Skip to main content

Giving Time and Talent: Community Outreach Part 2

By


Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN)

Liz Gustavson

The Interfaith Hospitality Network is a shelter for families who have become homeless.  I have helped out with the program for over ten years.  Being the "go-to" person at church for coordinating volunteers, raising money for supplies, and in organizing "just in time" donations as families graduate from the program gives me great satisfaction. As the coordinator at First Unitarian, I also have the opportunity to develop relationships with the guests of the program because during the weeks we cover, I am there daily.

For our congregation, I think (I hope!) there is a sense of pride about being a significant part of the financial support for the shelter.  There are about 30 religious congregations that are in the network; each is asked to try to make an annual contribution of at least $2000 a year; our annual Christmas Eve donation is usually three times that amount.   I think that IHN is a significant mission of the church.

There are about a dozen members of the congregation who are regular volunteers for the evening and overnight shifts, including Lesa McWalters and the youth group, which has frequently come to play with the children.  Having a hands-on way of helping others who are in need feels good!  For each of the three weeks we are typically scheduled, we are also asked to provide support for food and supplies that week, about $250-$300.  Many folks in our congregation, who are perhaps unable to volunteer at the June St. site, have been generous in donating money. 

I think  this quote from John Wesley sums up for me my belief in being involved:

“Do all the good you can,                          
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

Helping out at IHN is a way for me, and for our congregation, to do good. -- Liz Gustavson


John Henry's Hammer Open Mic


“There is joy!”  so many of our UU hymns resound.  That’s what I
Linda Wyatt
believe we bring to the community through the John Henry’s Hammer Open Mic.  I am so glad to be part of it.  Musicians, Lydia Fortune, Phil Nigro, and Sten Gustavson and Rick Levine, who assist in operating it, have helped me grow as a singer and musician.  Bob and Sue Shaw, our refreshments coordinators, provide moral support to all, too.

The people who attend the open mic are welcoming to seasoned, novice, and in-between performers. They affirm the First Principle of our faith denomination:  “We honor the inherent worth and dignity of every person”.  We learn from each other! They provide “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth” (UU’s Third Principle).  I believe the JHH Open Mic is a valuable extension of our church’s outreach and music ministry. --  Linda Wyatt

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Outstanding Day One for the Annual Pledge Drive

By
" It is rare indeed that people give.  Most people guard and keep. "  If this observation from James Baldwin, one of our contry's most respected philosophers and novelists, is true, then the opening Sunday of our Annual Stewardship Pledge Drive was a rare one indeed.  Consider these day one  statistics : Total amound pledged: $96,628 (32% of our $300,000 goal !) Number of pledges: 62 (6 of these were first time pledges !) A whopping 56% increased their pledge over last year ! Let us keep the momentum going!  If you have not yet sent in your pledge, do so today.   This is truly a wonderful beginning, and it was made even more special by our interim minister's homily.  If you missed Tracey's message, what follows are a few of her memorable and moving insights.  We come through these doors in search, in need, in hope, in prayer. We come looking for something to make our lives better; to make the lives of our family, our fr...
2 comments
Read more

2017 Stewardship Interview Series

By
You might remember that as part of last year's campaign, the Stewardship Committee coordinated in-person visits with members of the church. The purpose of these visits was to chat about members' experiences at First Unitarian, the four goals of the Stewardship campaign* and member pledges. The core of these conversations was about participation . We discussed questions like: How are you feeling about your connection with the church? Are there any groups, volunteer activities or leadership opportunities that you'd like to be more involved in? What are your thoughts about this year's stewardship goals? Do you have any concerns? My Experience as a Visiting Steward Our family officially joined First Unitarian at the beginning of 2016. And while we had attended sporadically for years, there were lots of people we didn't know. So when Ellen announced that the Stewardship Committee was looking for volunteers to be visiting stewards, I thought it would be a fun way t...
Post a Comment
Read more

This Community Surrounds My Life

By
I am always inspired and touched by the efforts to build a better world. Seth Popinchalk, Vice-Moderator Last week Scott Hayman told me about a 5K road race to benefit Abby’s house. Abby’s House is a family shelter for women and children and provides them with “a safe place to stay, regroup, and rebuild.” I am in fair shape, so when I woke up Saturday morning I laced up my shoes and drove out to West Boylston to find the starting line. I found Scott and Maddie at the registration area. I also ran into a handful of other familiar First U members wearing race bibs and supporting the event. There was no plan among members to connect with our First Unitarian community this Saturday morning, but we found each other among the crowd of about 300. I was reminded that I am surrounded by our special community. What brings us together? We are a community because we choose to be one. We find a connection with something the church offers: the Sunday services, the sermons, the holi...
1 comment
Read more