Patio Garden Next Steps

The board has approved the final design and given the property committee the go-ahead to start implementing the Jane Welty memorial patio garden. The Hispanic association has agreed to help us with some labor. Thank you to everyone who gave input on the patio garden. We were able to get input from several diverse populations of people within our membership. We were able to include almost everything that was wanted.



You can see the plan and photos posted in the Fellowship Hall.

We want you to be a part of this beautiful addition to our church environment. Come out to participate in any and all of these property work days. We will have several because this is a big project and we plan to have it done in time for Rev. Jaimie and Will's welcome back party in early May. We are also looking for some scouts that need some community service hours. If you have connections with a scout troop, please let us know. We will also be looking to borrow the following:

• Truck and trailer for hauling drainage gravel and topsoil
• Wheelbarrows and shovels
• Pressure washer

Work Dates:

• This Saturday, February 22
• March 8
• March 22
• April 5
• April 26

Mark these Property work days on your calendar and let Property know if you have any of these connections or tool at property@uuch.org.

Coming Soon!

If you enjoyed our January and February potlucks, they were so successful because of the many, many volunteers who invested their time, talents, and energy by participating in, and welcoming others into, our growing Beloved Community. The rewards of volunteering are many, not the least of which is the camaraderie of working with, and making new, friends.

The Hospitality Team always welcomes (and needs) assistance at Coffee Hour and Potlucks. A number of special celebrations are being planned during the coming weeks and months: the ABD Banquet in late March; our traditional Easter Egg Hunt, which will be held for the first time at the church this year; the "welcome back"/wedding reception for Rev. Jaimie and Will in early May; and a major Gay Pride celebration at First Sunday June potluck. Only Volunteer Power can make these events happen! If you would like to contribute/participate, look for sign-up posters in the Fellowship Hall, SignUp Genius here, or contact June Norton or Kathryn Heath on your Hospitality team.

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

UUCH has a booth at the 13th annual Huntsville Community Kite Festival. The event is Saturday, March 1 from 11am to 3pm at John Hunt Park Festival Grounds, 2195 Jaycee Way. This free, family-friendly event celebrates the spirit of inclusiveness and harmony within the community.

Whether you're an experienced kite enthusiast or a first-time flyer, this vibrant festival offers something for everyone! In addition to the excitement of flying colorful kites, attendees can enjoy a variety of food trucks, children's activities and more.

Emergency & Safety Stories Needed!

Safety Committee is collecting stories of medical, weather, "wrong place, wrong time" emergencies for the first of a two session workshop on creating an emergency kit & action plan in mid-March. Here's the basics for submitting a story:

• Story should be family friendly
• Events you were involved in directly or indirectly
• High-level details for this forum
• Story is presentable in 5-10min

Submit your stories via online form here.

If email is better, please email Safety@uuch.org with "Emergency Story" and we will send along a basic, email-friendly form for you to fill out.

Thank YOU for helping to make our UUCH community safer and more resilient!

First Sunday of March Potluck

Since moving to our Broadmor location, UUCH has almost doubled the seats available in our Fellowship Hall. With growth like this we need to change our way of doing things. The Hospitality Team invites you to help with our Potluck Lunch by signing up here first.

On Sunday, March 2, the Hospitality Committee invites everyone to join us in the Fellowship Hall shortly after the service for the First Sunday Potluck Lunch. Drinks will be provided. When you arrive at the church, please bring your food to the Fellowship Hall, and fill out one of the cards provided with the name of your dish and the ingredients. There will be volunteers to help you if you need a warm oven or a cold refrigerator.

We look forward to this time of conversation and good food as we get to know one another better!

Habitat for Humanity Home Build Continues!

UUCH members and volunteers from other churches are making good progress at the Fazzingo/Turner house at 216 Lake Drive in Huntsville! The interior doors, baseboards, shelving, and touchup painting has been completed recently. The few remaining interior tasks should be completed this week. Many thanks to Gail Williams, Tim Miller, and Brad Korb for helping out recently!

In the near future, there will be a ceremony to turn over the keys to the homeowner. When that date is known, it will be published in the newsletter in the hope that many people can come help welcome the Fazzingo/Turner family to their new home!

If you have any questions or are interested in helping out, please email Brad at social.justice@uuch.org

FREE TAX SERVICE

Come and have your tax returns prepared for free! This free tax service is open to any income and any age. It is sponsored by the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide and the IRS.



• Location: Studio 60 Senior Center, 2200 Drake Avenue, Huntsville, 35805
• Times: Mon – Thu, 8:30 – 4:00, Fri 8:30 – 12:00
• Dates: February 3 – April 15, 2025
• Appointment Process: Come in person to fill out a request for appointment, pick up a tax package for completing at your convenience. You will be called back ASAP with an appointment date and time. You can request a late March or early April appointment if waiting on tax documents.

For more info, please contact Khoe Tran at kqtran1@yahoo.com

Make a Flag for Our Garden

The purpose of a Tibetan prayer flag is to spread prayers of good throughout the world.We are going to hang prayer flags in our new patio garden. Rather than just order some mass produced commercial flags, the property committee wants to give you the opportunity to offer your prayers of good out into the world. Each Sunday in February there will be individual flags and permanent sharpie markers available in the fellowship hall. The edge that is hemmed is the bottom. Use the provided pieces of cardboard to protect the tablecloths from the permanent markers and decorate your prayer flag. Thank you to Susan Cottington for her generous contribution of time, talent, and beautiful batik fabrics for this project.  

Upcoming Social Justice Events

Your participation is needed! Below is a list of local social justice events sponsored by groups that UUCH and/or our members support.

• February 23^rd: Love Huntsville Homeless Dinner at 3:30 pm (see Gail Williams for more info)
• February 25^th: Cover Alabama's Medicaid Expansion Advocacy Day in Montgomery from 9 am to 3 pm (https://www.votervoice.net/CoverAlabama/Events/8042/Register)
• February 25^th: Faith in Action Alabama Huntsville Hub meeting at 5:30 pm at St. Mark Baptist Church on Moores Mill Road (See Brad Korb for more info)
• March 4^th: UUA’s Side with Love “Grounded, Resilient and Responsible” at 6 pm via Zoom (https://secure.everyaction.com/RTJTHdq_tU-IRJIakR4koQ2)
• March 5^th: UUA Green Sanctuary 2030 Orientation via Zoom at 6 pm (https://secure.everyaction.com/XYsCO0ZhfkCGG3BCj3A14Q2)
• March 22^nd: Huntsville Green Team World Water Day Waterway Cleanup at 9 am at 4205 Pump Street SW (https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/city-calendar-event/world-water-day-waterway-cleanup/)

Here are some standing opportunities to get engaged with local organizations:

• First Stop:

1. Provide a meal for unhoused people (https://firststoporg.galaxydigital.com/)
2. Donate urgently needed items (https://firststop.org/category/needs-list/)
3. Other volunteer opportunities (https://firststop.org/ways-to-volunteer/)

• ShowerUp (showers for unhoused people): https://app.initlive.com/web-admin/app/#/join-party?k=aagp6mlprpk46k
• Land Trust of North Alabama: https://landtrustnal.org/support/volunteer/

For more information about a particular event or to list an event, please email social.justice@uuch.org.

Circle of Candles

Susan Coddington lit a candle of Sorrow: "My sister-in-law, Beth W, has been diagnosed with cancer. We don't know the details yet but the prognosis appears grim. We are going to Idaho this week to be with her."

Jaylee Kordosky lit candles of Sorrow and Joy: "Sorrow for the thousands of people reaching out to the crisis/suicide hotline because they are terrified about losing jobs, insurance, Medicaid, and life-saving medication. Joy for the protest this past Monday at Big Spring Park. "

Juniper Efimenko lit a candle of Sorrow: "With fear and anger, I lament that the Alabama House passed State Bill 79 this past week, a transophobic piece of legislation seeking to define 'What Is a Woman' in the most inclusive of terms."