Shared Offerings for 2011

An unprecedented turnout of 18 friends and members met in early November to select our Shared Offerings for the calendar year 2011. We received 24 nominations for 19 organizations. After vetting each nominee, the group chose the following organizations for the coming year: Jatropha Pepinye Partner for People and Place (Haiti), Save the Abandoned Babies Foundation, Amasong, Martin Luther King Jr. Advocacy for Justice Scholarship, The Education Justice Project, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, Champaign County), Generations of Hope, Moms and Babies Project at the Decatur Women’s Prison, The Channing-Murray Foundation, Eastern Illinois Food Bank and Champaign County Health Care Consumers. Thanks to all who helped choose these worthy organizations and to all members who donate regularly to the shared offering program.

Social Justice Coffeehouse on November 13

Over 65 people came to the UU Social Justice Coffeehouse on November 13. In addition to performances by over 20 people, we raised $310.74 to support the UU Children's "Pennies for Peace" fund raising. At the end of the evening, all the performers and audience joined in a group sing of "If I Had A Hammer". You can listen to this group sing video by using the following You Tube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1KflGXUWUQ

Help select next year's shared offerings!

Our Shared Offering program has been in place for several years now. Thanks to the generosity of this congregation, in the last year we have been able to contribute $10,000 to vital organizations which sustain our commitment to a world community with peace and justice for all. We believe that this program gives us all the opportunity to become more generous as a part of our daily lives—both to the church and, with this collection, to those outside of our church.

We are all members of the Social Action Committee! October is the month we ask for your input. Please give us your suggestions for organizations to highlight in the coming calendar year. Then, come to our November SAC meeting, Tuesday, November 2 at 7:30PM to advocate and be a part of the decision-making process. If your organization is selected, we will ask you to coordinate the month’s activities with help of one of SAC’s active members. In the meantime, let us know what organizations you favor with a couple of sentences of explanation. Forms will be available in the Social Action mailbox in the office and at the Social Action table between and after services.

Habitat build crew on July 24

Thanks to all the UU folks who helped out with the Habitat build on July 24. The picture shows those on the build crew who helped with the flooring, exterior siding, framing doors, and painting (L to R: Virginia Brubaker, me, Gail Schiesser, Pat Nolan, Chuck Cooper, Charles Wisseman, Andy Robinson, and Sue Schumacher). In addition, food and drink were provided by Gail Heuting, Jody Waitzman, and Lalita Kalita. Thanks to all of you for your service to the community!
Jim Hannum

UU volunteers for the June 24th Habitat build in Urbana

Next Habitat build is on July 24

Dear Social Action folks,
We have a full UU crew working at the Habitat for Humanity house build on Saturday, July 24. If some of you wanted to help out but were unable to come on this particular day or tried to sign-up and the crew was already full, please look at other volunteer openings on the Habitat website. Once you sign up as a volunteer you can see all the open build dates for the current house.

Jim

Help with a Habitat for Humanity house build this summer

Habitat is building a home at 1405 W. Beslin, Urbana, in June and July of this year. This home is being built for Crystal Brown and her daughter Sierra. We would like to provide the work crew for one Thursday in June (June 24) and one Saturday in July (this date has not yet been set). If you are interested, please sign up at the Social Action Committee table in church.

We need 10 volunteers for the June 24th date. The build tasks on that date are putting on roofing and siding. Can you join us?

Habitat needs volunteers for other dates on this particular build (all build dates are Thursdays and Saturdays). Some of the other dates are for women only (June 5, June 10, and June 26). More details about this social action project will be available in church.

People under the age of 16 are not allowed on a Habitat build, and those between the ages of 16-18 are not allowed to use power tools or to work on the roof. However, 16-18 year olds are welcome to join our crew with parental permission if interested.

Call Jim Hannum (367-9417) if you have more questions.

Social Action news

Do you want to get involved in social action?

Some current projects that members of our church are doing:

Canaan Credit Union - contribute some savings to this credit union and help local people obtain small loans. At least 12 people from UU have joined the Canaan Credit Union since our church became a member last month. Find out more information from Ben Galewsky, who is spearheading this effort, or from the Social Action Committee (SAC) table at church.

Safe Haven - want to know how to help this self governing group of homeless people? Members of our church have contributed clothing and toiletries to this group and two of our church members (Beth Carbonneau and Cindy Loui) have attended meetings of a coalition of faith groups seeking ways to help. More information at the Social Action table.

Shared offerings - each month a charity or social service agency is identified to receive funds from our shared offering plate collection on Sunday morning. Each month's designated charity is posted on the doors to the church and information about the work the agency does and ways to assist are on the Social Action table. The April charity is A Woman's Fund, which supports survivors of domestic abuse through its program, A Woman's Place. The May charity is Land of Lincoln Legal Fund. Want to know more? Come to the SAC table.