As the holiday season quickly approaches, it is a good time to take stock of all the things we are grateful for. In light of the chaos and suffering afflicting so many places in the world, we can be grateful that the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) works to protect rights at risk, provide humanitarian relief, and advocate for policies in accordance with our cherished UU values. Here at East Shore, we host the annual fundraiser, Guest at Your Table (GAYT), to support the work UUSC does on our behalf.
UUSC works with over 75 grassroots organizations on the front lines of critical human rights issues both in the USA and abroad. This year’s theme – Small Change Is Big Change – celebrates the bravery, innovation, and reach of UUSC’s grassroots partners. With your support, UUSC and their partners are not only responding to extraordinary challenges of today, but are also addressing root causes of injustice and building capacity to respond to future challenges.
Rather than the usual Second Sunday donation in November, East Shore will begin our GAYT challenge at the morning service on November 12th. At that time, we will be distributing Stories of Hope which provide examples of how UUSC partners with groups to support under-served populations, deliver humanitarian relief in the face of natural disasters and human-caused crises, and advocate for civil, economic and environmental rights for vulnerable groups. We hope these stories will move you to learn more about UUSC and its work.
If you choose to support UUSC, donating to UUSC through GAYT is a good way to start. There are several ways of doing so:
- You can donate online directly by going to UUSC’s website.
- You can also send a check directly to UUSC using the envelopes we will provide.
- Finally, you can bring checks made out to “UUSC” to East Shore by December 3rd and we will send them off for you.
- We are also providing a limited number of special boxes to families who wish to carry on the Unitarian tradition of collecting change for the Guest at Your Table box. Sometimes families keep such a box at the dinner table to remember and honor these “guests”.
Thank you for whatever amount you can give to UUSC. Your donations make the work of UUSC possible. Please note that any donation of $125 or more will be matched. And finally, take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with the work UUSC and its local partners do by visiting www.uusc.org.