Note: The website committee has decided not to publish phone numbers. Please call Terri Burton at the office or consult your UUCSC Newsletter or Directory for phone numbers.
Upcoming Sermons
July 20 - Ileene Parker, Director, Valley Interfaith Council’s Food Pantry Program - “The New Urgency Of An Old Challenge”
The Social Action Committee will be hosting this special service spotlighting the escalating problem of food insecurities in our own community–more people needing food assistance at a time when the organizations providing food assistance are, themselves, experiencing severe shortages.
July 27 - Reid Swanson & Others “This I Believe”
This morning various members of the congregation share their beliefs.
Events
Gathering Of The Waters
As you head off for summer traveling, to either nearby or exotic destinations, keep in mind that on the Sunday after Labor Day, September 7, we will have our annual “Gathering of the Waters” ritual to mark the end of summer activities and welcome one another back into the rhythms of the fall and another church year. Now is the time for you to begin thinking ahead to this annual fall ceremony. Wherever you may go this summer, take along a small bottle and collect some water from a river, lake, stream, or ocean, and bring it back to share with all of us in this regathering ritual. Or, alternatively, bring an object that symbolizes a recent inward or outward journey for you.
Social Action Committee - Local Food Pantries In Crisis
As one of our 2008 initiatives, the Social Action Committee has chosen to spotlight the problem of hunger in our community. As part of this initiative we will be hosting the July 20th Sunday Service. The director of the Valley Interfaith Council’s Food Pantry Program, Ileene Parker, will be our guest speaker.
Why have we chosen to spotlight this subject? In the past couple of years local food banks and food pantries have seen a sharp rise in the number of people in need of their services. At the same time there has been a decrease in the food and monetary donations they receive from various sources. These two factors have resulted in a shortage of food available to distribute locally to the thousands of children, families and seniors in our community who depend on food pantries to help them.
Now, adding to this already critical situation is the high cost of gas and food. The high cost of gas not only makes it more expensive to transport food from central distribution points to those in need, it is also a major factor in the skyrocketing cost of the food that food banks and food pantries rely on. The fuel used in growing, processing and transporting food has risen dramatically so, therefore, has the cost of the food.
And the high cost of gas has resulted in a drop in the number of volunteers that charities rely on to make sure that food is delivered to those who are house bound. For example, the volunteers for Meals on Wheels, many of whom are seniors on fixed incomes, are required to drive their own cars to deliver meals to shut-ins. Because of the high cost of gas many of these volunteers have been forced to stop providing this vital service.
Two simple ways to help right now:
- Every time you do your grocery shopping please purchase one or two extra food items and bring them in for the Sunday collection of food.
- On Sundays please focus your gifts of food and clothing more on food than on clothing.
How to help even more:
Come to the July 20th Sunday service hosted by the Social Action Committee and hear our guest speaker from the San Fernando Valley Food Pantry Coalition say more about this serious problem and ways we can help.
Thank you...
Women’s Literature Group
The Women’s Literature Group will meet on Thursday, July 24, at the home of Margery Pope. Please contact Margery for directions. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson will be discussed. This is a mystery which involves three cases from the past that occurred in and around London. The novel focuses on the results of family dysfunction from random fate.
Experience Niagara Falls With Other UUS
Join UUs from around the country at Niagara Falls, July 20-23, 2008. Come and experience the wonder of the Falls including some great educational opportunities, while being pampered like royalty. The UU Church of Niagara is conducting a UU Niagara Experience, and a lifetime opportunity to encounter the Falls up close from every perspective. Spend four days with us exploring the rich history and natural beauty around the Falls. For information visit our web site: http://www.uunex.net/. You don’t have to be a UU to join us.
LA/Valley Cluster Camp October 3,4 & 5 De Benneville Pines
Camp for families, singles, couples - don't miss it! Registration forms available in the Narthex or on the de Benneville Pines website (www.uucamp.org). See the poster in the Narthex for photos of camp. We expect camp to fill early this year so don't miss out - register early.
For info, contact Margery Pope radkova@sbcglobal.net
Report On Flood Damage In The Midwest
Many members of UUCSC have connections to the Midwest and are concerned about the fate of our fellow UUs in the flood-ravaged areas. The collection taken at the June 18th Valley Vespers Service was designated for this cause. $449 will be divided and sent to these two districts. Members of UUCSC who were not present and wish to help their Midwestern neighbors can still contribute.
In the aftermath of devastating floods that have wreaked havoc on several Midwestern states, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Prairie Star and Heartland Districts have announced the launch of individual district relief funds to provide assistance to Unitarian Universalists in Indiana and Iowa whose homes have been severely damaged or destroyed by flood waters.
As of June 17, no Unitarian Universalist (UU) church properties were known to have sustained substantial damage; however, executives of Prairie Star and Heartland Districts report that numerous members of local congregations have incurred flood damage.
In Iowa, flooding has come within a block of the Cedar Rapids church. Hundreds of blocks in the city have been impacted, and damage is estimated to be in excess of $1 billion. The devastation to the city and the resulting damage to the economy of the area will affect the lives of people in that congregation in the weeks and months ahead.
In Iowa City at least fifteen parishioners’ homes have been flooded, and the property of the University of Iowa, a significant source of employment in the area, was heavily damaged, impacting job security for residents. In Indiana, the Terre Haute congregation is trying to provide assistance to members - including the retired minister of the congregation - whose homes have been flooded.
The city of Columbus has been extremely hard-hit and a number of congregants have lost everything.
To contribute aid to the district relief funds designate checks to be used for flood relief in Prairie Star and Heartland districts and send directly.
Prairie Star District UUA
122 W. Franklin Ave., Suite 303
Minneapolis, MN 55404
info@psduua.org (612)870-4823
Heartland District of the UUA
445 N. Pennsylvania St., Suite 510
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 634-5384 or (toll-free) - (888) 948-4883
Join Us For The September Hollywood Bowl Performance
At 6:00 pm on Friday, September 19th, there will be a sing-along with performers doing songs from The Sound of Music. Tickets are $20 and must be purchased through Kate Royce by August 10 to reserve the seats.
We're Looking For A DRE!
For the past year, our religious exploration program for children and youth has been energized by the service of Lisa Malkiewicz as an interim Director of Religious Exploration (DRE). The DRE Review/Search Committee has used this interim year to clarify the role and responsibilities of the DRE, and we are now ready to begin the search for someone to fill this important position on a permanent basis.
Are You Interested?
We are looking for someone with vibrant leadership ability, good organizational skills, strong commitment to our UU tradition, and an imaginative vision for the religious growth of our children and youth. Briefly, this is a half-time position (20 hrs/wk), pays $17,600 annually, and offers health benefits and an expense allowance for professional development and related travel. The DRE will need to work most weekends and be available for weekday meetings with staff, RE leaders, and the wider UU network of DRE organizations and activities.
A full job description is available by request. If you are interested, have questions, or would like to submit an application, please contact me.
Join The Boutique Workshop Meets every Friday!
The Boutique Workshop meets every Friday at 10:00 am in the church Conference Room for creativity, catchy conversation, crafting, quilting and florage. All are welcome. For more information contact Donna Mae Pitluck at 818-789-9418.
Social Action Committee: An ACAC Update
Annual ACAC Shopping Spree
July 19th is the date for the annual Mervyn’s “Shopping Spree”. Every year Mervyn’s sponsors 50 to 75 foster and abused children for a shopping spree in one of their stores. The purpose is to provide new clothes and school supplies for these selected children who otherwise would go back to school without them.
Volunteers are needed to chaperone the children. Each child is assigned an adult who is then given a sheet listing the child’s sizes and needs. The adult and child then proceed through the store and end up at the cashier where it is amazing what the $100.00 has purchased. Mervyn’s usually has a sale and then offers another 25% off the sale prices. This is one of the most fun activities involving the ACAC that we do during the year.
The day’s activities start at 7:00 am and are usually over by 10:00 am. After the shopping, the children are served a simple healthy breakfast and pick out a backpack containing some school supplies. It is the chaperone’s responsibility to remain with the child until his/her caregiver picks him/her up.
If you are interested, please contact Laurel Ross by email – laurelross@sbcglobal.net.
Lovette Panthier, the ACAC coordinator, needs to have names and contact numbers for all of the volunteers before the event.
New ACAC Birthday Poster
The latest ACAC Birthday Poster has been posted in the Narthex. Please take a child’s name. Thank you again for your generosity.
Second Sunday Collection
Our 2nd Sunday Collection will be taken on April 20th when we observe Earth Day. It will be given to the local chapter of the Sierra Club and earmarked for their ongoing restoration of Griffith Park after last year's devastating fire.
Recipients of the 2nd Sunday Collection are chosen by the Social Action Committee from suggestions given to us by the congregation. Please see the forms on the credenza in the Narthex for more information.
Date |
Recipient |
Total |
July 8, 2006 |
DCFS - Abused Children's Camp |
$251.00 |
August 13, 2006 |
Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center |
$259.00 |
| September 10, 2006 | Women's Care Cottage of LA | $445.00 |
| October 8, 2006 | Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation | $620.00 |
| November 11, 2006 | Habitat for Humanity | $1001.00 |
| January 13, 2007 | LA Regional Food Bank | $416.00 |
| February 11, 2007 | UU Service Committee | $1315.00 |
| March 2, 2007 | Homeboy Industries | $400.00 |
April 07, 2007 |
LAMP Community | $614.00 |
| May 07, 2007 | Children's Nature Institute | $531.00 |
| June 07, 2007 | Jay Nolan Community Services | $696.00 |
| July 07, 2007 | Meals on Wheels | $535.00 |
| August 13,2007 | Ehren Watada Defense Fund | $419.00 |
| September 9, 2007 | ONEGeneration | $502.00 |
Recycling News
INK CARTRIDGES
In reassessing our priorities for this year, the Social Action Committee has decided to discontinue collecting ink cartridges for recycling. We haven’t gotten that many in the past year or so and you can now recycle them in so many places—including office supply stores. We’ve decided to focus our attention on other environmental issues. Please continue to recycle your cartridges. If you have trouble finding a place to do so, check out http://earth911.org/recycling/ to locate places near you to recycle almost anything.
The Earth and the Social Action Committee thank you!
In other Recycling News: If you have bulky items such as an old couch, washing machine, dog house, etc., you can arrange for pick-up, by the Sanitation Dept. by calling the Service Request Call Center at 800-773-2489. They will ask you to have the items on the curb at 6 a.m. on your usual pick-up day, and voila, it will all disappear.
There is also a permanent recycling center that takes everything from paper to computers at the Burbank Recycle Center, 500 S. Flower Street in Burbank. There is more information at www.burbankrecycle.org.
Ongoing Events at Our church
UU
World Available Free on Tape
The
UU World is free on tape for people whose eyesight is not good enough
for them to read regular print materials. If you know anybody like this,
please let him or her know they qualify for a free UU World subscription
on audiotape. Write, phone, or email: Devorah Greenstein, 25 Beacon St.,
Boston, MA 02108. Phone 617-984-6451. Email dgreenstein@uua.org
Regular UUCSC Events
Board of Trustees: meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM in the Fireside Room.
Boutique Workshop: meets every Friday at 10:00 AM in the Conference Room.
Choir: Rehearses Monday evenings at the church at 7:00 PM, and Sunday mornings at 9 AM.
Program Council Meeting (all committee chairs): 1st Tuesday of the month, 7:00 PM in the Fireside Room.
Committee Meetings: are held on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM (see your committee chair for location).
Conversation
Circle: is scheduled on occasional Sunday mornings from 11:30 am
to 12:15 pm. These are discussion sessions open to anyone
interested and are moderated by one of our members. Usually no particular
topic of conversation is set or presumed in advance. If people
are interested in responding to the morning service or in
discussing the themes of the sermon, then that choice may guide the discussion.
If visitors or newcomers wish to ask questions about our
church, then conversation about the nature of our liberal religious
tradition is always appropriate. Or there may be some public
issue or event on everyone's mind that will determine the
topic of conversation.
In every case, we especially welcome newcomers to these conversation
circles. Join in for lively debate, mutual exploration of ideas and
issues, or just to get to know each other!
CUUPS MEETINGS
For more info contact Karen Schmidt at arteest@earthlink.net .
Early Bird Coffee: Sundays at 9:25 AM in the Narthex (before service).
Social & Fellowship Hour: Sundays at 11:00 AM (after service) Fellowship Hall or outside, depdending on the weather (see photo above).
Women's
Literature Group: The Women's Literary
Group meets once a month. The book being discussed
and meeting place are announced in the newsletter,
here on the Events page or may be obtained
by calling the church office.
Worship and Children's Service: Sundays at 10:00 AM in the Sanctuary.
Twelve
Step Group Meetings at UUCSC
A variety of 12-step groups use UUCSC
facilities for their meetings: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) (regular "open" groups
and special groups for women, agnostics and gay people only); Overeaters
Anonymous (OA) and Codependents Anonymous (CODA). Schedule subject
to change. Contact the church office
for more information.