Amongst all the things that are hollered out of car windows at us supporting Black Lives Matter in the Westborough Rotary, the ones that keep us going are the “Thank you”s, thumbs up, and honks. Christa and Jerry reflect on their experiences over the last five months while conveying the message that Black Lives Matter. We encourage you to bring your own experiences to this service.

To join online, go to zoom.us/j/89214621289

Join with our neighbors in the Westborough interfaith community as we watch our collaborative 2020 Thanksgiving Service: Open Hearts simultaneously on Tuesday, November 24th at 7:30 pm.

Rev. Laurel will lead UUCSW's screening of the service on Zoom. Join us at zoom.us/j/81202715482.

In 2016, Unitarian Universalists voted to pay special attention to learning our history and rethinking Thanksgiving in the year 2020, in observance of the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing in Plymouth. The Harvest the Power Justice Convergence & Teach-in is a series of excellent programs and documentary screenings to provide grounding, community, and justice education for the week of Thanksgiving. Registration and details can be found here.

Please consider participating in a congregational food drive to benefit the South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) which provides meals for people in Worcester. At this time they are especially in need of: 6-8 ounce juice boxes/pouches; fresh fruit, especially apples and pears; 16 oz. packages of bologna, thick slice pre-packaged; and boxes of chewy/soft granola bars. There will be a collection for these items on Tuesday, November 24th between 4:30 and 5:45 pm at the Ruggles Street door of UUCSW. Please reach out to Pauline at psciarappa@gmail.com ahead of time if there's a better time for you. Food will be delivered to SMOC on November 27th. Thank you for help with this. - Your friends on the Social Action Committee

Seeking to increase voter turnout in the January 5, 2021 Georgia election for two Senate seats, VoteForward.org is again leading targeted letter-writing campaigns. Consistent with our UU principle of using and promoting the democratic process, sending a Vote Forward letter is one of the easiest things to do to increase participation in the democratic process. The current campaign requires mailing letters as soon as possible. If you want to join us in this new effort, please contact Jerry at jerry@breecher.com or 508-330-2833. You can also learn more here or by contacting Jane Walsh at janenboro@aol.com.

A Blood Drive in Memory of Corinne Sciarappa will be held on Friday, November 27th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Tatnuck Bookseller and Cafe located at 18 Lyman Street in Westborough. Here is the link to schedule your appointment. There are limited spots so please feel free to follow your own schedule to donate whenever and wherever is most convenient for you. Thank you for helping provide this vital need especially during this time when Covid-19 is impacting blood donor opportunities and the blood supply for patients in need.

We are continuing this fundraiser throughout the year. For every card purchased, the church receives 5% of the face value back. If you are interested in purchasing some cards to support the fundraiser, contact Lisa Shumway at treasurer@uucsw.org.

I've been hearing from all kinds of people that there's a collective exhaustion post-election. And now that the acute election anxiety has passed, there's space to feel a whole different range of emotions.

Our third principle - acceptance of one another and encouraging spiritual growth - has been on my mind this week. I've been reminded in a few different ways by different people that joy is an act of resistance and that rest is deeply important.

So this week I've been trying to take a page out of Henry's book - letting myself slow down when I'm tired and seeking moments of joy. Wednesday was his first birthday (!!!) and this giant bone was his birthday present. It's so big he couldn't figure out how to chew on it at first, so he's been carrying it around and taking naps with it for the last few days.

What's your small act this week? How are you taking care of your spirit? - Rev. Laurel