They often find the individual has additional needs at home that go beyond the initial call like identifying trip hazards in their environment or social/mental health needs.
Other services provided are:
- Hospital dismissal/post discharge follow-ups
- Post-response follow-ups for certain emergencies (such as diabetic or overdose)
- Chronic disease management
- Substance abuse mitigation
- Mental illness mitigation
- Elderly management programs
- Immunization/vaccination initiatives
AND it’s free to the clients!
Help spread the word about these valuable services.
Information: https://bloomington.in.gov/success/2023/10/03/5742
Shelby Wood, Community Care Coordinator, shelby.wood@bloomington.in.gov Phone: 812-269-1171
Thank you Bloomington Fire Department!
By Mary Blizzard
Hunger & Homelessness - Filling the Little Free Pantry
I fill the pantry 2 times a week. Most of the time my job is routine, but I look out for things that need to be wiped down or picked up. A few weeks ago, I picked up an empty can. I am sure it came from our pantry. It had one of those pull tops so you don't need a can opener. It was a can of ravioli in tomato sauce, the kind you use for a quick lunch. As I picked it up, I wondered what it was like to be so hungry that you just stood outside and ate cold food out of a can.
We don't interact much with our "customers" but once in a while we have contact. One day as I was standing at the box emptying my bags into it, a voice behind me said, "Thank you." I turned around and a young man smiled at me. He was in his late teens, maybe early 20's. Our "customers" are grateful and respectful of the pantry.
We ask them to take only a few items and leave something for the next person and we know from random observation that this is what most people do. Since this past summer when food stamps were cut, we have seen increased demand. We were stocking the pantry 6 days a week and every time one of us came on our day, the pantry would be empty or have a single can of vegetables in it. We decided to stock it 7 days a week and still the only time it isn't empty or nearly empty is when we can tell that other people have left items. Yes, there are non-church members that put food in our pantry. Our Little Free Pantry provides a way for anyone to contribute and we see regular contributions.
Because we don't ask for a person's address, we can serve the homeless as well as the people nearby who live in subsidized housing. That means that we can't buy food from Hoosier Hills Food Bank at a deep discount, which means we have to buy our food from local grocery stores. We are spending $300 per month to fill the pantry. We buy to supplement what you donate.
If we seem to be driven to fundraise, it is in response to the need we see from our "customers." It doesn't work to say "Well, I fed you yesterday."
By Judy Kelly
Hunger Task Force
The Path to becoming a UUCB Poverty Abolitionist
EDUCATE, ADVOCATE, ACT
STEP ONE: EDUCATE
We are a group of people at UUCB who have been inspired by the reading and study of the book “Poverty, By America” by Mathew Desmond to come together to educate ourselves and the congregation on the causes of and solutions to poverty in our community on a local, state and national level.
From the book “Poverty by America”:
The US, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy.
We can eliminate poverty in the U.S. by:
*Looking at our lives and seeing how we are connected to the problem and solutions
*Looking at our consumer choices and investment decisions.
*Supporting government policies that disrupt poverty instead of accommodate it.
*Reject a scarcity mindset and recognize the nation’s bounty.
*Join an antipoverty organization working to eliminate poverty in America.
*Read the book: Available for a 20% discount at the UUCS book table.
Click here to see a short video by Mathew Desmond.
In Indiana on Saturday, March 2 at noon, the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival will rally at the state capital in Indianapolis. Along with many campaigns across the country, we bring the demands of poor and low-wealth people for living wages, healthcare, housing, education, environmental justice, and voting rights directly to our lawmakers. From Texas to Maine and California to the Carolinas, thousands of poor and impacted people, clergy and advocates will call for an end to poverty in the richest nation on earth. In Indiana, we are gathering at the Statehouse in Indianapolis on March 2 to say, THIS SITUATION HAS GONE ON FAR TOO LONG, AND WE WON'T BE SILENT ANY MORE. WE NEED CHANGE, AND WE NEED IT NOW! Save the Date & Join Us!
Contact us to carpool or be added to our UUCB POVERTY ABOLITIONIST email list contact Mary Mahern mdmahern@gmail.com
By Mary Mahern
Attendance, Offertory, and Membership Information
Current Member Number: 560
Attendance
01/07/2024: 193
01/14/2024: 125
01/21/2024: 286
01/28/2024: 186
Offertory Total for January 2024: $2,087.03
25% Donated to All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center: $521.75