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by Nina Douglass, South Bay Food Pantry Volunteer
The parking lot of 907 Broadway is like that of any other Chula Vista strip mall on weekdays. On Saturdays, however, the lot is transformed by hundreds of South Bay Food Pantry volunteers and clients. Volunteers arrive by 8am to receive and stage hundreds of pounds of canned and other dry goods, fresh produce and Starbucks bakery items from the big Feeding San Diego truck. By then, many pantry guests are already waiting for the 9am distribution of numbers which serve to organize the line-up for the 11am - 12:30pm food distribution. The few trees at the site provide welcome shade for people waiting to collect their food. by Nina Douglass, South Bay Food Pantry Volunteer
When asked what inspired her to found the South Bay Food Pantry, FUUSD member Maureen McNair has recalled noticing signs of insufficient access to nutritious food among the elementary school children she taught in that neighborhood. Maureen’s recognition that chronic food insecurity in the South Bay is pervasive led her to address the problem through the creation of the pantry. ![]() Second Thursdays Spring dates are May 12, 5 pm - 6:15 pm. Black, Indigenous and People of Color Leaders rooted in the Unitarian Universalist congregations are invited to take part in this monthly, virtual gathering. This space is created by the UUA explicitly for people identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC). Register online at uua.org/leadership/events/taproot-feb-2022. ![]() The Reopening Team would like to share some changes we're making. But before getting to the practical changes in our COVID policies and procedures, we’d like to take a moment to share a little of what we learned from our recent survey and frame the work that we’re doing in the context of our UU Principles and Values. We’re overjoyed to report that 292 people responded to our survey and that the responders accurately represented the demographic makeup of our congregation and both of our campuses. It is fair to say that this is the largest response and most accurate representation of any survey at First UU in recent times. Thanks to church member Dr. Rebecca Fielding-Miller for the masterful work done in creating it and analyzing the data! Please watch the Window for an upcoming forum to discuss survey results. A few key takeaways: · About half of our congregation at each campus identifies as “high-risk.” And the highest priority named out of all the options given was a desire to protect children and the immunocompromised, and a desire to practice an affirming welcome for all. It was notable that, despite a strong desire by many to move away from safety practices that can be inconvenient and bothersome, the vast majority of survey responders put the safety needs of others ahead of their own comfort and convenience. · Despite increasing pressure (especially felt by staff) to end all mask and distance protocols, the clear majority (roughly 3/4 of responders) said that they were willing or extremely willing to continue masking outdoors, and almost everyone (roughly 90%) reported a desire to wear masks indoors. It is worth noting that this surprised many of us. The anecdotal evidence could easily lead one to believe that “everyone is tired of wearing masks” or point to fears that “everyone will leave if we continue masking.” While these frustrations and fears are not to be dismissed (more on that in a moment), the data shows that most people are willing to wear a mask if it helps protect those people we say we want to protect. · Finally, the data shows that we are an extremely well-vaccinated congregation (only two responders report being unvaccinated) and we live in extremely well-vaccinated households. We have often been asked why we aren’t mandating vaccines or checking for vaccination status. The reality is that it would create quite a lot of additional work (not to mention time at the check-in table) to simply confirm what we already know. So what does this have to do with our values and mission? We recognize that our church policies are looking less and less like what we experience in the rest of our worlds. Theaters, schools, other churches and even airplanes have loosened or eliminated protections that we continue to practice. We know that this can feel frustrating, uncomfortable and maybe even infuriating. We can’t help but note, however, that if we’re living our values, we should be different from “the outside world.” As a church, we are called to be a sanctuary in more than name only. And if we say that we want to protect the most vulnerable among us and dismantle systems that oppress those most marginalized, we should expect our community to be different than other communities and even, in some cases, be uncomfortable. We also recognize, however, that it is often extremely challenging to balance factual realities with the desires of our hearts. And these desires themselves are not trivial. We need the emotional and spiritual nourishment we get from seeing each other face-to-face, and we crave the security and certainty of familiar things - even more so in times that are filled with fear, stress and uncertainty. And please believe us when we say that those voices that have asked loudly and clearly for a speedier return “to normal” have been heard, and that many of us feel the same yearnings. We have tried to keep everyone safe knowing that some would think it was too much, and others think it was not enough. This has not been easy for any of us and we greatly appreciate your empathy, patience and grace. So with all that in mind, we have decided to make the following changes in our COVID response policies: · Effective immediately, masks will now be optional for outdoor activities on both our campuses. This means that we will no longer require masks for outdoor worship and other outdoor activities, but that individuals are (and always will be) welcome to continue masking. · Small groups, including musical ensembles, will soon be able to meet indoors with masks. Please note that some indoor spaces may take longer to become available than others because they have been used for other purposes during the pandemic and we’ll need time to get them ready for public use again. Also, the definition of what constitutes a “small group” will be different depending on the size of the space. For groups that prefer to continue meeting outdoors, those space will remain available for use. · Indoor Worship is slightly more complex. At Hillcrest, we will be working diligently to return to worship in the Meeting House by early July. We will, however, continue to offer outdoor spaces where people may choose to gather for worship. This timeline is based on the staff’s estimate of how much time it will take to both prepare the space for use and to transition all of the technology from the outdoor tech table to a more permanent indoor space. Like all other indoor activities, worship in the Meeting House will require masks. At South Bay, we will return to indoor worship with masks as soon as spaces are ready. Finally, we have decided that the Reopening Team no longer needs to function as such. The responsibility to continue monitoring the situation and adapting policies and procedures in response will now rest solely with the Interim Committee (Exec), though individual members from the Reopening Team may continue to be called on from time to time for their expertise and input. We appreciate all of you who continue to journey with us in community as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times. And we look forward to worshiping, celebrating and struggling and growing with you as we continue to make our mission evident and alive in the world. ![]() By Nina Douglass Maureen McNair’s imminent departure to her new home in Northern CA is a seismic event for FUUSD South Bay Food Pantry volunteers and the many clients who have come to know her. As Deirdre Lonergan notes, “Maureen has been a “FORCE of NATURE because of the massive and persistent energy it took to build this community...” While the pantry teams will grapple - and perhaps fumble at times - as we adjust to Maureen’s transition, her remarkable leadership and legacy will continue to inspire us. ![]() 4/25/22 - The 8th Principle Collaboration Group of San Diego invites you to join us in beginning a study of Widening the Circle of Concern. The first three sessions of our group will meet virtually this spring at 10 am on Saturday mornings: April 30, May 21, and June 11. We have found these discussions to be enriching and fulfilling work and hope to share that joy among our congregations.These sessions will be informal and open to all San Diego UUs. Each month will have a chapter from the book to read before our discussion. We hope you’ll return each month, but joining for a topic that particularly interests you would work as well. The book is available for free online, including in audio format, and is also available for purchase as a printed book or kindle book. To learn more go to our 8th Principle page or, to join us online, sign-up for the group today. ![]() D4$ is our beloved community-building fundraiser consisting of events hosted by our members and friends which are then offered at auction. Past events have included cooking classes, guided hikes, tax preparation services, music lessons and even a vacation stay in Costa Rica! We’re gathering events now with bidding to open on June 1st. Your event can be anytime from July 2022 through May 2023. Please consider hosting an event or helping us on the patio on Sundays. For creative ideas and a sign up link, go to our Dining for Dollar$ page. By Maureen McNair.
Last month, I bought a condo in a small town in the Sierra foothills. I am going to keep my house in Chula Vista where I have lived for 33 years and remain a member of FUUSD. However, I intend to spend significant time in northern California in a quiet place that is both close to nature and many cultural events. Operating the food pantry requires hands on labor and interacting in person with volunteers and clients. While I will always be the pantry Founder, I am shifting my status to something like Coordinator Emeritus at the end of this month. Various voices will take over this blog starting next week. In addition, I have trained a team of familiar faces to run the pantry. ![]() With great pleasure and gratitude, the Board of Trustees and the Developmental Minister Search Team announce that the Rev. Justine Sullivan (she/her/hers) will be our new Lead Minister, effective August 1, 2022. Ordained in 2017 by her home congregation of Northborough, MA, Rev. Justine served our UU faith for several years before entering seminary as a leader in her congregation and a congregational consultant and facilitator across New England and beyond. Prior to ministry, Rev. Justine worked for 20 years as a social worker and psychotherapist and as a technical writer and manager in high technology. Her ministerial record speaks to her passion for transitional ministry: mentoring, leadership development, preaching, pastoral care, and leading congregations through major transitions of growth and service. She served as president of the Clara Barton district board in New England from 2012 to 2015 and president of the District Presidents’ Association from 2014 to 2015. She was recently nominated to run for the UUA Board of Trustees and, if elected, will begin her 3-year term in July of 2022. By Maureen McNair
Anna Kelley, a Senior at San Diego State University, has been volunteering at our South Bay Food Pantry for nearly two years. “I was looking for ways to get out of my box and serve with others,” she said after her shift bagging donated food from Starbucks last Saturday morning.It was an hour before the food distribution actually began. Volunteers had already set up outdoor tables and bagged thousands of pounds of oranges, cabbages, potatoes, and Romaine lettuce. Anna will continue volunteering until this August because she “enjoys working with this group of people, especially the community members.” Anna is referring to the community members who receive food from our pantry on Saturday morning, but come early to volunteer to sort and bag fresh produce and move boxes of dry goods indoors. Those community members vary each week. However, the pantry has an increasingly steady flow of clients who also form part of the backbone of our volunteer team. To protect their privacy, they are not identified in this blog. ![]() 4/15/22 - Our Reopening Team is developing plans for a future in which COVID-19 will likely be endemic and cyclical for the foreseeable future. We are asking members to complete a brief (<5 minute) survey to help us clarify congregational priorities and ensure that our plans are holistic, evidence-based, and grounded in the needs of our community. We will share preliminary results back with the congregation approximately two weeks after the survey closes. Please only take this survey one time; as we have posted this request in several places. Complete the survey . (If the link does not work, copy and paste this link into your browser https://ucsd.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2rvAFYc2N4HembA ) By Maureen McNair
Sebastian Hochgesang is 9 years old now and a veteran volunteer at the South Bay Food Pantry and Diaper & Period Products Program. Sebastian began volunteering with his mother, Mindy Hochgesang, in 2019 in what was then the Sunday morning free diaper distribution program. One Sunday a month or so, and often on Sundays that fell on a holiday, Sebastian and his mom volunteered together to give away free diapers for babies from 8:15 - 9:15 AM. Mindy explains their volunteer gig gelled for them after three things aligned. She heard from friends who already volunteered at the pantry “how meaningful it was for them as a family.” Plus, Mindy says, “I had gone to the Social Justice week at Camp de Benneville in summer 2019 (it was a goal of mine to increase my social justice involvement) and I was looking for practical ways to do that -- one that fit in with my life (single working mother) and provided a meaningful opportunity for my son Sebastian (who is now 9) - it's really hard to find volunteer opportunities that meaningfully involve kids.” By Maureen McNair
Our South Bay Food Pantry opened in December 2019 with a good-sized volunteer crew of people who regularly attended services at our Chula Vista campus. We displayed food on shelves in a large closet. Our clients came in to select the food they wanted and shopped for themselves. Then, the covid pandemic hit and inside of a week, almost all the volunteers went into self-quarantine. I decided to try to keep the pantry open, and put together a mostly new set of volunteers who started distributing food from tables we set up in our parking lot. Bella Furth started pitching in wherever she was needed. One of Bella’s many talents is she can see what needs to be done, then does it. As Bella puts it, she “pretty quickly ended up handling intake, rosters and client record-keeping.” It’s a job Bella does most Saturdays to this day. ![]() By Tony Bianca, Program Director As we enter April, I'm mindful of the many spring holidays that celebrate new life and new beginnings. I'm also reflecting on our April theme, "Stories of Who We Are,'" and wondering what the next chapter of our story is going to be like. We'r e in a time of the year when we, your Program Staff, would normally be wrapping things up and looking toward the slower, low-key days of summer - those months when there's less going on and more people away on vacation. But, this year, who knows? Things have been shut down for so long, it feels somehow wrong to start winding down just as we?re gearing up. So, at the risk of interfering with your summer plans, I'd like to ask you to consider committing some time to help with our Lifespan Programs. Here are some areas where we could use your help: By Nancy Fisk, First Words Editor with Robie Evans, Director of Operations
Our system of governing policies at First UU requires we have a Lead Minister at the helm, making decisions. In the past, the Lead Minister has had the support of the Associate or Assistant Minister, the Director of Operations, and a Lay Leader. This group of people is known as the Executive Team. Rev. Dr. Arvid Straube started the team in 2010, when he was our Lead Minister, to assist him with personnel matters. ![]() Though it's hard for me to believe, my six weeks as your Minister in Residence are already over, and this Sunday is my last one with you. It has been an honor to accompany you for this brief time, and to hear your stories, struggles, and aspirations for this beloved community. You have an interesting and challenging road ahead of you as you navigate what it means to be a religious community in the post-pandemic world. You also have ahead of you the many ways you'll find to heal past conflict and navigate disagreements, and the large decision about whether or not to move in the coming years. I hope you'll let yourselves be guided in all of what's ahead by your sense of mission, asking (in one way or another), Who are we called to be together? What difference do we want it to make, that First UU exists? You have terrific people in leadership - both as staff and as volunteers - and I have great confidence that along with them, your next Minister in Residence and then your new Lead Minister will help you gain clarity and map the path ahead. I'm grateful to have joined my life to yours for this little time, and will be eager to see how your next chapters unfold. With respect and affection, Rev. Kathleen McTigue On March 19, the South Bay Food Pantry operated for the first time from Suite 105 at 970 Broadway in Chula Vista. What a day it was!
Any move involves a period of disruption and confusion, and the pantry’s move has been no exception. Yet, with nearly 300 households relying upon the pantry for food each week, it was crucial that we carry on with the weekly Saturday distribution despite being mid-transition. Intensive pre-move and mid-move planning helped us organize food, freezers, diapers, period products, cleaning supplies, heavy duty shelving and tables for bagging bread and dry goods in the new space. Valerie Jaques has devoted many hours to addressing requirements for opening such as installation of a hot water heater and organizing volunteers to perform other upgrades to Suite 105. The new space had to be inspected by Feeding San Diego and the San Diego Food Bank and we had to adapt the flow of distribution to our new footprint before we could open. The work of our dedicated mid-week food rescuers, food bank truck runners and dry goods baggers and bread donation retriever/baggers was also complicated by the move. New food rescue volunteers Gay and Eric Hybertson arrived at the pantry one evening with the Con Pane bread donation, only to find their key didn’t work to open the new suite door! Luckily, they were able to reach another volunteer who coached them on how to get in. Tuesday, March 29th from 6 pm to 8 pm.
Join us for a discussion on white supremacy culture. Download the Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture.pdf. For the meeting link, please go to our Members Area. ![]() Our thriving South Bay Food Pantry recently went through a major transition. While church activities were solely virtual during the first years of the pandemic, we were fortunate to be able to use two large FUUSD South Bay campus suites to store the dry goods, bread, meat and period products we distribute to the local community every Saturday morning, as well as diapers on Sunday mornings. With the upcoming re-opening of the South Bay campus, we needed to relocate to suite 105, a smaller space than either of the ones we’d been using. Having grown to accommodate some 300 households seeking food each week, how could we adapt our operations to work from this smaller space? And how could we make that move quickly, so that the South Bay worship and social spaces could be restored for in-person use ASAP? Thank you so much for the welcome on Sunday, as I shared in the service, it was a true joy being with you. I was also very glad to be able to share some information about how UUSC is responding to the growing refugee crisis being created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
If you would like to support this work, please follow this link to UUSC’s Emergency Response Fund. Gifts coming in now will be used to support both immediate response and long-term partnerships to protect and advance human rights for Ukrainian refugees. In faith, Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, UUSC president PROGRESS: The reopening Team met on Saturday March 5 to review together what we currently know about Covid in our area and the direction things are trending. Based on our discussion we are ready to recommend the following ... PROGRESS: The reopening Team met on Saturday March 5 to review together what we currently know about Covid in our area and the direction things are trending. Based on our discussion we are ready to recommend the following:
Amazing Pantry Volunteers Serve Another Record Breaking Number of People with Food Insecurity3/9/2022 by Maureen McNair
I don’t know how they do it! But our amazing team of Saturday volunteers, organized by Deirdre Lonergan, provided food for well over 1,000 individuals again inside 90 minutes. Mid-week, Liz and Scott Jones, Sue Marberry, Kay Chandler, and Nan and Bob Hazelton put over a ton of canned goods in grocery bags. Friday morning, Valerie Jaques, Nina Douglass and husband Jeff Kline, and Adrienne Kaplan brought in meat and bread from four sources. Friday night, Alice and Doug Diamond delivered the bread donation from Con Pane Rustic Breads and Cafe. Then, on Saturday morning, Sophia and Andres Lopez-Zimmer met the Feeding San Diego delivery truck to start off loading more food. This past Saturday, we gave away over a ton of dry goods, 3,640 lbs of fresh produce and a record 1,048 lbs of food from Starbucks alone. I’ll be away for a couple weeks. Please contact Deirdre Lonergan if you’d like to volunteer. Watch this space for blogs from Nina Douglass. As ever, thank you for your continued support. We'll be back together again for in-person, outdoor worship services on the patio at our Hillcrest campus! Masked, reasonably distanced, and with a clear expectation that all who can do so will be fully vaccinated. This includes a booster.
By Maureen McNair
This past Saturday, pantry volunteers gave away food to a record 252 heads of household. Surely, we broke the 1,000 person barrier when we look at how many people are actually receiving the food we distribute. Our prior record had been 226 heads of household. Our food pantry distributes food to a lot of individuals and families. On Saturdays, we track the food we give out to the “heads of household” who actually walk through our food distribution line. The heads of household report to us when they enroll how many people live in their homes. |
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