The Auction Committee meets as needed to organize an annual church Service Auction.  The service auction is UUCR’s longest running fundraiser, typically raising over $10K a year.  Church members donate such things as dinners, services, art, parties, and other social events to be auctioned at the annual event.

The Committee does the following:

• solicits donations from UUCR members
• sets up the auction (in person and/or online)
• promotes the event to UUCR members
• runs the auction event (in person and/or online)
• collects money for auction items purchased

Chris Yates, Chair, christinepyates@gmail.com

Connections Team fosters relationships with visitors, friends, and members to enhance their UU experience. Our commitment encompasses the following:
1. We serve as Sunday Service greeters to ensure all visitors feel welcome 2. We are a resource for newcomers, providing information and opportunities for pathways to membership. 3. We host and support a variety of church social events.
When do we meet? Connections Team meet the 2nd Thursday of every month from 6:30-7:30 pm at the church.
Greeter volunteers: We have two or three volunteers every Sunday from 10:40-11:00 am. Greeters work as a team to welcome and assist visitors
Newcomer Meet-ups: Twice a year, we host a gathering after church to provide newcomers the opportunity to get to know us and each other.
Special Events: Two or three times a year, we host church-wide social events.
We welcome all volunteers! Contact Chris if you are interested in volunteering or being part of our Team.

For joys, concerns, or questions, contact Sally Garber at jcssgarber@comcast.net.

If you have a confidential joy or concern you would like to share with the minister, please put your request in the locked box on the podium. It is located in the alcove next to the name tag board.

If you would like to make a casserole that could be frozen, contact Sally Garber to let her know that it is in the church freezer.  These casseroles are used for those who become ill or when food is needed on the spot. Contact Sally at jcssgarber@comcast.net

Contact us: Carol Rowan at carol@rowandc.com

Or visit us on Facebook:  Green Team Facebook Page

Unitarian Universalist 7th Principle: We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Upcoming Green Team Climate & Clean Energy Rally Dates:

Join us after the service (12:15-1:15 pm) on the following Sundays to hold signs (available, or bring your own) at the corner of Grandin Rd and Brandon Ave.

Sep 25       Oct 30        Nov 27           Dec 11

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Roanoke is a Partner in the Virginia Conservation Network. Please visit the VCN website at Virginia Conservation Network (vcnva.org) for information about environmental protection in Virginia.  And see VCN’s 2022 Our Common Agenda, representing the policy agenda of more than 150 organizations across the Commonwealth.

In case you’re interested:

Solarize Virginia
https://solarizeva.org/

Solarize Virginia is a community-based outreach initiative that reduces the cost and complexity of going solar by providing a one-stop-shop for education and installation. Managed by the Virginia nonprofit Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), we offer discounted prices and vetted installers through a competitive bidding process, and provide ongoing customer support and education to make the experience as streamlined as possible. New programs for 2022 begin in April — sign up here to here about upcoming programs in your area.

 Scroll through the pictures below to see our Rallies and other events at UUCR!

Mission

The Racial Justice Team’s mission is to facilitate the evolution of UUCR into an anti-racist congregation, which sees racial justice activity as a natural expression of our tradition’s values and beliefs and is committed to building a racially just and loving world. Through programs at UUCR and within the community at large, we seek to promote understanding of white supremacy and its consequences and to advance racial justice in our congregation and community.

History

On February 18, 2018, UUCR joined UU congregations across the country in holding a White Supremacy Teach-In. Members of the teach-in planning group then formed the UUCR Racial Justice Team to continue the church’s anti-racism work. We developed vision and mission statements and met with UUCR’s professional and lay leadership to explore ways to incorporate an anti-racist perspective into all church activities. A second White Supremacy Teach-In was held on November 11, 2018.

Find the on-line resources used in the teach-ins at these links:

• White Supremacy Teach-In 2/2018
• White Supremacy Teach-In 11/2018

In early 2019, we entered into a partnership with First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond to bring The Pledge to End Racism Program, now called The National Pledge to End Racism Initiative, to Roanoke. We also entered into a local partnership with Williams Memorial Baptist Church to work together to implement the program in our community. The Pledge Steering Committee includes members of UUCR and Williams Memorial and leads the joint work of our congregations in this effort.

UUCR & Williams Memorial Baptist — Living the Pledge Training

Signing the Pledge, Nov 2019

In November of 2019, our two congregations shared in a Pledge to End Racism worship service at Williams Memorial. After the service, over 100 members and friends of both congregations signed the Pledge to End Racism. That same weekend volunteers from the two congregations attended an intensive leadership training, laying the groundwork for us to offer Living the Pledge Workshops here in Roanoke. Since then we have held a series of workshops, some in-person and some virtual, that have welcomed participants from our own congregations plus a growing group of other local congregations and faith traditions. We continue to work to expand the Roanoke Living the Pledge to End Racism Initiative to others in our community. More information on the Pledge to End Racism and the Living the Pledge Workshop is below

Additional Racial Justice Team activities have included

• engaging congregational lay leaders in reflection on anti-racism in their areas of responsibility within the church using the “Racial Justice in UU Congregations” rubric
• establishing a Task Force to lead our congregation’s discussion of and vote on new by-law wording committing us to work to actively and accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our communities
• leading church services on topics related to racial justice
• publicizing community events and volunteer opportunities related to racial justice, and
• serving on and partnering with community-wide racial justice advocacy groups.

Racial Justice Team Members and Contact

Lousie Chagnon, Dotsy Clifton, Lorraine Fleck, Dana Martin, Teresa Poole, Joan Wages

E-mail us at racialjusticeteam@uuroanoke.org.

The National Pledge to End Racism Program

The Pledge to End Racism (Adapted from The Birmingham Pledge)

I believe that every person has worth as an individual.

I believe that every person is entitled to dignity and respect, regardless of race or color.

I believe that every thought and every act of racial prejudice is harmful; if it is my thought or act, then it is harmful to me as well as to others.

Therefore, from this day forward, I will strive daily to eliminate racial prejudice from my thoughts and actions.

I will discourage racial prejudice by others at every opportunity.

I will treat all people with dignity and respect.

I will commit to working with others to transform my church and community into a place that treats people of all races, ethnicities, and cultures with justice, equity, and compassion, and

I will strive daily to honor this pledge, knowing that the world will be a better place because of my effort.

The Program

The Pledge to End Racism program was developed by members of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond as a faith-based response to racism in their community. At its core is the commitment to the series of statements listed above, an enhanced version of the Birmingham Pledge, written in 1997 by Birmingham attorney Jim Rotch.

Program co-founder Annette Marquis says “A pledge is a sacred vow, a promise to stay true to a commitment we’ve made. The Pledge to End Racism holds each of us accountable to engage every day in the work of addressing racism wherever we find it, from interpersonal interactions to the institutions we support and the systems we participate in. It’s more than saying, “I’m not a racist.” Instead, it is a solemn promise to study, learn, interact, and join with others to take action to ensure that all people truly experience justice, equity, and compassion.”

The program includes

• A Sunday service at which people are challenged to sign the Pledge to End Racism
• An optional workshop called “Living the Pledge” which is designed to help people move from the individual action of signing The Pledge into collective action to dismantle racism
• Information on opportunities in the community to put the Pledge into action
• Optional follow-up gatherings to provide encouragement and support in meeting personal commitments
• Knowledge and skills to develop leadership in the movement to end racism

The Living the Pledge to End Racism Workshop

Dates for the next Living the Pledge to End Racism Workshop will be posted here when they are available. Download a sample workshop flyer here. If you would like to receive an e-mail notification of be the next workshop dates, please let us know at roanokepledge@gmail.com.

This 12-hour workshop is designed to make the Pledge to End Racism something that becomes an integral part of our daily lives. It includes large and small group sessions led by trained leaders/facilitators on topics including recognizing and confronting bias, speaking up, structural and institutional racism, the movement for Black lives, and personal commitment to ending racism. Its primary goal is to help participants develop confidence in their ability to

• Integrate the Pledge to End Racism into their lives
• Confront racism and bias in everyday encounters
• Recognize and challenge systemic racism
• Take personal leadership in ending racism in their community

In workshop sessions, signers of the Pledge reflect, learn, and practice how to develop and maintain their commitment. As part of the workshop, participants develop a community of support and an understanding of how to use that support in deepening their work in building a just and equitable multicultural world.

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is for people who want to deepen their understanding of and commitment to anti-racism. It is suitable for adults and high-school aged teens, regardless of their prior experience, if any, with anti-racism work.

What is the workshop format?

The Living the Pledge Workshop is conducted in-person or virtually via Zoom. All sessions include presentations, videos, and small group discussions with trained facilitators. Before each session, participants are provided with links to articles and short videos which will help them prepare for the discussion. After each session, additional resources are provided for those who wish to explore the session’s topic more deeply on their own.

Questions?

For more information or questions, please e-mail us at roanokepledge@gmail.com.

Resources for Further Learning (click on the links below)

Selected Readings on Racial Justice

Selected Videos

UUA Anti-racism Resources

Local Organizations Involved in Racial Justice

Local Black-owned Businesses

Founded in 2012, Reading Seeds is UUCR’s home-grown children’s literacy program. It is staffed entirely by volunteers. We aim to provide children from low-income families in the city of Roanoke a better chance at reading success by helping them build their own home libraries. Research shows that growing up with a home library improves skills in adult literacy, numeracy and technical problem solving. To foster literacy and a love of reading, we provide only new books. We include a Reading Seeds/UUCR bookplate in each book so the child’s name can be inscribed in the book he, she, or they receives.

Contact us: readingseeds@uuroanoke.org

Our projects:

• Reading Seeds donates books to young children at three Total Action for Progress Head Start centers. TAP Head Start is a preschool and childcare program that serves working families living in poverty. Our program donates to the Raleigh Court, Hurt Park and Brand Hardin Sims centers. Twice monthly, we distribute books to 228 children (infants through 4-year-olds). Prior to the pandemic, we scheduled volunteers to visit and read to the children in person. Volunteers will return when COVID  protocols allow.  Please read our Safety Recommendations.
• We make quarterly deliveries of books to 828 preK- through 3rd-grade pupils attending four city elementary schools: Grandin Court, Wasena, Virginia Heights and Fishburn Park. From October 2021-April 2022, we made monthly donations because we were given extra books by Star City Reads, a sister literacy program sponsored and operated by the Roanoke Public Libraries (https://starcityreads.org/).
• We are making quarterly donations for a year to a Little Free Library that has been installed in an underserved neighborhood in Roanoke as part of a Girl Scout Silver Award project. The Scout and her family are church members.
• Our team is planning to provide books for a vending machine at Grandin Court Elementary School. The machine, which holds 200 books, will dispense books to pupils who earn tokens for various good deeds.
• Reading Seeds has promised 150 books to New Horizons Healthcare, a non-profit community-based family health center with three locations in Roanoke.
• We have begun a partnership with the West End Center for Youth in Roanoke. The center serves 114 children (kindergarten through high school) who live in Roanoke’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. We donated 20 overrun books from Star City Reads to the center and have agreed to provide books as rewards for the younger pupils who complete a spring read-a-thon. In addition, the books in the Center’s library are old, and moreover, they are mainly without Black or brown characters. We are discussing how to upgrade their library.
• We donated 20 overrun books from Star City Reads to the Total Action for Progress (TAP) Books Warehouse, which gives free books to people in need and raises funds for other TAP projects.
• We connected our UUCR readers and other interested congregants with Rabbi Kathy Cohen of Temple Emanuel, who started a 1-on-1 reading program with adult volunteers and 2nd- and 3rd-graders at Lincoln Terrace Elementary School. This school serves the most at-risk of our young city children. Rabbi Cohen is part of Roanoke’s Gun Violence Prevention Council, and she ties literacy — long-term — to reducing gun violence.

How we spend our money:

We buy our books from First Book Marketplace (https://www.fbmarketplace.org), a non-profit, online resource exclusively for schools and programs that serve children in need. First Book makes the books available at a significant discount (approximately $3 to $5 each).

Where our money comes from:

• In 2020, we were allocated $3,000 from the UUCR budget. In 2020, Reading Seeds received $2,000 from the Mission & Ministry endowment fund of UUCR, and $3,500 again in 2021.
• In late 2021, we received a $6,500 grant from the Live Oak (Cedar Park, Texas) Unitarian Universalist Church Endowment Fund.
• As in years past, in late 2021 we received a $3,500 grant from the Trowell Charitable Gift Fund and a $2,500 grant from the Dorothy Koch Family Foundation. We typically receive these two Roanoke-based grants every year with an application of request submitted to the respective boards.
• Reading Seeds receives intermittent donations from church members and friends. In 2021, we raised $370.75 in donations for T-shirts, notecards, posters and bookmarks. In addition to these funding sources, Reading Seeds receives an annual in-kind donation of new books (numbers vary) from Star City Reads.

Why Reading Seeds fills a critical need now:

According to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s “American Community Survey,” approximately 31.8% of children under 18 years old in Roanoke live in poverty, compared to 13% in the Commonwealth of Virginia and 17% in the U.S. In addition, from 2015-2019, nearly 2,800 Roanoke children, or one in eight, were living in deep poverty, with an annual household income for a family of four at $13,086 or less.

Sustained poverty strongly correlates to negative effects on education, physical and mental health, and developmental milestones for these children. For example, of the children in Roanoke beginning kindergarten in 2019, 27.5% arrived without meeting reading readiness benchmarks, and almost half of children from economically disadvantaged families do not read at grade level in the third grade. Although the 2020 benchmark testing was not completed because of the pandemic, the public health crisis resulted in reduced enrollment numbers of students in early grades as well as required implementation of remote learning. These factors are expected to be reflected in statistically significant negative effects on kindergarten readiness and third-grade reading levels in 2021 results — and beyond — because there was a notable increase in the number of younger students who were either not enrolled in school or could not attend online because of the lack of internet access. These measured targets are important because they are often predictive of high school graduation rates and likelihood of continued poverty.

How you can help:

• Donate!

Please make checks payable to UUCR and indicate Reading Seeds on the memo line. Mail donations to: Reading Seeds, Unitarian Universalist Church of Roanoke, 2015 Grandin Rd., Roanoke, VA 24015.

If you would like a receipt for tax purposes, be sure to include your name and mailing address with your donation.

• Volunteer with us!

We can always use help ordering, receiving, sorting, counting, labeling, packing and delivering up to 1,000 books at a time. We meet in the UUCR fellowship hall.

Additional help is always welcome in seeking additional funding as well as in grant writing.

If you are interested in getting involved, email readingseeds@uuroanoke.org.

More information to come soon!

We know that religious spaces haven’t always been welcoming places for all people, especially when it comes to gender and sexuality. We are out to change that. For 25 years, we have worked hard to make sure lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people are full members of our faith communities. Being welcoming means striving for radical inclusion, and creating spaces that honor every part of our identities, backgrounds, and experiences.

How Do We Practice Welcome?

Welcome is a spiritual practice. It takes constant doing and stretching for our welcome to grow. We practice welcome in our congregations by:
• Promoting inclusivity and using inclusive language
• Creating Welcoming spaces, including gender-neutral bathrooms
• Speaking our Welcome out loud and in print and online
• Building our Welcoming skills as congregational leaders and greeters
• Deepening our understanding of identities that differ from our own
• Offering sexuality education for the entire lifespan
• Preventing discrimination in the process of hiring a minister
• Engaging in justice ministry in our communities and the wider world
• Regularly engaging in Welcoming Congregation programming and ministry

The Worship Associates committee is a small group of dedicated volunteers who partner with the minister to present a cohesive service on Sunday mornings. They are in the pulpit to open the service with greetings and introductions. They present readings to support the sermon topic, light our chalice, and offer announcements after the sermon. If the minister is not in the pulpit, the Worship Associates are the face of our congregation as they work with a guest speaker to make the Sunday service meaningful and memorable.