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The Time is Now
The time is now for our “Building Hope--Renewing Faith” Pledge Drive. Now is the time to attend a cottage meeting to connect with others and learn more. Now is the time to make your pledge of financial support for the coming church year. No money is due now. Our pledge is our intention to support this vibrant and beloved community between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027.
PLEASE make plans to attend one of our cottage meetings by signing up below! These small gatherings are hosted by your friends from UUCH and offer delicious food, sharing, and connection. Cottage meetings are for everyone; several are child friendly, so the whole family can attend. Our gracious hosts can answer your questions and will offer an opportunity to fill in your pledge form. There are many events to choose from–one to fit your convenience. Sign up at the link below or in hardcopy in the Fellowship Hall as soon as possible to help our hosts prepare!
Click this link to our cottage meeting signup and online pledge form.
Our pledges are the financial foundation of our church in the coming year. Please see this heartfelt message from Rev Jaimie to learn more.
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Neighborhood Pods Launch Party!
If you are interested in being a part of a UUCH Neighbor Pod and have filled out the form, please join us in the Fellowship hall at 12:30PM on March 15th for some orientation, Q&A, and a bit of speed-friending fun! A follow-up meeting will occur at 12:45PM on April 5th. If you'd like to sign up but haven't, please do so on the form here.
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Donate Food and Support Your Team!
Your Social Justice Committee is holding a food drive competition to determine who has the most school spirit! Starting this Sunday, 3/15, there will be food donation boxes in the Fellowship Hall representing 7 college teams (plus an “other” box). Food donations will be counted each week and the teams ranked based on the number of food items received. At the end of April, we’ll announce the winning team!
Support your favorite team and help us feed the less fortunate!
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UUCH at the Kite Festival
As an outreach service to the Huntsville community, UUCH had a booth at the recent Kite Festival. It was amazing what a difference the presence of our volunteers made! At the Fair, there were some who came to our booth out of curiosity to find out about our UU faith. There were several who came to our booth and spoke about how they felt alone because they did not fit in at their current congregation. One lady came over to thank us for having our little food pantry and refrigerator. She shared that some weeks those food items generously donated by our church was all she had to feed her family. A high school student stopped by when he saw our Pride flag and brochures. He had a friend, recently come out as gay, who was struggling to find acceptance among his peers and his family. He stayed a while to talk about his concerns for his friend. He said that he was so happy and comforted to learn about our open, welcoming church where his friend could find a haven. There were others putting their names on our email list and many more people the volunteers made a connection with.
Our Beloved Community and the work of our inspiring volunteers is a powerful force for good in this world! Volunteering enrichs the lives of those who give their time and effort. It is a pathway to connect, understand, and contribute to the world meaningfully. Come join in, volunteer to be part of the change! Small actions—even just a couple of hours at a Kite Festival--make an impact. For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact: darlenewpatten@gmail.com
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UUCH Fellowship Dinner: March 19, 2026
Our March Fellowship Dinner will be at Los 3 Garcia Taqueria, 2007 Memorial Parkway NW Unit K, Huntsville, AL 35810.
When: Thursday March 19 at 5:30pm
Location: 2007 Memorial Pkway NW, Unit K
Please sign up here so were know how many people to expect.
Money will never be a barrier to participating in Fellowship at UUCH. If you need financial assistance to participate, please contact Rev Jamie at Minister@uuch.org.
Contact Becky Ellingwood at beckyel22@gmail.com or Steve Rittenberg at srittenberg@gmail.com if you have questions.
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Get Your UUCH T-Shirts!
New orders for UUCH t-shirts are being taken now! Orders will be taken through April 5th and you can place your order by visiting the Social Justice table in the Fellowship Hall after the Sunday service. T-shirts will be the same design as last year and need to be purchased in advance for $20 each. Both adult and youth sizes are available and shirts should be available by the end of April. If you would like a t-shirt, but cannot afford one, please see Brad Korb.
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Spirituality for Elders
How do you understand your essential relations with life? What are your most cherished values? Hopes? Fears? How do they manifest in your behavior?
Folks of a certain age and life experiences, labeled “seniors" or "elders,” have a special developed lifeway that can be seen as "Spirituality." Let’s explore that.
We’ll look at the story of spirituality (religiosity, morality, values) in the human odyssey. Expect a bit of history and reports on "revelations"...no absolute truths here. Maybe some serious hunches. This is not theology, but the practical consideration of lives lived.
Rev. Doak M. Mansfield will facilitate informal seminar-style sessions (six) convening each first and third Monday of March–May.
Ongoing participation is encouraged but not mandatory.
Rev. Doak can be reached at doakmansf@gmail.com
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FREE TAX SERVICE
Get your tax returns prepared for free!
This tax service is free to those who need it. It is sponsored by the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide and the IRS, offered at 8 locations in Madison County.
Main Location: Studio 60 Senior Center, 2200 Drake Avenue, Huntsville, 35805
Times: Monday–Thursday, 8:30AM–4:00PM, Friday 8:30AM–11:30PM
Dates: February 2nd–April 15th, 2026
Appointment Process: Come in person to fill out a request for appointment and pick up a tax package for completion 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, IRS Certified Tax Preparer, at
kqtran1@yahoo.com
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February Board Report
For its February meeting, the UUCH Board met via Zoom.
Reports:
- Rev. Jaimie reported on her activities for the past month.
- The Vice President, Darlene Patten, reported that the UUCH Council met in person on February 18. Council members discussed and reported a positive review of the Volunteer Fair. Each of the committees had new members who had signed up to join their team. The Council continues to expand their volunteer base and to build the second as well as the third layer of their team.
- The Treasurer, Khoe Tran, reported that as of January 31, income exceeded expenses, resulting in a year-to-date net income. Operating reserves covered 6.6 months of budgeted expenses.
Discussed at the February Board Meeting:
The Board discussed the transition to a different brand of doorbell camera and decided on June 21st for the Annual Meeting. The Board also discussed ABD talking points, background check policy, parking lot use policy, and a covenant between Rev Jaimie and Rev. Doak Mansfield (retired).
The next regularly scheduled Board meeting will be in person on March 25th at 6:30PM.
2025-26 Board UUCH Board: President: Laurel Bollinger; Vice President and Head of Council: Darlene Patten; Treasurer: Khoe Tran; Secretary: Steve Rittenberg; Trustees: Vickie Goodman, Lynsie Lamitie, Foster Perry.
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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.
- March 18th : Know Your Rights: Protest Rights and Safety Practices at 7:00PM via Zoom (Sign up here)
- March 20th : UU Solidarity Session on Immigration at 1:00PM via Zoom (Sign up here)
- March 21st : World Water Day Waterway Cleanup of Huntsville Spring Branch at 9:00AM (Learn more here)
- March 25th : UU The Vote 2026 Launch at 7:00PM via Zoom (Sign up here)
- March 25th : How to Have Conversations About No Kings that Move People at 7:00PM via Zoom (Sign up here)
- March 26th : Songs of Resistance at UUCH at 6:00PM (see article in newsletter for details)
- March 26th : Protest Sign Making at UUCH at 7:00PM (see article in newsletter for details)
- March 26th : ACLU March People Power Action Call at 7:00PM via Zoom (Sign up here)
- March 28th : No Kings III Protest at 1:00PM in Big Spring Park (details to be provided)
Here are some standing opportunities to get engaged with local organizations:
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Provide a meal for unhoused people (https://firststoporg.galaxydigital.com/)
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Donate urgently needed items (https://firststop.org/category/needs-list/)
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Other volunteer opportunities (https://firststop.org/ways-to-volunteer/)
For more information about a particular event or to list an event, please email social.justice@uuch.org.
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Circle of Candles
Bridgit DeMoor lit a candle of Joy: "Kites, kids, candy, critters, ice cream, clashes of cymbals and drums. All mixed up in a day of community called the Kite Festival! What a wonderful day!"
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Upcoming Events
Click the calendar to see all of our upcoming events!
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Little Food Pantry
Many of our neighbors and many unhoused people visit our LFP frequently. Consider buying a few extra cans of soup or veggies to contribute! For suggestions of what to donate (and what not to donate), check out this list: Pantry Food Items. Remember that many families don’t have the experience or the equipment to handle dried beans (dry lentils in particular tend not to be taken!), and that the unhoused particularly benefit from cans that don’t require can openers. See the link above for fridge options! A little help from us can go a long way. Please, if you can fill up the pantry or fridge, note your name in the SignUpGenius so we can maximize efficiency while still feeding people. Also, you can bring non-perishables to church; there are baskets available. A big thank you to all who contribute!
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Donate Online
via CDM+ Engage
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Online:
Like our other online and mobile giving options, this option is through CDM+ Engage, is secure, and has a good option for "plate" donations as well as "pledge".
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Submit to the Newsletter
Do you have news to include in the newsletter next week? Please submit your article to the newsletter through our request form no later than 10:00AM each Wednesday. Please make sure to complete a new request form each time you make a submission to the newsletter.
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UUCH 2025-26
Board Members
President:
Laurel Bollinger
Vice President:
Darlene Patten
Secretary:
Steve Rittenberg
Treasurer:
Khoe Tran
Trustees:
Vickie Goodman
Lynsie Lamitie
Foster Perry
Minister:
Rev. Jaimie Simon
Do you have an agenda item for the Board?
The Board respectfully requests that all agenda items for the meeting be submitted to Board President Laurel Bollinger via email no later than one week prior to the meeting (i.e. the Wednesday before). The next Board meeting is March 25th.
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Office Administrator
Ryan Gonzales
Main Office Hours:
Monday 10:30AM to 1:00PM
Tuesday—Thursday 12:00PM to 2:30PM
or by appointment.
*Please call/email the office in advance if you need building access.
Phone:
256-534-0508
Email: uuch@uuch.org
For more info on any event, contact the church office or visit our website.
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UUCH News is a publication of The Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville,
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville, AL 35810
Copy Editor:
Laurel Bollinger
Editorial Writer:
Ryan Gonzales
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