Partner Churches Benefit from December Shared Offering

The Mission and Objectives of the Partner Church Committee are to develop long term mutually supportive relationships with our fellow Unitarians in Transylvania, Romania and in the Khasi Hills of India. To this end we promote an exchange of people and ideas, provide funds and other forms of assistance to help our Partner Churches in Szekelykal (Transylvania) and Nongtalang (Khasi Hills, India) and their communities to improve the quality of life for all the inhabitants and to foster economic development through enhanced educational opportunities. Our two Partner Churches are quite different, although they share an economy based on farming. In Szekelykal, its mixed agriculture, while in Nongtalang the primary crop is beetle nut. In Szekelykal, the Church building dates from before the Reformation during which the Church became Unitarian. The Church in the Khasi Hills has been finished and is a small concrete building. Paved roads are the connections between urban areas and villages. The roads in the villages themselves are dirt roads. Szekelykal has heated homes and electricity, but in the Khasi Hills, the level of income is frequently below the global poverty level of a dollar a day, but they do have electricity. Seventy seven percent of young children in the State of Meghalaya (where Nongtalang is located) drop out of school before grade ten due to poverty. The needs of both congregations are sizeable. Education and basic necessities are high on the list of ways the Committee hopes to support the growth and stability of both our Partner Churches. There are current photos from both Churches on the Bulletin Board in the Fellowship Hall. In the south entrance hall (by the parking lot door) are hanging several gifts from our friends in Szekelykal. If you wish to help support this ongoing effort to benefit those churches, please note that collections throughout the month of December are designated to that end. You may either write a check made out to the UU Church, with a note in the memo line that your donation is to go to Partner Churches, or you may use a red marked envelope. These funds will go directly to the Partner Churches. In addition to those funds, 50% of the undesignated cash collection will go to the Partner Churches.

Rake-A-Thon and Mulch-A-Thon at UU Church

A huge thanks to all the RE and property committee members, the RE classes and any other volunteers that showed up on Sunday, November 13th to either rake or move mulch, clean up the weeds on the slopes, etc. There are way too many to recount everyone's names, but please know how much we appreciated all your efforts. It was a great event and having it punctuated by the second Sunday potlucks gave people a chance for a break and to refuel their bodies. Thanks to all how organize and contribute to the potluck as well. The event helped promote camaraderie, helped educate our kids about working together, volunteerism, and about stewardship of our property. It will make the job of adding some additional mulch much easier in the spring. Again, a huge THANK YOU to all!

Food Drive at the Church-Begins Sunday November 27!

The Hunger Initiative Coordinating Team is asking for your help in kicking off a food drive to benefit the Eastern Illinois Foodbank (EIB) starting Sunday, November 27 and continuing through the Holiday season. Representatives from EIB spoke at our service in October to inform our congregation about the wonderful work they do. EIB provides food to agencies like food pantries, soup kitchens, snack programs, and shelters who serve the hungry in Champaign County and 13 other counties in Eastern Illinois.According to EIB, Champaign County's poverty rate is estimated at 21%, which is higher than Cook County's. The food drive is another great opportunity to get involved in our church-wide initiative to fight hunger in the Champaign-Urbana community. Starting November 27, you can bring canned and boxed foods to church which will then be donated to EIB. Foods in greatest need are the following; canned meats, canned complete meals (ravioli, spaghetti-O's, etc.), canned beans and other vegetables, canned fruit, boxed meals, and peanut butter. They also accept toiletries, cleaning products, and pet food. &They CANNOT accept food in glass containers, homemade food, or any open containers. Would you like to help organize the food drive? We need folks to hang up signs at the church, label boxes and place them in the fellowship hall, count food items, pick up boxes of food and take them to the Food Bank, and other related tasks. Interested? Send an email to hunger@uucuc.org and let us know what type of activity you are interested in, and we'll put you to work to help fight hunger in our community. Thank you!

November Shared Offering: Champaign County Health Care Consumers

Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) is a grassroots non-profit organization founded in 1977, with the mission of health care for all. CCHCC provides a variety of free services to community members, as well as advocacy and community organizing to make improvements in the health care system, and in policy and legislation at the local, state, and national levels.

CCHCC provides free direct services to about 700 clients a month through its Hotline, Medicare 100/Plus Program (for low-income Medicare beneficiaries) and its Dental programs. CCHCC also runs a mobile dental clinic for low-income seniors twice a month in its office.

CCHCC’s community organizing campaigns work with local residents to improve the health care system or to advocate for policy and legislative changes. Current campaigns focus on access to care, protecting Social Security and other vital programs from budget cuts, and the 5th & Hill Neighborhood Rights Campaign (an environmental justice campaign).

http://www.healthcareconsumers.org/