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Weekly Announcements   (Also see our Coming Events page)

Mar 7 to Mar 13, 2010

Serendipity Auction: contact Marie Keeney to find out what you won and who won your donated items. Thank you for all who helped by donating fun activities, helped by working, and helped by bidding. Deadline for payment was Feb 21.

The Social Justice Committee is looking for volunteers! Ways you can help:
-help with mailings for our local affiliate of Planned Parenthood in general, we work one Friday per month.
-help serve a dinner or lunch at Salvation Army
We have other opportunities available, too – come see us and sign up at the Social Justice table in the courtyard during coffee hour.

We are a Green Sanctuary! Promoting ways to make choices that are good for us and our planet! Do you know the real cost of a hamburger? Do you know the benefit of purchasing Fair Trade coffee, chocolate and nuts? Did you know that our Fair Trade Coffee purchases by UU churches like ours not only help small farmers around the world, but have also generated $18,000 of donations to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee! Stop by the Social Justice Table in the courtyard and see our special display about how to help farmers and our planet, pick up a story about our Columbian coffee growers, and find out what a hamburger really costs (we have lots of chocolate and other new items!)

Caring - Milestones, the health and welfare of the church community, can be received via email. Send your email address to WidderD@verizon.net and be updated as events happen. If you or someone you know has a Caring need, please let me know. Dee Widder, 377-9028.

Any purchase on Amazon.com helps the church. The church receives a percentage of all sales (not just books) made via our website. Just go to the church website www.uusarasota.com and press the Amazon.com button, at the lower right on the home page. Browse and buy items as you normally would.

See Sarasota and More
A behind the scene tour of the Sarasota Airport. We will have a guided tour of the airport operations, police department and the TSA luggage screening area.

Date: Wednesday, March 24
Time: Leave church at 9:30 am. Tour from 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Cost: Free including parking
Lunch: We will return to the church for a picnic lunch.
The airport has limited our group limited to 25 people.

RSVP: By Wednesday, March 17 to Jeanie Craig, jhcraig@mac.com or 751-5194

Preserve Funding for Homeless Services! The State of Florida cut funding to Homeless Coalitions by 80% last year, severely limiting the capacity of the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness ability to maintain the level of service to homeless service providers in Manatee and Sarasota Counties. This Thursday, DCF will present their proposal to cut 15% from their budget, which includes a 100% cut to homeless funding in 2010 budget year! The repercussions of this cut will have a devastating effect on our ability to prevent and end homelessness throughout Florida and within our Continuum of Care at a time that the demand for services continues to skyrocket. Please contact our two state senators, Mike Bennett (bennett.mike.web@flsenate.gov or 1-800-500-1239) and Nancy Detert (detert.nancy.web@flsenate.gov or 1-866-247-4076) and let them know what this funding means to our community and your efforts to prevent and end homelessness.

LEAP Program Events Spring, 2010:
     DANCES of UNIVERSAL PEACE is a participatory meditation practice and dance, which will be taught by Susan Slack and Klaus Obermeit. The one-hour sessions will be held Wednesday, March 10, April 14 and May 12 at 7:30 pm in the Jefferson Room. Cost is $5.
     SKEPTICS AND BELIEVERS: RELIGIOUS DEBATE--is a DVD presentation of the questions that philosophers and religious thinkers have been reflecting and debating on for centuries. Professor Tyler Roberts, PHD Harvard, will lead you through a 36-lecture journey that will help you understand what the debates are about and why they continue. The first session will be held on Tuesday, March 16, 10 am in the Library. The additional sessions will be conducted thru the Spring with some breaks throughout. NOTE: PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROGRAM (SKEPTICS AND BELIEVERS) MUST BE MEMBERS OF THE UU SARASOTA CHURCH BECAUSE OF THE COURSE AND DVD COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS. The cost per participant will be approximately $25.00. Registration for this program will begin February 28. Course leader for this program will be Bob Dobson.

As part of a statewide tour, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers will bring their Modern-day Slavery Museum to Sarasota this month. It features a cargo truck outfitted as a replica of the vehicle used to enslave tomato pickers in a brutal 2007 case -- the 7th agricultural slavery conviction in recent years. The museum, endorsed by Amnesty International, examines the history and evolution of slavery in Florida's fields: its roots, why it persists, and its solutions. The exhibit is free and you can visit it on Saturday, 3/13, at Unity Church (3023 Proctor Rd) from 10 AM to noon; sponsored by the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism . (Other dates and times are available, see the detailed flyer at the Social Justice table).

Next Sunday's Service: March 14 Democracy in Diversity Decision-making in a community is simple if everyone thinks the same way, likes the same things. But what about when there are differences, strongly held opinions – should the majority rule? How do we honor the rights of the minority? Who gets veto power? How do we live together in peace when there are different decisions to be made?

Reminder ---- We began the Stewardship Campaign February 6 and would like to have all pledge cards in by the end of this week. You may e-mail your pledge amount to me and I will attach your e-mail to a pledge card saving you the trouble of putting it in the mail or you may put it in the collection basket Sunday. When filling it out remember the first $100 goes to UUA for dues. We need your help. Jeanie Craig, Stewardship email: jhcraig@mac.com

Get-Together Dinners: It's time to sign up for our next round of Get-Together Dinners! Forms are available at the Welcome Desk and on the church website for dinners to be held Saturday evenings, April 24, May 22, and June 26. We especially encourage new and prospective members to join in these shared dinners in members' homes. It’s a great way to get better acquainted with your fellow UUs. If you do not drive in the evening, try to make arrangements for a friend to pick you up, and we will schedule the two of you for the same dinner. Be sure to give us your information by noon on Monday, April 5.