The Totes program is completely dependent on our members and friends in supporting 15 students at Maywood Hills school in Bothell. These students are at risk of missing meals on the weekends when school meals aren’t available. Many thanks to all of you who have contributed food items for these children. Special kudos to our “scheduled donors” who have promised to bring needed items each month. You are the backbone of our program! I’d also like to thank the folks who have helped me pack our supplies into my car. In the past two months, these include Hilarie Cash, Tevina, Sebastian and Sinjin Flood, and Hudson Lyman.
Please watch for the “we still need” messages that come out around the 20th of the month. We had a few more gaps than usual for the February delivery. Donations may be left in the baskets across from the kitchen.
Questions or comments can be brought to John Hartman or Grace Simons, co-coordinators.
This month’s collection goes to California Community Foundation (CCF) Wildlife Recovery Fund. The wildfires in LA County have claimed at least 29 lives, destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, and displaced more than 180,000 people. CCF has a long history of making a direct and meaningful impact on individuals and families in need, ensuring that support reaches those most affected. Since 2003, the CCF Wildfire Recovery Fund has provided over $30 million to communities affected by disasters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CCF also launched its COVID Relief Fund, offering critical assistance to aging populations, single parents, immigrants, and others by covering essential needs like rent and utility costs and providing vaccines to individuals facing barriers to care, including the unhoused and those with language access challenges.
The ASJ Committee thanks WUUC members and friends for their generous support of our monthly special collections, which take place during services on the third Sunday of every month (February 16th). Instructions for giving are posted during the service, and you can also donate anytime at https://onrealm.org/wuuc/-/give/now, or by sending a check to WUUC at P.O. Box 111, Woodinville, WA 98072. Please make checks out to WUUC and write “ASJ Special Collection” in the notes. Visit wuuc.org/collection.
Our annual rummage sale is coming up April 11-12. The rummage sale is our second largest fund raiser for the church. I have been the lead for far too long and I am stepping down. Dewey Millar has been my trusted partner and he is also stepping down. Running the sale is really pretty simple; we have been doing this quite awhile and have it pretty well organized. I will be available to walk you through the steps and will continue to work the week of the sale (sale prep) and during the sale. Dewey will also be available to share what he has done for the sale. Please reach out with any questions.
A small part of Rev. Vandiver’s service was information about Washington being seen as a sanctuary state by transgender and other folks who are being targeted by recent political threats. She said that people have contacted her for support, including help with temporary or transitional shelter for them and asked if anyone in our congregation could help with RVs, campers, housing or hotel points. If you are interested in helping, the first step is to fill out a volunteer form found at bit.ly/uucsj-volunteer-sign-up This form is sponsored by the UUSC and UUCSJ and their partners. Information will not be shared with any other entities. If you have questions, contact Grace Simons, who will try to help.
UUSC = Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
UUCSJ = Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice
Early last fall, a WUUC Holiday Planning Team came together with the goal of building community through meaningful holiday activities and events, especially those that would welcome families.
Here are the highlights of the 2024 holiday season:
Postcards mailed to all friends and members with the key events that would happen between Thanksgiving and the New Year
Children’s gifting fair, where new and gently used gifts were donated so that children could choose and wrap gifts for their family and friends
Cookie exchange in the WUUC foyer.
Craft activities for creating handmade gifts
Holiday gifts for 20 youth and children donated through Friends of Youth
Collective contributions of supplies and time to make 50 (!) Kits for Neighbors in Need that included essentials, such as socks, gloves, flashlights, handwarmers, tissues, personal care supplies, ponchos, food treats, throat lozenges, wipes, and personalized cards
Solstice labyrinth meditative experience with beautiful luminaria for 38 of our friends and neighbors.
All-church brunch with quiche, pancakes, fruit, and community for over 60 members and friends
Christmas Eve caroling complete with cookies and hot beverages.
And of course, worship services, complete with families lighting advent candles each week, the candlelight Christmas Eve service, and the Burning Bowl service to greet the new year.
At least 50 WUC members and friends volunteered to make these holiday events successful.
Our deep thanks go out to all of you.
WUUC Holiday team co-chairs,
Donna Johnson and Jan Radoslovitch
PS We will be talking about what worked, what didn’t work and what we would like to do better in the coming months. Please let us know your thoughts about our holiday events this year. Also, we will be starting to plan next year‘s events sometime in the late summer or early fall. Please let us know if you would like to be part of the Holiday Planning team at WUUC.
A new year has started and we can be pleased with the work we’ve done in supporting the Totes to Go program throughout 2024. Totes provides food for weekends when school meals aren’t available to students. We know that hungry kids can’t learn well, so we help to ensure weekend nutrition for kids who are at risk of missing meals. We deliver items each month throughout the school year.
We have a number of “scheduled” donors who have signed up to bring the same items each month. Sometime after the 15th of the month, I send out a message listing the items we still need. Want to help? Watch for those e-mails and pick up some items we need. Or you might choose to make a financial contribution (WUUC with Totes on the memo line or envelope). Also, usually on the last Sunday of the month, I can use help loading everything into my car.
Questions or comments? See me, Grace Simons or John Hartman, co-coordinators.
