CARING & CONNECTED
To sustain our community during uncertain times, let's share ways to
stay connected &
show compassion to others
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HOW CAN I HELP?
From our Social Justice Team...
* An easy way
is to help is to make online donations to organizations that
provide support to St. Pete's neediest:
* The
Friday Night picnic
(photo above)
continues, but we can only accept contributions at the church during the picnic. If you want to contribute food or volunteer,
email Sabine
to be added to the weekly sign-up.
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From our Caring Committee...
"In Touch" Effort
and UUSP Care Fund
The Care Fund assists members with food, utility payments, gas, medical supplies, and other living expenses. Our UUSP Care Committee's "In Touch" effort assists with grocery shopping and medicine delivery. To help - or receive help -
email Pastor Jack
or Care Committee chair
Patti Hanks
.
Reach out to recovering congregation members
Patti reports...
Delores Benjamin
has been recovering at The Springs at Boca Ciega Bay for the past month and expects to be discharged soon. Her daughter, Carol, reports that her health is good, but her mobility and short term memory are impaired. The family has arranged for private nursing along with home health aides. Carol looks forward to showing Dolores the church's YouTube channel offerings... "I think she will enjoy that as I know how much she misses church."
Our love to Carol and Delores!
Debby Polis Carter
is home from rehab and doing well. She helps her granddaughter Jasmine with schoolwork. Debby is maneuvering stairs with the help of her daughter and a walker for balance. She's happy to be home.
Mary Berglund
is home from the hospital and receiving home healthcare and therapy. Dwight is happy to have her back home again. Our love to them both!
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HOW CAN I STAY CONNECTED?
ONGOING ACTIVITIES:
Feature: 10:30am Sundays
, tune into the
Worship Service premier
on our
YouTube channel
and chat with others who're attending. 45 joined yesterday's premier and appreciated the opportunity to gather in virtual community.
A special thank you to James Mack
who's doing all of the stellar editing & production for the weekly services.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
Movies & Metaphors Meetups
Paul Burnore wants to explore the idea of weekly, early evening Zoom meetings alternating between movies and poetry - with movie viewing and poetry reading in advance of Zoom discussions.
Email Paul
if you're interested.
UUSP Play Reading Group: The Passion of Henry David Thoreau
Author Joyce Carol Oates' two act play takes place in and around Concord MA, Walden Pond, and inside Thoreau's head. The principal characters and themes will be of interest to the UU congregation. Much of the text is from the writings of Thoreau and Emerson.
Jean & Denis Calandra will host the series of virtual readings
, splitting the play into 3 sessions at 4pm on consecutive Sunday afternoons April 19, 26 and May 2. Five female and five male readers will be best for casting purposes. Reflection and discussion will follow each reading. Click here to
RSVP
.
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INSPIRED READING
Lessons in Constructive Solitude from Thoreau
, NY Times 9 April, by Holland Cotter.
Thoreau used his self-quarantine at Walden to pursue an intensive course in self-education. In the present pandemic moment, there’s plenty to learn from standing still.
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COVID-19 Comes
Close to Home
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UUSP member
Lise Beane's finance, Doug Walther
, was very ill and taken by paramedics to Bayfront Hospital on April 3rd. He tested positive for COVID-19. He's doing much better, taking several medications and now is home under quarantine; he'll be tested again April 26th. Lise is dedicating herself to "passive worrying" which she describes as occasional thinking about it all (and quiet whimpering) - rather than "active worrying: pacing, nail and lip biting, wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth." She's grateful for masks, gloves, food and wine dropped off by Trish Burch and the Burnores.
Lise says that what she looks for in a person and in a church is what she finds at UUSP: kindness, competence and steadfast love. She sends her love and thanks to all while encouraging members to join her in donating to the
Minister's Discretionary Fund
.
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HOW IS
...
Kevin Wamboldt?
Kevin, chair of our Hospitality Team writes: I've been staying busy catching up on all the jobs I never had the time to do. I've been contributing to the homeless picnic, making up goody bags and experimenting with a food dehydrator, making chicken teriyaki jerky and cinnamon sugar apple slices... failure on the tangerine slices! I'm also trying to organize CDs and set-up a playlist on my phone that I can hook up to my receiver via Bluetooth... tedious!
If the situation wasn't so life and death, I'd actually be enjoying this downtime. I've always liked hanging out at my house and I'm enjoying the time by myself. My covenant group leader, Linda Paul, is in touch with me each week which speaks of the sense of community this church promotes.
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HOW ARE
...
Gay Breuler
& Billy Crider ?
Gay writes: Billy and I are making the most of this lockdown by riding our bikes all over Gulfport and waving from afar at friends and neighbors. After six weeks, I reached my hip replacement recovery goal--to be able to ride again--can't say how happy that makes both of us feel as we have some of our life back. Now we can ride again to our sailing club, grab a bite from our local takeout deli, and sit by the water, eat lunch and chill. Billy has been tinkering with his boat trailer and sailing a lot!
The other main thing is working in the garden. So many things are blooming now and bringing so much joy. Orchids are in bloom everywhere, alamandas, desert roses, mandevillas, tapioca tree, moringa tree, dacturas, jasmine and so much more. Beautiful colors and smells!! We are so lucky!!!
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Email
your announcements and ideas on "how I can help" and
"how I can stay connected" to
Sharon Winters, Communications Team lead
by NOON on Sundays
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