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Weekly Communicator


May 12, 2022

Sunday Service



Join us this Sunday at 10:30am in the Sanctuary* or via Zoom at

https://zoom.us/j/5264858673


or listen to audio only at UUCFM.org


*Please remember that masking and social distancing indoors remains in effect

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The Worship Associates, Alanis Garcia, Leslie Gatto, Jennifer Grant and Gary Robbins, will present It's OK to Not Be OK which will look at the importance of understanding and discussing mental health. During the past several years, we have encountered the never-ending pandemic, an unusual economy, the unthinkable war in Ukraine and isolation. Even as these times have touched us and those we know, we can persist in enjoying and celebrating the unique and beautiful humans we all are. Please join us on May 15.

Denise out of office


Denise will be out of the office on May 13th, and May 20-22. 

Please send all newsletter articles by 

12pm Wednesday for publication in Thursday's newsletter.


Send articles to newsletter@uucfm.org


**Please do not send requests to the office manager email**

Message from the Board of Trustees

 

The Board of Trustees would like to share these reports on the fiscal year that recently ended. As you can see in the Report to the Congregation, the operating budget ended the year nearly in balance. While expenditures exceeded revenue, the deficit was made up through reserve transfers, a grant from the Endowment Fund, and loan advances from the capital improvement loan. The Reserves Summary shows an increase to the Reserve Fund last year of more than $40,000, primarily due to your contributions to the REACH campaign.

 

The Board appreciates your continued support and generosity, and looks forward to a new year of loving, growing, and serving.

Volunteers of the Month


The UUCFM Board of Trustees would like to thank the members of the Tech Team for all of their hard work as we’ve moved back into in-person services. They have had to put many hours into learning the new sound and lighting system that Gulf Coast Symphony has installed, as well as learning how to integrate with Zoom in order to provide us with hybrid worship services. All of the team’s members have given of their time to train with technicians from the Gulf Coast Symphony. We would further like to take this opportunity to acknowledge their individual, ongoing contributions.


Walter Peterson – Tech Team Lead. Walter has built the network that provides wi-fi to our campus. He is the one who is primarily responsible for making certain that the technology functions properly and delegating tasks. He has worked with the technicians from the Gulf Coast Symphony to fine tune and troubleshoot issues that are specific to our service requirements. He runs the sound board on Sunday.


Denise Greenwood – Tech Team Coordinator.  Denise maintains the schedule for the Tech Team and sends out notices for our weekly service rehearsal and monthly team meeting. She helps with set up and teardown and any other tasks that are needed that day.


Alison Carville – Allie is our primary Zoom technician. She shares videos, manages the chat box, reports on Zoom attendance figures, and records the sermon videos.


Evan Carville – Evan works the lighting board, serves as backup for Zoom related tasks, and assists with setup and teardown.


Mark Brandon – Mark sets up the microphones, checks the volume levels, and assists with teardown.


Lesley Peterson – Lesley creates the webpage for the Sunday service, allowing anyone, anywhere, to view the Order of Worship via our website.


Bill Petrarca – Bill acts as a liaison between UUCFM and the Gulf Coast Symphony, addressing issues as they arise and searching for solutions that serve the best interests of all parties.

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Community Sharing


The Alliance for Fair Food (AFF) is the vibrant, diverse ally network of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), the internationally-acclaimed farmworker organization transforming human rights in the U.S. agricultural industry. The principal focus of the Alliance for Fair Food is the Campaign for Fair Food, a farmworker-led, community-powered movement that successfully holds major food retailers accountable to the highest human rights standards in their produce supply chains.


www.allianceforfairfood.org

Tech team volunteers needed


Tech team volunteers are needed every Sunday. Please come see Walter Peterson in the sound room after service if you would like to volunteer.

UU Dialogues volunteers needed


UU Dialogues needs volunteers to help out with moderating.

We need two people every Sunday, one from home and the other person zooming from the library. Right now we have a handful of people who are working almost every other Sunday. We need two or three or more people to help carry the load! If you come to church every week please consider spending a half hour after service to join our online friends. If you are unable to attend service please consider zooming from home. We need all the help we can get! Thank you for considering helping out. If you can help please let either myself or Mary Studer know.

Warmly,

Carole Latino

Coffee Hour volunteers needed


Two volunteers are needed to help with our coffee hour on Sunday morning. Please contact Dorothy VanHowe in Hobart Hall on Sunday or call 239-560-7238.

Social Justice Committee


I highly recommend this video which was brought to my attention by Karen Brown.


The video is of several people answering the same questions about a variety of topics: Institutional racism, Person of Color, Racist, Ally, Microaggressions to name a few.


The video is an hour long and there are good places to pause.


Our local chapter of Coming to the Table will discuss these questions in our May 13th gathering at 1-2:30pm by Zoom. You are invited to join us.


Please contact Helen Dixon, helendixon9@gmail.com or 239-633-4989.


Helen Dixon and Carole Latino, Co-chairs of Social Justice Committee

RESIST



May 14, 2022 1PM - 3PM

2075 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd (Lee County Justice Center Jury Room)

SWFL Red Cloaks, along with their allies will rally in resistance of current and proposed abortion bans.  

WE WON'T GO BACK

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Monday Book Group


For more info, click here to contact Mary Studer.


Mindfulness Opportunities

 

We have two online sitting practices each week for you. We practice mindfulness and discuss a reading. If you don’t have the books, you're still welcome to sit with us.


The Monday sangha meets at 6:30-7:45 p.m. Contact Mary Studer for details. 

 

The Wednesday sangha meets between 10:00-11:30 a.m. in coordination with Caloosahatchee Mindfulness. Contact Helen Leddy for more information.


Social Issues Book Group


Meeting every other Friday from 3-4:30pm. Contact Helen Leddy helen.leddy@gmail.com or Helen Dixon helendixon9@gmail.com for more information.


Poetry Circle


We read and discuss in detail a variety of poems, often related to our UU experience, usually centered around a weekly theme. Members share their own work for discussion as well, if they want to, but you do not need to be a writer to join. We offer weekly prompts, although there is no obligation to follow them. 


This is an ongoing Zoom group. New members can join at any time, and we really hope you will. Contact Judi Dettorre judidet84@gmail.com or Cat Pivetti joypivet@aol.com for more information. 


We meet every other Tuesday. We will meet from 1pm to 3pm. This a change from the original time.

The Bill Brewer Family Gardens

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UPDATE

   

We welcome another volunteer, Lakshmi Gogate, a Master Gardener, who is helping Jodi and me to add new Lee County organic compost into many beds.  We were assisted by a 7-year-old Scout named Ryan and his Mom. Many beds, unrented or vacated for the summer, are being planted with field peas from Cultivate Abundance.


Bonnie Jean Clancy

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60 Years - Holding Strong


Writing is underway for our 60th anniversary play, "Over 60 Years Holding Strong". It's been 60 years since June 20, 1961 when UUCFM received its Charter from the UUA. Your reflections and ideas are needed to make this updated play as complete as possible. The more ideas and reflections the better. We are building on the 40th Anniversary Play produced in 2002. To be part of this effort, contact 60th Play Coordinator, Suzanne Ziemer, suzanneziemer@gmail.com, 812-332-3450.

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Amazon Smile donates to UUCFM when you do your online shopping by following this special link

smile.amazon.com/ch/59-1160337

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Want to Become a Member?

If you are interested in becoming a new member of UUCFM, please email 

memberservices@uucfm.org.

Board of Trustees

Email: board@uucfm.org


President Mary Studer

President Elect Bill Petrarca

Secretary Lane Cook

Treasurer Pati Maier

VP Worship Lesley Peterson

VP Operations Genelle Grant

VP Programs Karen J. Brown

VP Membership Marge Gonzalez

VP Stewardship Nancy Hutchins





Staff

Lay Minister Albie Johnson - albiej@uucfm.org

Lay Minister Mary Cline Golbitz - mary@uucfm.org

Director of Music Suellen Kipp - music@uucfm.org

Office Manager Denise Greenwood - officemanager@uucfm.org

Building Supervisor  Mickey Kellam - buildingsupervisor@uucfm.org

Teacher  Liza Kellam - lhiz_sierra@yahoo.com

UUCFM

13411 Shire Lane

Fort Myers, FL 33912


Phone: (239) 561-2700 


Website: uucfm.org


Email: uuchurch@uucfm.org


Office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 9am-2pm

Thursday 11am-4pm

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