helping hands Sundays
On Helping Hands Sundays all the children and youth not involved in worship gather to work on service projects and social justice witness. When we look at service projects we want to expand our children's vision to review what we choose to do. As we look at potential projects we will include projects that serve our UUCM family, our local community and the wider world we share.
Current Projects
We have three projects we are working on. Some are ongoing and some are time limited. We'll add things as projects are completed and projects are integrated into the life of our community. In time the project ideas will come from the children and youth, not unlike the way the UUCM Social Justice Council works.
three loaves
Inspired by a project (Three Loaves) that encourages individuals to make three loaves of bread one for self, one for friends and/or family, and one to give away to the needy, we will gather to bake bread before our 2nd Sunday Potluck. There will be bread to take home for the bakers, some we'll share with our UUCM family at 2nd Sunday Potluck Dinner and some we'll package and give to the Meriden Soup Kitchen. Everyone is invited to bake bread, children youth and adults. The bread baking dates and the needed ingredients will be noted on the electronic calendar and widely communicated in bulletins, announcements and in the newsletter so everyone who wants to can join in. If you are unable to join in the group baking, this is something you can do on your own. To find out more go to threeloaves.info to find out how you can take part. If you would like to support Three Loaves Baking at UUCM but do not want to or cannot bake yourself donations of ingredients of funds to purchase are always welcome.
medicine bottles for malawi
A green project to help people a world away from Meriden, Medicine Bottles for Malawi will help us recycle medicine bottles and get them to people who desperately need them. Medicine bottles cannot be recycled in most towns even though they have the recyclable symbol. Someone has to pull them out of the recycling stream, making the recycling efforts of all cost more. People in Malawi and other parts of rural Africa need a way to transport and protect medicines that dispensed from healthcare clinics. Our discarded and unrecyclable medicine bottles as well as smaller over the counter medicine and vitamin bottles can help people in need. Bring your empty medicine bottles to UUCM to recycle in a different way. When we collect enough bottles, CYRE will have a boil and peel party to prepare the bottles for shipment. Collection containers can be found in the front room and on the RE floor.
guest at your table (November through January)
Guest at Your Table is an annual program of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. During this season of giving we invite a guest to share in the bounty on our tables when we gather for meals. The collection boxes we distribute on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and return as part of our Stone Soup celebration are the physical reminder of this important effort. Stories of Hope booklets, also distributed on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, shines a light up the projects UUSC is working on and lifting up this year. The booklets can be used to remind everyone of what project are highlighted this year and a larger dinner conversation about the UUSC and they way they do good in the world in our name with our support.
