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Well friends, we’ve (almost) made it. 2020 is about to be in our rearview mirrors. In the midst of this difficult year we:
looked for (created, willed into being) hope in difficult times,
celebrated our connections even as we had to maintain physical distance,
worked to make sure that democracy worked for everyone,
gathered to support each other during what felt like an overwhelming election season,
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worshipped thanks to the magic of technology (even when it didn’t feel very magical) and so much more.
All of these accomplishments - the beauty and connection and hope and struggle mattered - they were real. And yet, we can’t help but acknowledge that this year has been hard. Sometimes our connections felt frayed, our gratitude well dried up and our ability to seek the good in other people was limited. And that’s ok. It’s ok to acknowledge that this has been a hard year full of hard choices. We, individually and collectively, made the best of it, but sometimes our best wasn’t great. So as we come into a holiday season that will itself be changed in ways we neither expected nor requested, let’s be gentle with ourselves. Let’s not expect great feats of gratitude or merry making. Let’s instead promise to take care of each other. To tell the people we love how much they mean to us. To appreciate our individual offerings, whatever they may be.
In early March I said our watchwords at UUCV during this unknown time would be grace and humor. We do our best, are gentle with ourselves when things don’t go exactly according to plan and try to keep laughing. I offer them to you as we all go about making new traditions. And just remember: eventually, it will be funny.
Happy Chanukah, Good Solstice, Merry Christmas and a great big welcome to 2021,
Aija
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December Worship
December 6 - "Count the Stars" Experiencing the Awesome Awe-some. Chris Kapp leads the service with worship associate Bev Motich.
December 13 - "Can We Believe in Miracles?" What does it take to imagine that there might be miracles in the world? Rev. Aija Simpson preaches with worship associate Ben Ramirez.
December 20 - "The Longest Night" Beauty in the Dark. Rev. Aija Simpson preaches with worship associate Cathy Dewalt.
December 24 - "Music and Lights" Join us on the lawn of UUCV at 5:30 PM for music and candle lighting. Rev. Aija Simpson leads the service.
December 27 - "The Grand Pause" Life is so much easier when we're in possession of all the facts and in control of our own destinies… right? But what might we discover if we learned to embrace our ignorance—and even our powerlessness—as gifts? Rev. David speaks a bit more than usual from behind the virtual piano as he leads a music-filled service about mystery, wonder, and (gasp) faith.
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The UUCV Book Group meets at 6:30 pm on the 4th Sunday of each month for a lively, thoughtful discussion. If you've ever wanted to get involved, we'd love to have you join us!
The selections for 2021 have been made and will be advertised soon on our website and future newsletters...stay tuned.
If you have any questions, or would like the Zoom link to join the discussions, please email Riley at riles1806@gmail.com.
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UUCV Grocery Cards for Sale
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We are still available for you to purchase grocery card sales for Weis, Karns and Giant...and remember you can use your Giant card for gas also.
Send an email to Pam with your order and the cards will be mailed to your home. You can pay by sending a check to UUCV, PO Box 207, Boiling Springs, PA 17007 or you can pay by credit card directly to Pam...indicate in your email if you want to pay by credit card and Pam will arrange the payment with you.
Thanks for continuing to support UUCV.
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Hospice Items Needed
The Residential Hospice in Cumberland County is in need of items
Lap Blankets
Adult Bibs
Fidget Pads (size of a large placemat...should have things like a pocket, zippers, buttons, anything sensory into the pad
If you are able to donate, please contact Pam to arrange pick up of your items.
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December Social Justice Opportunities
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Change For The World—December
The CFTW will be Hope Station, 149 West Penn Street, Carlisle, PA 17013.
Hope Station is a non-profit designed to enhance the quality of life, health, safety, and economic opportunities of the people who live in the neighborhood it comprises. Hope Station is not just a building. Hope Station seeks to lift up the entire neighborhood by tackling our most difficult problems through education, technology, job development and most importantly, teaching our children to become leaders by learning to respect themselves and others. Hope Station has a commitment to unity and pride, and embraces the success and diversity of its families. www.hopestationcarlisle.org
The Social Justice Committee has decided that our CFTW will be changed each quarter instead of each month allowing offerings to accumulate for three months in order to give recipients larger sums.
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CARES dinner for 30 - 40
We will deliver a holiday meal to CARES on Sunday, December 20.
Contact Pam to sign up for an item.
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For this special meal we need the following items.
Baked, sliced Ham - already donated & taken care of by Diane Dusman 😊
Side Dishes: Potato Casseroles- 3 needed. (Scalloped, au gratin, sweet potato)
Vegetable Sides - 3 or 4 needed. ( Green bean casserole, baked corn)
Salads - 3 needed ( Any favorite holiday salad, like spinach/strawberry)
Dinner Rolls & Butter - 3 or 4 dozen needed 1 lb butter
Dessert: 4 or 5 needed. ANY Favorite holiday desserts such as cakes, pies, trifles,
a plate of holiday cookies.
Drinks : 2 gal of milk. 2 gal of cider
Please plan to drop off your items between 3:00 and 3:30 on Sunday,
December 20 at the UUCV Parking Lot. If you need someone to pick up your item, or if you have any questions, please email Carol Riesmeyer or call 724/822-6423. Thank you for your continued contributions and support.
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Congregational Antiracism Initiative: It takes all of us!
In October, our congregation held an effective vigil in support of Black Lives. This inspirational and deeply moving event made a strong statement of our UU values to those in attendance and to the Boiling Springs community. It is time now to build on that initial step and take more action that will contribute to meaningful change. “How do we accomplish this in the midst of a pandemic?”
- Educating ourselves
- Developing a common vocabulary
- Sharing meaningful conversations about white privilege and systemic racism
- Building collective energy and generating ideas for future action
During the months of January and February many UUCV activities will deepen our awareness of racism in our country and how it affects each of us. Look forward to small group topics, messages from the pulpit, book club titles, and social justice committee activities to unite us in this effort. In addition, we will be joining UU congregations everywhere in the Common Read initiative with Imani Perry’s book,
Breathe: a Letter to my Sons. This concise 158-page book is more than a letter to her sons. One of its descriptors by Tayari Jones claims: “it’s a meditation on child-rearing, world-building, fire-starting, and peace-building. The result is a magic mirror showing us who we are, how we got here, and who we may become.”
The book is available in hardcover, on Audible, and available for Kindle on Amazon, but we can support our local independent bookstore by purchasing from The Whistlestop Bookshop on W. High St. in Carlisle (717 243-4744.) The owner is providing a 20% discount and will absorb the sales tax for those who mention the UUCV Common Read when ordering. Curbside pick-up is available there. At $15.00 or less, this would make a great Christmas present! Plan now to participate in the Common Read and do your part to stoke the congregational fire that will make a difference in our community. Also, stay tuned for a January 16th Carlisle Borough Council Town Hall addressing Race Relations in the greater Carlisle area, more details in the January newsletter.
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Community CARES Donation Process
With the increasing numbers of Covid positive cases in our county we feel the need to remind everyone of our donation process. We ask all of those who intend to drop off donations to please call the front desk before you leave and let us know your estimated time of arrival. Our phone number is 717-249-1009 and dial 0. Donations can be dropped off at 50 W Penn Street from 8am-6pm. Please leave your donations inside your vehicle and call to the front desk 717-249-1009 and press 0 or ring the doorbell outside of the resource center. A staff member or trained volunteer will come out and assist you with your donations.
Thank you to the entire community for your support!
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Join us for our Christmas Eve service on December 24.
We will join on the front lawn at UUCV at 5:30 pm.for a brief “Music and Lights” service.
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Donate Mittens, Hats, Gloves, Scarves
In lieu of our Mitten tree this year, we are asking if you can donate mittens, hats, scarves, socks, etc. to please drop them off at UUCV by 3:00 PM on Sunday, December 20.
There will be a bin at the church at the door by the parking lot for you to leave the items.
They will then be delivered to CARES on the 20th along with a special Holiday Meal also provided by UUCV donations.
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UUCV Building Open
The SCRT and UUCV Board of Trustees has approved opening the building for maintenance, garden/yard workers and staff who need to enter the building for routine tasks with the following guidelines:
"we will implement a buddy system: Nobody goes to the church after dark, and nobody goes onto property or into the building alone. Masks must be worn, unless people are in two separate offices behind closed doors. This policy will be revised as needed as circumstances change over the coming months."
Your staff will still be working remotely, so please continue to contact them by email or by calling 717/249-8944 and leaving a message for the staff member you need to reach by following the prompts.
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Judy Welles Endowment
The Judy Welles Endowment Fund for the Unitarian Universalists of the Cumberland Valley has been established with a generous donation by Judy's brother and his wife, Jack and Di Clymer.
The fund is a permanent endowment fund for the benefit of the Unitarian Universalists of the Cumberland Valley, the income of which, as determined by the spending policy of the congregation, may be used from time to time as it may determine for any general or special purpose of the congregation. It is given to honor the service of Judy Welles and her husband, Duane Fickeisen, who served the congregation for fourteen years as its first ministers from its early years meeting in space rented from Dickinson College to its acquisition and occupation of the meeting house in Boiling Springs.
If you would like to contribute to the endowment in Judy's memory/honor, please send your checks to UUCV, PO Box 207, Boiling Springs, PA 17007. Make the check out to UUCV but be sure and put Judy Welles in the Memo Line.
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UUCV has been actively supporting homeless individuals and families in our area with our Change for the World contributions, donations of needed items and supplies, and providing a monthly meal for Community CARES. There are also many homeless youth in our area who are on their own and could really benefit from our support. The organization Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) actively provides multiple types of support for these young people and having adequate food is an ongoing issue. So, what can we do?
Many of us purchase grocery cards from UUCV and know that a portion of the value of each card is donated to UUCV by the grocery store. The WIn-Win idea is that any of us who are able to could make a donation toward the purchase of a grocery card from UUCV that would be donated to ECYEH to purchase food and supplies. Both UUCV and ECYEH would benefit, and we would be living our mission of caring for the world.
The plan for how this needs to work, if you are able to make a donation, is as follows:
- Donations need to be mailed to Pam Martin at UUCV, PO Box 207, Boiling Springs, PA 17007.
- Donations need to be checks made out to UUCV, and only in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.
- Checks should have ECYEH marked in the memo line.
- Donations will be combined toward the purchase of $100 Giant cards as these offer the best return to UUCV.
- The grocery cards will then be given to ECYEH.
We recognize these guidelines are somewhat narrow, but they have been designed to minimize the book keeping and clerical effort involved. We all know Pam to be an enthusiastic and efficient administrator, and she is happy to process our donations to ECYEH using these guidelines.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to support area homeless youth as we all navigate these challenging times. Please contact Wendy Gebb with any questions.
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Greetings from the
Auction Committee
As you read this, our first online auction is underway. There are many unique and interesting items on the auction block and I encourage all of you to have a look.
Better yet, register for the auction if you have not done so and bid on anything that fancies your taste! It does not cost a thing to register or bid, and remember, 32auctions.com does not sell or use your information in any way. It’s used only for auction purposes.
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What are doing when you finish with this newsletter? Why wait? Log into the auction and see what’s to be had. You just might find that one of a kind or at a least different gift to give for Christmas!
The auction ends Monday, December 14, at 11:59 pm. Don’t delay! The UUCV auction is only a few keystrokes away! https://www.32auctions.com/UUCV2020
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CAPITAL CAMPAIGN – MASONRY PROJECT COMPLETED!
More exciting Cap Cam improvements at UUCV – the exterior masonry contract has been completed! What does that mean? After decades of growing concern:
1. The repointed brick walls are securely watertight.
2. A collapsing stone wall near the dining room is now a sturdy brick wall.
3. The stairs to the social hall and steeple are refurbished to assure safety.
4. The concrete underside of the balcony and social hall entrance are reinforced.
5. A cracked drain ditch is sealed to protect the foundation from water.
6. The bricks from steeple to ground are cleaned of all green moss/lichen growth.
In short, this means increased building safety, more security from the weather, and an enhanced appearance. You might find it interesting to know that we are getting wonderful feedback from neighbors about all the work being done on our property.
Our congregation’s pledge dollars and ongoing commitment (even during COVID) are making a difference at UUCV. Let that put a smile on your face!
Now enjoy a few before and after pictures…
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UUCV Masonry Improvements – October 2020
BEFORE Improved
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NEWS FROM THE MOZAMBIQUE BURSARY COMMITTEE
The Covid-19 pandemic has upended life as we know it. This is true not only in the United States, but in the rest of the world as well. This includes the Mozambique girls and young women supported by the UUCV Mozambique Bursary Project.
UUCV’s Mozambique Bursary Project, a social justice project that has been active since 2005, has enabled hundreds of young Mozambique girls to enjoy a secondary school education. With the new school year starting in early 2021, we seek your support for the life-changing educational opportunities offered the girls enrolled in the Mozambique Bursary Project. These girls could not afford a secondary education on their own, as they live in one of the poorest nations in the world.
Your tax-deductible donations enable rural village girls to attend a regional secondary school too distant from their homes for a daily commute. A $350 donation enables one girl to attend school for an entire year. This amount covers the costs of living in a dormitory, school fees, uniforms, school supplies, hygiene products, and transportation to and from the home village between semesters. Your contributions will also pay for house mothers, who mentor the students, and for security guards who keep the girls and house mothers safe at night. For the foreseeable future, your donations will buy the masks and other supplies the girls need to attend school during the pandemic.
We deeply appreciate gifts in any amount. A check payable to "UUCV Mozambique Bursary" may be mailed to UUCV. You can also donate using the QR Code or the link shared during the offering portion of our weekly worship service.
To show our appreciation to any donor this year, we are again offering "The Faces of Mozambique," a unique coloring book that illustrates varied aspects of village life. It would make a great gift for a young friend or relative. For your free copy, e-mail Dianne at dusmania@comcast.net.
The Mozambique Bursary Project Steering Committee
Priscilla Laws Deb Genet
Martha Bergsten Brian McPherson
Dianne Dusman Susan Rimby
Chris Bilger
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ZOOM Worship
Most of our activities will be held in our main Zoom channel, which is accessible in any of the following ways:
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- point your browser to uuma.zoom.us/j/9428106896 , OR
- “listen in” (without video) by telephone, by calling 646-876-9923 and entering Meeting ID 942 810 6896
If you don’t already have Zoom installed on your computer, clicking any Zoom link will prompt you to begin the installation. There is no charge to you for the software or its use.
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UUCV Fundraising Opportunities
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https://smile.amazon.com/
Do you shop on Amazon? Go instead to https://smile.amazon.com/
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support UUCV every time you shop, at no cost to you. Select Unitarian Universalist of Cumberland Valley as your charitable organization and everytime you make a purchase Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to UUCV. Same great producs, same prices as Amazon, but https://smile.amazon.com/ makes money for UUCV. |
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