Join the Alabama Postcard Project

and Get Out The Vote

Sunday, Sept. 29 UUCH Fellowship Hall



Join us in helping get out the vote by writing postcards! The NAACP and League of Women Voters have a project to contact voters in the new Alabama congressional district 2 with hand-written postcards. LWV and NAACP are committed to ensuring that voters are empowered with the knowledge and tools that they need to make their voices heard at the ballot box on Election Day--November 5. They have come together to send a hand-written postcard to every Black registered voter in rural congressional district 2 to remind them to get out and vote on November 5!

After decades of racial gerrymandering, Alabama voters won a court battle and, in 2023, new Congressional voting maps were created. The new 2nd Congressional District (CD2) runs across south Alabama, from Georgia to Mississippi. It includes Mobile and Montgomery, but most of the district is very rural. With a 48.7% Black voting age population, the district was drawn to give Black voters the opportunity to select a candidate that will represent their priorities and values.

UUCH’s social justice mission is concerned with making sure all voices are heard, so we volunteered to help. We have 200 postcards to write. So stop by the Postcard Project Table in the Fellowship Hall after church on Sunday, September 22 and/or September 29 and write a few postcards while you drink coffee and have snacks. Together we can make a difference!  

UUCH Team Serves Over 100 Hot Lunches at First Stop

On Monday, September 23, members of UUCH prepared and served over 100 hot lunches at First Stop, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Huntsville’s homeless population. Volunteers were from three committees: Stewardship, Finance, and Adult Religious Education. Many thanks to all who contributed financially and to those who helped logistically. Special thanks to Lynda Lamitie, Carol Youkey, David Patten, Zena Tucker, Pam Korb, Bob Weed, and Teri Thomas.

This Week in CYRE

This year’s overarching frame is The Practices of Our Faith. We’re using this frame to focus on how Unitarian Universalism is a lived faith that inspires us to act, live, and love our values out in the world. Or, to put it another way, we’re diving into our long-loved commitment to “deeds, not creeds.” Our frame of practices is also a way for us to connect to our UUA’s new core value of love, with each of our monthly themes being framed as a practice that helps us embody love in our daily lives. With all this in mind, this September we explore the practice of invitation.

In this session, we explore what it means to share our UU Faith Tradition and how we might go about inviting friends, family, and the wider community to church.

Habitat for Humanity Home Build

Wall raising is in work at the Fazzingo/Turner house at 216 Lake Drive in Huntsville! UUCH members Khoe Tran and Brad Korb helped raise walls on Tuesday and the team almost finished all the walls. The remaining walls will be raised on Thursday, 9/26, or Saturday, 9/28, depending on weather. The roof trusses are scheduled to be delivered on Monday, 9/30, and the contractor will be installing them next week.

Your help is needed! Volunteers will be working at the site most Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays depending on weather and subcontractor activity.

All volunteers must take a volunteer orientation class that is given virtually every week. The dates of the training vary, so please contact Brad at social.justice@uuch.org for the latest schedule.

If you have any questions or are interested in helping out, please email social.justice@uuch.org

Ghosts Over the Boiler book discussion

Ghosts Over the Boiler is a unique book about a decades-old organization, Project Hope to

Abolish the Death Penalty, that was founded and operated by people facing capital punishment in Alabama. We were given a talk by the author, Katie Owens-Murphy, last February if this sounds familiar. Ghosts Over the Boiler is a curated collection of poetry, visual art, photographs, essays, creative writings, and other archival materials that have emerged from Alabama's death row. This group was founded at Holman Correctional Facility and has been operating autonomously since 1989 toward its mission to abolish the death penalty in Alabama and in the nation.

We will be discussing this book after the Sunday services OCTOBER 13 and 27 (NOTE: this will be after choir practice). If you are interested in abolishing capital punishment, start reading this book now and plan on joining us for discussion this fall! Please rsvp to adult.re@uuch.org if you are planning to attend.

UUCH Trunk or Treat

The UUCH Trunk or Treat will be October the 26th from 5-8pm. We will have bounce houses, games, music, and of course treats! Please come join us and set up your trunk or just come have a good time!

BE IN THE UUCH PHOTO DIRECTORY!

SIGN UP NOW

for your Photo appointment!

Photo dates:

Fri, Nov 1, 2:00-8:30 pm

Sat, Nov 2, 10:00 am-4:30 pm

A Photo Directory is a powerful tool to help UUCH members and friends know each other better. The last Photo Directory was completed just before the pandemic began. Since that time, our church has grown and changed significantly.

All members and friends are encouraged to be in the new Photo Directory. Each participating family will receive a complimentary 8x10 photo and a free directory! There is no obligation to buy additional photos, but they will be available for purchase if you want extras for friends and family.

To reserve the best appointment date and time for you, please sign-up before or after church on Sunday in the Fellowship Hall or make your own appointment online by clicking HERE.

Technology Survey

The Technology Committee has created a survey to better understand the congregation's experiences and what people are interested in seeing from us going forward! We would appreciate your response by October 6th so technology can review and talk about it! You can find the survey here.

Grief Ceremony—Save the Date

The holidays are not all happy for everyone. Often the holidays are when we miss our loved ones the most. Wednesday evening November the 20th, Rev. Jaimie will lead us in a grief ceremony. More details to come but mark your calendars. If the need to drive at night interferes with your ability to participate in this event, reach out to care@uuch.org. We will work out a ride for you.

Do You Know Your Voting Status?

Are you registered to vote? Is your voting registration address correct? If you are not sure (or maybe even if you are), you can check your voting status at this easy to use website:



1) go to https://myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/voterview

2) enter your name and date of birth

3) click the box for "I'm not a robot"

4) click "Look Up"

Your voting registration address and status, along with your polling location, will be shown. If you have any questions, you can call 1-800-274-8683.

Upcoming Social Justice Events

Your participation is needed! Below is a list of local social justice events sponsored by groups that UUCH and/or our members support.

• September 28th: National Publics Lands Day park improvement with Land Trust of North Alabama at 8:30am (https://landtrustnal.org/event/2024npld/)
• September 28th: Alabama Arise Annual Meeting at 10 am via Zoom and in-person (https://www.alarise.org/event/2024-arise-annual-meeting/)
• October 1st: UU the Vote 2024 Weekly Phonebank with Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry at 6 pm via Zoom (https://secure.everyaction.com/p/nTBqtsgyWEiRF6PNRSaZLw2?pn=3)
• October 8th: North Carolina Abortion Rights Interfaith Phone Bank at 6 pm via Zoom (https://secure.everyaction.com/p/nTBqtsgyWEiRF6PNRSaZLw2?pn=3)
• October 13^th: Love Huntsville dinner for unhoused at 6 pm at the Slab (see Gail Williams)
• October 15th: UU the Vote 2024 Weekly Phonebank with UU Justice of Pennsylvania at 6 pm via Zoom (https://secure.everyaction.com/p/nTBqtsgyWEiRF6PNRSaZLw2?pn=3)
• October 21st: Voter Registration Deadline for General Election (https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes)
• October 29^th: Faith in Action Alabama Huntsville Hub meeting at UUCH at 5:30 pm

Here are some standing opportunities to get engaged with local organizations:

• First Stop:

1. Provide a meal for unhoused people (https://firststoporg.galaxydigital.com/)
2. Donate urgently needed items (https://firststop.org/category/needs-list/)
3. Other volunteer opportunities (https://firststop.org/ways-to-volunteer/)

• ShowerUp (showers for unhoused people): https://app.initlive.com/web-admin/app/#/join-party?k=aagp6mlprpk46k
• Land Trust of North Alabama: https://landtrustnal.org/support/volunteer/

For more information about a particular event or to list an event, please email social.justice@uuch.org.

Circle of Candles

LaDawn Edwards lit a candle of Sorrow: "For the victims of the ongoing school shooting epidemic and the dysfunction that keeps the will of the people from passing gun safety laws."

Brooke Conklin lit a candle of Joy: "Very grateful that my grandmother (Mary Ann Conklin) is home and doing wonderfully after having spent a short time in the hospital. I lover her very much and am so incredibly forunate to have such an amazing woman in my life!"