First UU Church of San Diego
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Journey Toward Wholeness What Can I Do? Watch two short videos

11/26/2020

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​On this week where we focus on gratitude we recommend watching two short videos:
  1. Never forget dismantling white supremacy culture is spiritual work grounded in our values & principles. From First Unitarian Church of Chicago "Who Is Freedom For? A Reading for Thanksgiving" (4:14)
  2. And, a radical vision a future without oppressive systems: "A Message From the Future II: The Years of Repair" (8:57).
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Pantry Distributes 8,000 Pounds of Food the  Saturday Before Thanksgiving

11/24/2020

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PictureDonated turkeys distributed the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
By Maureen McNair
Last Saturday, the pantry held its largest food distribution to date. We gave away over 8,000 pounds of nutritious food. We distributed a variety of kinds of fresh produce, milk, yogurt, cheese, meat, poultry, shelf stable food such as cereal and pasta, and about 500 pounds of food donated by Starbucks. We also had the largest number of people come to the pantry for food. The prior week, we distributed food for over 150 heads of household, providing food for about 600 people. Last Saturday, we provided food for over 190 heads of household, providing food for about 800 people. Our pantry guests repeatedly express how thankful they are that we have this food distribution. One woman told me about her family emergency and how important we are to her. I want to pass on the gratitude I hear about to you.  I am not completely sure why we saw such a huge increase in one week. But, I have a couple educated guesses.


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The Latest on SOLACE (Souls Offering Loving and Compassionate Ears)

11/23/2020

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SOLACE is a visitation program that comforts and supports persons held in immigration detention, tells their stories, and advocates for humane immigration policy. SOLACE offers a friendly visitor to end the isolation and affirm the dignity and worth of those who request a visit. Many people I've spoken to did not know we were back in as a presence at the Otay Mesa Detention Center. This is our 3rd life as SOLACE. We have to keep reinventing ourselves as we've been suspended three times. Two times because they changed the paperwork and agreements we needed to sign to enter the Detention Center? which would effectively have taken away our First Amendment rights. There were many visits to Congressional offices both times to find a way to get back in, as well as phone calls, and needed visits to pro bono attorneys. UURISE (Unitarian Universalist Refugee and Immigrant Services and Education, Inc.) was one of the organizations we consulted with about this.

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"Moments" a poem by Pam Bates

11/23/2020

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That moment
When you see someone
You haven't seen in awhile!
You both look up
You recognize
Behind your masks, you smile
And then you both
Move awkwardly
As if to share a hug
And stop
Asif a wall were there
So you don't spread the bug
That moment
When you hear that camp
Is cancelled for this year
You know that
It's the right choice
But you can't hold back a tear
That moment
When your child asks
"Can I go see my friend?"
You weigh the risks
You share your fears
They ask, "When will this end?"
That moment
When you hear the news
Someone you know has died
You wish that you
Could be there
For the family as they cry
That moment When you see someone
Who will not wear a mask
Your anger
overwhelms you
Why is this too much to ask?
That moment
When a co-worker
Hugs their child while you're on Zoom
Everyone
Smiles a little
Even once they've left the room
That moment
When your quiet time
Gazing at the clouds
Is fractured by
The sound of someone
Talking much too loud
A family
Passes, laughing
at their dog, they say hello
A child
Stops and says
"Nice birds" and then they go
That moment
When you know our lives
Will never be the same
And if they could
Would that be good?
Or would it be a shame?

Pam Bates identifies as a mom, a UU, and a permanent student of life, humanity, and divinity.
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"One Way" - a poem by Harry Griswold

11/23/2020

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Picture
Here's a wonderful new poem from Harry Griswold, one of our members. It is entitle "One Way".​​
We're UU's, we tolerate,
we try not to impose
just one point of view,
but for this year of
Covid Thanksgiving
we hope you
won't travel
won't gather in groups
won't hug
won't jabber
around the table
with your mouth and
everyone else's open.

It's a great chance
not to have to listen
to your brother-in-law
or weird uncle Leo
who Grandma thinks
may have been
mixed up at birth.
There'll be fewer fights
and a lot less passing
of the sweet potatoes
someone has coughed in,
plus a lot less chance
of handing around
a potentially deadly virus.
So while we UU's try
not to impose any one
point of view
we think this year
there's only one way
to be safe, we hope
you'll stay home
and give up happy things
you'd rather be doing,
give up the people
you'd rather be with
to help increase chances
they'll all be around
for next year's gathering
when we can
stuff the thanks back
into Thanksgiving.
~ Harry Griswold
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Journey Toward Wholeness: What Can I Do? Listen to Brittany Packnett and Rev. Emily Hartlief

11/22/2020

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​Following the leadership of BIPOC folks & admitting we can (& do) harm others are important learnings. Gain some insights by listening to:
  • Brittany Packnett's TED Talk "It's About Time to Value Young Women of Color in Leadership" (9:34).
  • Our former Intern Minister, Rev. Emily Hartlief's sermon "The Courage to Be Wrong" (20:42 but especially 0-5:56 & 11:52-13:44).
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TRUTH Act Forum Report

11/19/2020

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From our partners at the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium (SDIRC):
"Thank you to everyone for your hard work in making the 2020 TRUTH Act Forum a success! Collectively we:
  • Got the Board of Supervisors (BOS) to hold an evening meeting.
  • Got the BOS to translate the announcement into 4 different languages and to have Spanish interpretation. The Sheriff also translated their presentation and statistics into 5 languages.
  • Held a car caravan of 20 cars and had incredible media coverage
  • Had multiple SDIRC members and partners interviewed by the media
  • Submitted over 82 eComments
  • Had 113 people register to give public comment live during the meeting
Amazing work, everyone! This sets a really solid foundation for our 2021 campaign - to #StopICETransfers!"
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Rev. Kathleen Visits the Food Pantry

11/17/2020

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Rev Kathleen Owens working at the Food PantryRev. Kathleen helps unload a food delivery.
By Maureen McNair 
For the first time since the food pantry opened, Lead Minister Rev. Kathleen Owens had her Saturday morning schedule freed up enough that she visited a food distribution. Kathleen did more than visit, though, she worked helping unload a delivery of food donated by Starbucks.  There is nothing quite like repeatedly carrying 30 pound boxes of food across the parking lot to put into the cars of our pantry guests to drive home how labor intensive and physically exhausting pantry work can be. Kathleen is definitely up to the task!  Rev. Kathleen also got to talk with regular volunteer, retired Rev. Arvid Straube, and some pantry volunteers that she knows because they are congregants. She also got to meet some, not all, of our volunteers from the wider community.  


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Pantry Weathers its First Rainy Day Food Distribution

11/15/2020

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Food Pantry in the rain
By Maureen McNair.
Inclement weather was bound to happen! Last Saturday, volunteers gave out food during three squalls which brought rain and wind during our distribution. It was a crazy day all around! As of Friday evening, we thought we would be receiving a delivery of 192 boxes of food on Saturday morning. But, at 6:30 am Saturday, the delivery company sent an email cancelling the order because the food was bad. It all worked out, I think. We had plenty of food on hand to substitute and who needed soggy cardboard boxes anyway? You Can Still Make Financial Donations Directly to the Food Pantry! Both one-time and monthly sustaining donations help us stay open! No amount is too small, or too large. Donate online. If you need food, there are lots of options, get all the details on our Food Pantry page. 

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Journey Toward Wholeness: What Can I Do? Learn about the role of race in Biden's victory

11/15/2020

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Journey Toward Wholeness: What Can I Do? Learn about the role of race in Biden's victory & Trump's relative success by listening to NPR's podcast "How Whiteness Affected the Election" (35:39).  Listen to Krista Tippett's interview [51:00] with a trauma specialist "Resmaa Menakem in Conversation with Robin DiAngelo." It has made an impression with Beloved Conversations Virtual participants and may challenge you.
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Pantry Connects with Deer Park Monastery

11/9/2020

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PictureMonastic brad wiscons, True Ocean of Actions, runs the Deer Park Monastery kitchen. He sent us this photo of some of the people currently living there. Click for a larger view.
By Maureen McNair
Deer Park Monastery, located on 400 acres in the chaparral mountains near Escondido, is a monastery established in 2000 under the guidance of Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist, and author Thich Nhat Hanh. It is a mindfulness practice center and monastic training center with two hamlets, one for monks and laymen and another for nuns and laywomen.


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Journey Toward Wholeness: What Can I Do? Read "A Message to White Unitarian Universalsists"

11/8/2020

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Read our UUA President Rev. Susan Frederick Gray's UU World column "A Message to White Unitarian Universalsists" about how her attitudes on policing has changed over the past years & the resource list at the end of the article. Then watch the brief (2:13) interview with Sonya Renee Taylor on combating racism with action.
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Halloween Seems Like a Long Time Ago

11/4/2020

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By Maureen McNair
Dear Friends,
​With the Window deadline the way it is, I write this as we are all watching live election results. When you read this, we might know the results! But, right now, it seems insensitive to draw your attention to food pantry matters when so much else is at stake. I just want to share with you all that Halloween was just last Saturday. 
Picture
We all got to call Andrew Ferrier “Andy”!
Picture
A masked wizard helps unload the USDA food boxes.
The volunteers had fun dressing up for our food distribution. And, as ever, our pantry clients are deeply grateful for the amount and quality of food we give them. I’ll be back next week with more pantry news. Meanwhile, take care and thank you for your continued interest in the pantry and generosity.
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Camp de Benneville Pines 2020/2021 Emergency FundDrive -Not Just About The Pandemic

11/1/2020

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Picture
​By Pat Gordon, First UU of San Diego Board Member
Our UU camp, Camp de Benneville Pines, located in the San Gorgonio wilderness, has been repeatedly hit hard this year and is in trouble. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all on-site events are canceled through April 1, 2021.The aftermath of the El Dorado Fire damage and the seriousness of the pandemic could require even further delays before we can consider re-opening. If we're to have a camp to bequeath to our children's children, then preserving what we have now is imperative. We almost lost our camp in the El Dorado Fire, this fire, and had it not been for the work of our staff and volunteers performing fire clearance duties throughout the summer, we would have. And yet, we'll still need more help during the spring and fall to rake pine needles and trim ladder fuels in camp- live or dead vegetation that allows a fire to climb up from the forest floor into the tree canopy. Please continue to send healing thoughts and good words of appreciation to our devoted staff, as they navigate through all the added responsibilities that come with the fire aftermath. We must now address the newest threat to camp's existence - flooding. 


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(619) 298-9978  |  Staff Directory
We have two campuses:
Hillcrest campus: 4190 Front Street, San Diego, CA. 92103  |  South Bay campus: 970 Broadway, Chula Vista, CA. 91911
  For GPS to our Hillcrest Campus, please use 298 W Arbor Dr., San Diego, CA 92103
For detailed directions, parking and more see our Contact page.
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©First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego. All rights reserved. Admin.
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