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Giving Time and Talent: Community Outreach Part 1

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Jericho Road



Jeanine Beratta
About eight years ago, Barbara Merritt asked me to attend a presentation about The Jericho Road Project that began in the First Parish Unitarian Church in Concord MA. Based on what I heard that day I began to think differently about volunteering. I realized that small to mid-sized nonprofits didn't have the resources, financial or staffing, to increase their capacity. But, I did know that many members of our congregation had the professional skills to provide expertise to help nonprofits focus on what they do best; program delivery. As a Unitarian I feel an obligation to work to create a better world; a world where all people matter. The challenge is finding meaningful ways to do that. I am grateful for the time I have had on the Jericho Road Worcester Board. I was able to see nonprofits expand the quality and scope of their outreach and I was able to see skills based volunteers make a difference in our community, sometimes in ways they never imagined. First Unitarian's support of Jericho Road Worcester has directly impacted our Worcester community. We have not simply supported one organization, we have increased the capacity of many Worcester nonprofits. -- Jeanine Beratta

The Center for Nonviolent Solutions (CNVS)


Marj Ropp
Being involved in the Center for Nonviolent Solutions is just one of the ways I try to live as a compassionate, responsible citizen of the World, giving back from the abundance that I’ve been dealt in this life.  Peace, harmony and understanding are personal values that I can help promote in my involvement in the CNVS.  It’s wonderful seeing young people learn to identify conflict among their peers and learn skills to resolve it in nonviolent ways.  In the past I’ve volunteered as a mediator with Worcester Community Mediation Services and as the Peer Mediation Coordinator at Burncoat High School.   It is gratifying to work now with the dedicated and competent Board, staff and volunteers of CNVS, helping people in Worcester to understand peacemaking as a way of life.

Being involved helps to raise awareness of peacemaking activities in the Worcester community and provides concrete opportunities for the congregation to learn about and be involved in conflict resolution.  -- Marj Ropp


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