· Sign ups are still coming in for our Spring Auction. You will be able to preview and bid on the online auction starting May 7 at 5pm. You must have a 32auctions account to bid, so sign up now using this link: https://www.32auctions.com/UUCVSpring2022

· You can bid online even if you can’t attend the live auction! If more people sign up than there are places available in the event, there will be a drawing the night of the live auction to determine the winners.

· Purchase a ticket to the live auction after services on Sunday May 1 and May 8. $10 donation per adult is recommended, kids are free. This year, kids must be preregistered, including ages. We cannot accommodate additional kids who simply show up on auction night without being preregistered.

· Raffle tickets in the amounts of $5-25 will be sold before and during the evening; the winning ticket will be drawn after the close of the silent auction. The winner will get double the percentage if present and the face amount if not. Another benefit to attending on Auction night!

Come to the Live Auction!

Saturday May 14, the fun really begins! The doors open at 5:30 PM.

You can dance to a live band, continue bidding on the auction sign-up events, enjoy lots of eats and desserts, and purchase both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages at the bar staffed by the Men’s Small Group.

The social hall will be transformed into our own “Paradise Found”, so come in your best theme-based costume! We would love to see your colorful tropical shirts and other paradise garb including leis, flowers, muumuus, grass skirts. Of course you don’t have to wear a costume to come to the Auction, but doesn’t that make it more fun?

New This Year: No Waiting to Check Out!

· When all of the bidding is closed, auction volunteers will update 32auctions with the winning bidders and end the auction. All winning bidders will receive an email from 32auctions which includes a link to your invoice. This can be paid online using your credit card.

· We will be accepting cash or check payment on Sunday May 15th after the service. Write your bidder number on the check, made payable to UUCV. You can also mail your check to UUCV.

The Children’s Auction

Because children are not permitted to attend the auction in the main social hall due to alcohol sales, they will have a separate auction and goodies of their own downstairs while the adults enjoy themselves upstairs. Please do preregister your kids by age when paying for adult auction tickets.

There is always adult supervision and fun activities for the kiddos. No babysitter needed!

Contact Cathy Dewalt at UUCVauction@outlook.com if you have questions.

For the second quarter of 2022, April - June, our Change for the World recipient is LEAF - Leadership, Education And Farming

LEAF cultivates South Central PA youth leaders from diverse backgrounds through meaningful work in the food system. Youth 14-17 may apply for first year summer paid work including working on a 3-4 acre farm outside of Landisburg where they learn how to raise crops and prepare food while building their own leadership skills. The farm includes sustainably managed vegetable gardens with 40 varieties of crops, a commercial teaching kitchen, produce handling and storage facilities, a greenhouse and propagation house, and a three season outdoor classroom space. LEAF has a growing season farm share program with some donated to families in need.

Entry-year youth in a 7-week summer program plant, grow, & harvest vegetables for area restaurants, for sale at Farmers On The Square (FOTS) in Carlisle, and for hunger relief donations. They also develop culinary skills and explore leadership and food systems topics. In 2021 92 % said they had grown in communicating with people from different backgrounds and 77% advanced to the school year program with higher levels of responsibility.

School Field Trips: In addition LEAF provides hands-on, experiential learning opportunities to students in grades 3 - 12 through on-farm visits and/or workshops in classrooms.

LEAF is the brain-child of Heidi Witmer who began it 2013. The project envisions a community in which our youth, as well as all members of our region, are connected to the food that nourishes them, the land on which it grows, and to each other.

LEAF furthers our mission and principles LEAF stresses the worth and dignity of every person. Participants include male and female teens, including persons of color, and some youth from families with modest incomes.

LEAF promotes justice, equity and compassion in working with the teenagers -- and some food shares go free to families without the wherewithal to pay for them.

LEAF’s agricultural practices respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Check out their website LEAF leafprojectpa.org And articles below are interesting: Inspire: LEAF grows leaders through work in agriculture | The Sentinel: News | cumberlink.com (may require Sentinel subscription to see) Learning From the Land | Haverford College

• Thanks to all who wrote and sent postcards to our legislators to support reproductive justice and oppose Senate Bill 956 intended to eliminate abortions in the state of Pennsylvania by introducing a constitutional amendment that would prevent the governor from vetoing this legislation.  UUCV members sent about 4 dozen postcards  to legislators on this issue.  Every legislator is responsible for counting postcards, letters, emails, and phone messages about specific issues.  UUs from across the state joined us in this effort, which was followed up by a lobbying effort from involved UUs at the capitol in Harrisburg.  Stay tuned for future postcarding efforts.
• The Economic Justice-Education Committee of UUJusticePA is closely following a number of issues:

Fourteen activist ministers and lay leaders apply a keen intersectional analysis to the environmental crisis, revealing ways that capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and other systems of oppression intersect with and contribute to ecological devastation. They also explore how spiritual practices, congregational organizing, and progressive theology can inform faith-based justice work in the 21st century.

We are encouraging reading one chapter of the book each month and then attending a quarterly discussion. The next discussion group will cover chapters 4, 5, and 6. Discussion groups on this section of the book will be held on Saturday, July 23 at 10 am on Zoom and Sunday, July 24 at 9:15 in the Board Room at church prior to the Sunday service.

My mother and I continue to be flabbergasted by how amazing the UUCV is.  My mom and I feel so invigorated by this group. And my step-father, who has had a variety of negative life experienuouces, has had the opportunity to hear what my mom and I have tried to tell him our values are (since they started sharing in worship through ZOOM a few weeks ago)  Today, something special happened. After a service about the First Principle, I was pinned with a nametag. 

I have wanted a nametag for 40 years. 

As a youngster who was continuously dragged to coffee hour, I quickly noticed that there were People with Nametags and people without.  It was clear that People with Nametags were superior to those without.   

I really wanted to be one of the cool people with a nametag, but I was told they were for grownups. 

I grew up, but I was told that nametags were for people who pledged.

I pledged, but I was told that nametags were for members. 

I tried to become a member…but by that point, I no longer really wanted to be one. 

At UUCV, I got my first nametag. At UUCV, nametags are for every (grown up) body who wants one. All I had to do was express a desire to be part of the group.  And, not having a nametag is not a big scarlet letter advertising that you don’t fully belong.  

Because at the UUCV, my inherent worth and dignity is enough, and this is just another example of how the Principles are both spoken and put into practice with this very special group. 

The church is its people; you create the atmosphere of warmth and welcome. It is you who are doing your best to live up to our principles and into our covenant. Thank you.

Blessings,

Kathy Ellis

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be held immediately following the service on June 19.   Annual Reports will be available for your perusal by May 29.

On June 19th  members will have the opportunity (and responsibility) to vote on the 2022-2023 budget and our Board of Trustees.

Please plan to attend.  Childcare will be provided. 

Help us out by taking your items out of the boxes/crates/bags you transport them in and place each item on the table that applies for each item, ie: kitchen, pets, children, knick knacks, etc.  No need to price anything.

And...sign up in the Social Hall to  help with set-up, tear-down, working the sale and transporting leftover donations to local charities. 

This is one of our biggest fundraisers so we will need lots of volunteers to make this a success.

Any questions, contact Pam pam@uucv.net or Cindy cyagood4@gmail.com

On Saturday, June 4 we will be raising funds for UUCV by selling strawberry shortcake at Boiling Springs Foundry Day.

Sign up at the Strawberry Station in the social hall to help with the following jobs:

• Shortcake Bakers (Recipes on the sign-up table)
• Cooler Loaners (we need to borrow your large coolers and will return them after 6/4; coolers can be left in the kitchen anytime between May 29 and June 2)
• Strawberry Preppers on Friday evening 6-8 PM (Childcare can be provided; please note # and ages of children). Bring your own knife & cutting board if possible
• Booth set up Saturday AM ~ 7AM
• Staff booth in 2 hour shifts between 9AM - 4 PM
• Tear down booth Saturday PM ~ 4 PM

HELP US MAKE THIS YEAR'S SALE A SUCCESS BY VOLUNTEERING TODAY!