EXCITING UPDATE ON THE BUILDING PROJECT STATUS

Have you seen the GREAT NEWS since the pre-Summer Newsletter was published? Yes, construction has begun! Site excavation began on June 23, and lots of dirt has been moved since then. By September, we should be able to see the footings and foundation. Since it's too dangerous to walk around behind the church to see what's going on, we post weekly-updated photos and videos, so everyone can see the progress. Here is the link to these features on the church's Building Project home page.

There's a lot more information about the project to be found there, as well. The Building Project Task Force leaders are eager to respond to your questions or expressions of interest - Contact us directly here.

ANNOUNCING ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE NEW MEMBERS & GRANTS

More information here!

INTER-FAITH COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICES (IFC) AND COVID 19 

During this epidemic, the IFC has had to change some of its procedures, The Community Kitchen gives meals-to-go, packed by staff and a very few volunteers. The Food Pantry hands prefilled bags of groceries to families in need. Men from the Shelter have been moved for some of the time to a different space to allow social distancing, but with IFC staff supervision. Homestart women and children have been able to stay put. The need for resources is even greater than usual. Groceries can be delivered M-F, 9-4 at 100 W. Rosemary, in the back. Food can also be ordered from Amazon, and of course financial donations are accepted by mail or on the IFC website.

HABITAT THANK YOU   From Matt Bridges, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County: Community Church has been so generous in support of Habitat's work. Because of your support and work, we were able to finish building homes and stability for seniors at our Crescent Magnolia community. Covid 19 has reminded us all about how valuable homes and stability are in weathering a crisis...Once a family has a home, then their lives, health, finances, and children all have a more stable future. You all have helped make a future like that possible for some of our homeowners. We look toward the fall and hope to have volunteers again as soon as it is safe. Kathy Farinola and Dave Morgan will be able to answer questions about planning and volunteering on the next project. We look forward to continuing to have you as partners as we tackle the difficult issues of affordable housing in Orange County. Thank you for your support and for being a congregation willing to roll up their sleeves and go to work on behalf of other people. For more information, email Kathleen Farinola here. 

CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO NAACP BRANCH INITIATIVES 

Community Church members involved in the CH-Carrboro NAACP branch want to share info about 2 of the their current priority initiatives & let you know about opportunities to support & advocate for these social justice & racial equity issues, including making a Share the Plate contribution to the branch during our 8/16/20 service. Their Education Committee is coordinating the Learning Bridge Program, a volunteer program to help supplement learning during the summer & into the 2020-21 school year for students of color in the CHCCS District. The program represents efforts to close the opportunity gap experienced by students of color in the District that is likely to grow even wider with closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to America's recent string of notorious police killings, 4 local NAACP branches are advocating a 6-point agenda, Transforming & Reimaging Safety in Our Communities, with goal of localizing the national discourse on police brutality, including seeking local police data. More information here.

VICTORY FOR ETHICAL INVESTING 

At this year's General Assembly, the UUA by a favorable vote of 95% adopted a business resolution entitled "Embodying human rights in our investment decisions." Many of you signed petitions this winter that allowed this important business resolution to be on the agenda for GA. The resolution calls on the UUA to enhance its use of human rights considerations in its investment decision and to develop clear lines of communications between UU social justice groups and the UUA investment committees. The resolution was sponsored by five different UU social justice groups. The resolution as adopted can be found here.The resolution as adopted can be found here.

Join the Statewide Election Postcard Party! In partnership with the North Carolina NAACP and Reclaim Our Vote, our church is working with UUs across the state to write 20,000 postcards to voters who had been purged from the voter rolls so they can receive information on voter registration and absentee ballots.

Can you join us in this statewide postcard party?
All supplies are provided and you'll have from August 4 - 25th. to complete them.

Learn more and sign up here! If you have questions, contact us here.

RECYCLING/REUSE NEWS FROM ECO

A LOT has changed since March!!! Does this include your recycling habits? [There's no first Sunday recycling at church. We miss you, too!] Have some items, like batteries, that you usually recycle become trash? Are you dealing with some different items now because of changes in your shopping? All understandable.
The recycling industry was changing even before March. Local governments were in the process of adjusting to that; then they had to adjust to safety precautions during this pandemic. We all have to do things a little differently now, but reuse/recycling is as important as ever. ECO encourages you to collect your unwanted items and take them. In some cases, someone will remove the items from your trunk, like grocery pick-up in reverse.
Recently updated tips for reuse of items and links to local areas' current recycling guidelines are on ECO's Recycling page here. If you cannot find a source to reuse/recycle a special item, contact ECO here. We may be able to identify one. 

Perseid Meteor Shower; August 7th; 9:00 PM-10:30 PM; Jordan Lake

Leave your kayaks at home but bring a lawn chair or blanket, non-sharable drinks and snacks. We're looking for open skies and limited light pollution. Just where on Jordan is complicated by COVID closings, but will be scouted out as conditions allow, further info to follow. Cloud dates Aug. 8th or 9th. RSVP here.

WomenCircle Pool Party at the Gillioms'

Thursday, August 13 and Friday, August 14 from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Staying safe during the coronavirus has made some changes in WomenCircle gatherings. We have scheduled two dates to accommodate more people for the pool party. Participants will be limited to eight each day with Bonnie Gilliom and Kathy Putnam counting for two of those spots. You will need to bring your own drinks and snacks. Wear your mask and come in your swimming suit because there will be no bathroom facilities. Chairs will be socially distanced and it will be easy to maintain that same safe distance in the pool. Location: 113 Steeplechase Road, Chapel Hill. Call Bonnie at 919-636-0994 or email her here.

NONFICTION BOOK DISCUSSION FOR AUGUST 

 On Saturday, August 15 from 10:30 to 12:00, the Nonfiction Readers will discuss The Little Big Number: How GDP Came to Rule the World and What to Do about It, by Dirk Philipsen. This discussion will be held via Zoom teleconferencing. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has ballooned from a narrow economic tool into a global article of faith. However, GDP only measures output. It ignores central facts such as quality, costs and purpose, as well as sustainability and quality of life. The book exposes the flaws in relentless pursuit of increased GDP and explores a possible roadmap for a future that advances quality of life rather than indiscriminate growth. Doug Shier will be leading our discussion. The Readers meet on the third Saturday of each month. New members and drop-ins are welcome. Contact the group here to be placed on the distribution list for meeting information.

COOKBOOK PROJECT UNVEILED - SUBMISSIONS INVITED IN AUGUST!

The Welcoming Ministry is assembling a Community Church Cookbook, to enhance our virtual connections through sharing beloved recipes. Send us your favorite(s), and we will publish and sell the cookbook. Proceeds will help Close the Gap for the happening Building Project! In order to have copies available in time for holiday gifting, we must follow a tight schedule for submission, review/editing, and processing. The deadline for submissions is August 31. For submission details, please see our webpage. If you have any questions, please email us here. The more who participate, the more we will all love this cookbook!

As Rare Women, we build relationships in small groups by sharing our lives and the gifts, myths, and challenges of growing older. In September, we will begin discussing Women Rowing North - Navigating Life's Currents and Flourishing as We Age by Mary Pipher. There will be three groups, all of which will meet via Zoom. Newcomers are welcome to join any group. Bonnie Gilliom's group (found here) meets from 10 am - noon on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays. They will begin meeting on September 10th. Joann Haggerty's group (found here) meets from 2-4 pm on the 1st and 3rd Mondays. They will begin meeting on September 21st. Susan Blanchard's group (found here) meets from 1:30-3:30 pm on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays. They will begin meeting on September 24th. A list of topics and dates for each group is posted on the Rare Women webpage here. To join our email list, please email us here. 

THE GIFT OF WRITTEN MEMORIES: A WORKSHOP SERIES

"The Gift of Written Memories" will be a ten-session workshop series on Tuesday evenings, September 15 to November 17, from 7-8:30 PM. This series will enable each participant to reflect in writing on themes such as the branching points in our lives, our major life work, our families, and our spiritual development. Written memories are gifts to ourselves because recalling stories leads to reflection on their meaning. Written memories are gifts to family and friends who live on after us because they describe the experiences that shaped us and the core values that have given our lives meaning. Each meeting will begin with a lecture by one of the workshop leaders and continue with small group sharing of short essays on assigned themes.
Registration is required; register here. Please email Carolyn Holt here or email Jody Savage here with questions. More detailed workshop description is here.

COVID-19 DIALOGUES FROM SFD AND SEA 

Sanctuary for Dialogue (SfD) and Spiritual Education for Adults (SEA) would like to invite you to an online conversation about how the pandemic is impacting you. The dialogue, designed by Essential Partners in Boston, is intended to create a space for people to connect and find community during this difficult time. Hundreds of people have participated across the country and have found it meaningful. Our dialogue will be just for Community Church members, conducted on Zoom and led by trained facilitators who are also church members. Please see SfD's webpage here for details and to sign up. 

REQUEST FOR PAPER CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS FOR LAST FISCAL YEAR 

This July, we transitioned to emailing all contribution statements for the last fiscal year (July 1, 2019 - June 30 2020) to all households with an email on file! If you would still like to have a paper copy of your financial statement mailed to your home,  please fill out this form and a copy will be sent. If you have any questions about your contribution statement please contact Dana Lundquist here or call 919-229-9452.