Your monthly news & updates |
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The theme this month in worship, religious education and small groups is "Stillness"
To receive a copy of this month's "Soulful Home" packet for how to add elements of ritual and spirituality to daily family life especially with younger children, please email the request to minister@nuuc.org
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Christmas Eve Service, December 24, 2020
7pm, on Zoom
Join us for a contemplative and peaceful worship full of music, poetry, story, lessons, and yes! candlelight! Please attend with a candle ready to light at home if possible.
Christmas Day Zoom Drop in with Rev. Susan
December 25, Noon
Grab a cookie and a hot beverage, and then Join Rev. Susan and others from the congregation for some casual holiday conversation.
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The Second Monday Morning Covenant Group, meets on Dec. 14 from 10:00 until noon via “Zoom.” For a link, contact Marty Keith at martykeith @zoho.com. This month's discussion topic will be "How we Heal from Emotional and Traumatic Times,"
NUUC's Women's Group Want the Zoom link to participate in our monthly meeting? Please contact Marty Keith at marthkeith@zoho.com for a Zoom link. Next meeting: Dec. 27, noon. Topic: Sharing of our Christmas experiences this year (and perhaps for contrast, other years!).
Wednesday Noon Check In
Join us using the regular NUUC zoom connection at noon everyday Wednesday for informal check- ins and chat with your fellow members.
Interested in the Once a Month Brown Bag Books? Contact rutharusk@gmail.com for a zoom link. Next meeting: December 15, noon. This month's book is "The Night Watchman" by Louise Erdrich.
Soul Matters Small Groups
We currently have three different Soul Matters Small Groups virtually meeting, for regular in depth check ins, and for exploring together different spiritual themes. New members are welcome at any time, write to minister@nuuc.org
New Group Opportunity: Creative Fellowship
Are you longing for connection in these difficult times? Do you have unfinished craft/art/sewing/knitting or other projects that you would like to work on but haven’t? If so please join me in Creative Fellowship! We will have a zoom meeting once a month (days and time to be determined.) and we can work on our projects, exercise our creativity, and talk about whatever is on our minds and hearts. If interested please contact Teri Cornell at imuuteri@yahoo.com or send a text to 614-843-8300. Be sure to include your name, phone number and email address. I’m looking forward to the creative possibilities!
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Food for the Spirit
by Liora Gubkin Malicdem, Ministerial Intern
Looking for an opportunity to connect with your North community and attend to your own spiritual development? Food for the Spirit, provides a space for us to come together and share how we feed our spirits. Each session will explore a different facet of spirituality where we can reflect, share, and have some fun in the process. You can attend any or all that are of interest to you. I look forward to this opportunity for us to be together.
Saturday, December 12, 1-2:30 p.m.
Exploring Spiritual Practice. We’ll focus on what you do (alone and collectively; daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly) that connects you to your WOW and brings you to awareness and gratitude of the present moment.
Saturday, January 9, 1-2:30 p.m.
Spiritual Journeys. We’ll take up mapmaking to discern the peaks and valleys, the leave-takings, wanderings, and homecomings of our life journeys.
Saturday, February 13, 1-2:30 p.m.
Ritual and Celebration. We’ll exercise our collective creativity to communally connect with the Spirit of Life in our midst.
You can come to all, or any individual sessions. Just be sure to email lioragmalicdem@gmail.com with your intentions to attend so we can send you the zoom link.
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Mowing Thank Yous
With thoughts of the Thanksgiving holiday still fresh, we have something else to be thankful for at NUUC. It is the efforts of all the volunteers who have helped with the mowing this season. We have just completed the mowing season and as you may know, we handled the mowing ourselves at NUUC instead of using a mowing contractor. Our coordinated mowing efforts went quite well and saved a lot of money. We estimate we saved $3,710 by not contracting out the mowing this year. The Building and Grounds Committee members took turns mowing each week except for the 4th and 5th weeks each month and occasionally an extra week, which were handled by volunteers from the congregation.
We give a big thank you to the following congregational volunteers for their fine mowing efforts, which filled out the mowing schedule this season:
David Jon Krohn
Bruce Reed
Neil Kirby
Doug Reeder
For about 3 weeks each month, 3 members of the B & G Committee took turns mowing. We give a hearty thank you to these committee members for their monthly efforts:
Roger Orwick
John Rodeheffer
Bob Keith
Everyone enjoyed using our fairly new zero-turn mower, which we purchased in mid-2018. The mower’s cost was totally funded by a very generous donation from Gary and Ruth Rusk, plus a generous donation from John and Lynn Foreman. We again give a big thank to the Rusks and Foremans! Having the zero turn mower continues to make a big difference in our mowing efforts. It has cut our mowing time in half and some volunteers even say the mowing is now fun! In addition, we’ve found that with 15 minutes of training, even people that have never used a zero-turn mower before were able to mow and feel confident and at ease.
Since our volunteer mowing approach worked so well and we now have a zero turn mower, we plan to continue this approach in the coming mowing season. Watch for more information on our mowing plans as spring approaches.
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NUUC Holiday Family Program
This year we will be providing $50 Kroger gift cards to each of the women working with Freedom a la Cart. It is no surprise that the women served through Freedom a la Cart have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. As these survivors of sex trafficking work to learn practical job skills in order to secure a better future, they are also plagued by unemployment, decreased work hours and health issues. The holidays can be a difficult time, financially and emotionally, for the women we serve. Kroger gift cards will help the women provide food for their families during the holiday season. You can donate to our Holiday Family this year online on the NUUC website or by mailing a check to NUUC, PO Box 541, Lewis Center, OH 43035. Please note on the donation page or the memo line on your check that the donation is for the Holiday Family.
Freedom a la Cart’s Mission
PEOPLE ARE NOT PROPERTY. No person should be bought or sold for sex. Not here in Central Ohio. Not anywhere. At Freedom a la Cart, we bring hope to survivors of human trafficking so they can build a new life of freedom and self-sufficiency. We believe that giving a woman practical job skills and developing strong work ethic is vital for creating a pathway to freedom. So, we’ve created a safe place of restoration where survivors can heal, learn and grow as they prepare for sustainable employment within our community.
Who We Serve
Sex trafficking generates an estimated $99 billion annually worldwide. The International Labour Organization estimates that there are more than 4.8 million victims of human sex trafficking around the world. In Franklin County alone, approximately 1,200 women are arrested each year for solicitation. Over 92% are identified as victims of human sex trafficking — first trafficked for sex at the average age of 13 through force, fraud or coercion. Women who have escaped this life of modern day slavery, continue to suffer the effects of extensive trauma, sexual abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, arrested development, homelessness and poverty.
What We Do
We work closely, but not exclusively, with participants of CATCH Court — a specialized docket in Columbus, Ohio founded by Judge Paul M. Herbert. CATCH blends punitive sentences with a 2-year treatment-oriented non-adversarial program for rearrested prostitutes who are victims of human trafficking and suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, and drug addiction. We provide these program participants with supportive services which may include: jail visits; delivery of whites and personal items; personal mentoring; weekly lunches; monthly group outings; retreats and an annual graduation celebration. We currently serve over 65 survivors in the CATCH Court program.
Our Results
Self-sufficient survivors who are gaining employment, getting their driver’s license, buying cars, attending college, moving into permanent housing and regaining custody of their children which has a generational impact!
280 Survivors received paid workforce training at Freedom a la Cart in the past four years
75 Survivors participated in our Butterfly Continuum of Care community of long-term support.
26 Survivors transitioned from our program to sustainable employment within the community
80% Received no new criminal charges after participating in the program
68 Community members serve as personal mentors to survivors
100+ Survivors participated in our Butterfly Continuum of Care community of long term support
70% of those survivors received case management services
“Freedom a la Cart is not only a workforce development to me but has truly become a strong healthy support system. Freedom has been beside me from opening my fist checking account, my fist
apartment and they even helped furnish it. Freedom helped build my confidence and made me believe that I am worthy. The skills I have gained allowed me to move forward in finding my dream
job. Freedom connected me to my current position at Gracehaven. Now I am an Education Specialist, where I teach prevention to our youth and training adults on sex-trafficking. I can finally say with
confidence that I have turned my pain into purpose.”
— Stephanie Education Specialist at Gracehaven
Other Ways to Support Freedom a la Cart
ORDER BOX LUNCH, PASTRIES & CATERING: We specialize in box lunch meals, fresh pastries and
beautiful cocktail buffets.
DONATE: Become a Friend of Freedom! By donating to Freedom a la Cart you play a key role in our ongoing work to empower survivors and expand our outreach in the Columbus area.
VOLUNTEER: We are always looking for volunteers who are passionate about supporting the ladies at Freedom a la Cart on their journey toward restoration and self-sufficiency. You can volunteer to work in the kitchen to assist with our catering and box lunch enterprise. Periodically rides are needed for survivors to go to doctor and dental appointments as well as to the CATCH Court outings. Mentors are needed to provide life coaching and emotional support.
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INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL OHIO INTERFAITH PRAYER GATHERING
From a divided political environment to the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 has been a year of unprecedented change and turbulence. As we end this year and look towards 2021, we remember our common humanity and begin to heal the divisions that have separated us from each other.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned the “Beloved Community” as a society based on justice, equal opportunity, and love of one’s fellow human beings. After the turmoil of the 2020 National Election, the majority of the voters also expressed that they would like to see us move towards greater justice, equal opportunity and working together to better all of our lives.
The Interfaith Association of Central Ohio is again hosting its annual Interfaith Prayer Gathering. This year’s theme: Coming Together as a Beloved Community with Our Heads, Hearts, and Hands. It will be a virtual event held from 4:30-5:30 on December 13, 2020. This uplifting and inspiring program will provide reflections from nine faith traditions about how we can create a more beloved community together.
IACO is currently looking for representation from North Unitarian Universalist Congregation for members of their board. No experience necessary! Contact minister@nuuc.org
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UU JUSTICE OHIO ANNUAL REPORT OF ACTIVITIES
In 2020, UUJO engaged in Anti-Racism work with a concentration on bail bond reform; climate justice work with a focus on opposition to HB 33; and legislative education and advocacy.
We also continued to work with the Immigrant Family Transition Assistance (ITA - bus greeter) work) until federal policies shut down the travel of asylum-seeking families. Then we assisted Columbus ITA as it moved to supply food for central Ohio immigrant families who were unemployed by COVID-19’s impact on the service industry.
Given that 2020 was a contentious election year, made more complex by the pandemic, a great deal of energy was focused on UU The Vote work and efforts in voter education, registration, and support as part of the Nonpartisan Ohio Voter Outreach Committee and National Voter Registration Day.
BAIL BOND REFORM AND ANTI-RACISM
UUJO has taken up the call for serious bail reform and has worked to educate UUs in Ohio through webinars, panel discussions, and social media activity. As a result, UUs around the state have gotten involved in petitions and pressure campaigns, as well as fund-raising for direct relief for people without the financial resources to pay excessive bail. In partnership with ACLU Ohio, UUJO worked to elevate awareness of criminal justice issues in the 2020 election. We hope to advocate for meaningful legislation in the coming year.
Efforts have been aimed primarily at education. Board member Eileen McCully preached at Southwest, and at the UU Congregation of Cleveland. She offered a seminar (with Laurie Albright) and hosted a discussion panel at UU Congregation of Cleveland (with Laurie Albright and our ACLU partners). UUJO also held an online webinar and panel discussion with the ACLU. Eileen hosted a Facebook page and made common cause with people working with other aspects of criminal legal reform (Jail Coalition, Resist Operation Relentless Pursuit). She also gathered signatures for a petition in Cuyahoga County and met with Admin. Judge Brendan Sheehan.
Then, in Fall 2020, Board members initiated and offered two introductory sessions on the UUA report, “Widening the Circle of Our Concern.” The plan is to continue these sessions in 2021.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES AND HB 33 ADVOCACY
With all the coverage of national politics, sometimes state issues get overlooked. To address this, Rev. Joan and Board Member R. Tadd Pinkston Esq. hosted monthly online Ohio legislative updates. During these programs, attendees learned what laws their legislators were writing, what was being debated, and what they could to help influence Ohio law. UUJO plans to continue this program during the lame duck session and into 2021.
SB 33 - UUJO worked with our partners in Buckeye Environmental Exchange, Coshocton Environmental and Community Awareness and the Ohio Poor Peoples Campaign to oppose SB 33, that would dramatically raise the penalties for engaging in protest at oil and gas facilities and pipelines. The bill was modified in the House committee and passed. But after testimony and vigorous protest, the bill never advanced to the House floor for a vote.
HB 6 and Campaign Finance Scandal – With Ohio Common Cause, UUJO offered a webinar to explain the scandal surrounding HB6 – the nuclear plant bail out – and the arrest of the Ohio Speak of the House, Rep L. Householder, and others for campaign finance violations.
IMMIGRANT FAMILY TRANSITION ASSISTANCE
UUJO has been the fiscal sponsor for Ohio Immigrant Family Transition Assistance (ITA - bus greeter) groups in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland and Youngstown. When federal policies blocked all asylum-seeking family travel in the United States, several of the groups went into statis. But the Columbus ITA group decided to begin to sponsor food banks for immigrant families in central Ohio who had lost employment when COVID-19 shut down much of the service industry. Immigrant workers, both documented and undocumented, were heavily impacted.
We created with our partners at Simakovsky Law, the Columbus Global Academy and others, a Columbus immigrant family food bank. This food bank was feeding up to 500 families each month until fall 2020 when it outgrew available space. It is now reassessing the current need and other possible locations for continued food bank efforts.
VOTER ENGAGEMENT, UU THE VOTE AND NOVOC
UUJO was heavily involved in UU The Vote and the registration, social media, education, and minority outreach teams of the Nonpartisan Oho Voter Outreach Committee (NOVOC) of the Ohio Voter Rights Coalition. With grants from the UU Fund for Social Responsibility, national UU The Vote, NonProfit VOTE/National Voter Registration Day, and the Leadership Conference Education Fund/All Voting Is Local, UUJO brought on four part-time, temporary organizers to assist with organizing UU The Vote, the Community Conversations Project, and Social Media and Young Adult outreach for UU The Vote and the Nonpartisan Ohio Voter Outreach Committee (NOVOC).
From Spring 2020 through Nov 3, the following part-time staff worked on Voter Engagement with UUJO.
- Kristen Beireis – UU the Vote Coordinator
- Rev Dr Susan Smith – Community Conversations, NOVOC Minority Outreach Chair and PeaceKeepers organizer/trainer
- Alexander Chavers – Social Media and Young Adult Outreach
- Andrew Pierce – Social Media and Young Adult Outreach
- Rev Joan VanBecelaere – UUJO Exec Director, NOVOC Registration Chair, National Voter Registration Day Co-Captain, and PeaceKeepers organizer/trainer.
Starting last December, Rev Joan VanBecelaere and Rev Dr Susan Smith developed and began offering “Community Conversations: What Keeps Us Up at Night?” The conversations were originally planned for in-person meetings but had to move to online only in light of the pandemic. These conversations focused on the impact that voting has on our daily lives and the things we worry about around the kitchen table. The purpose was to increase awareness of the importance of voting. We started with church groups (UU and AME) and then offered with a wide variety of community groups; including YWCA, adult literacy, sororities, interfaith and more.
Later in the election cycle, with support from Faith in Public Life, All Voting is Local, and the Ohio League of Women Voters, organized, trained and deployed over 100 election protection Peacekeepers at polling places around the state.
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