In the early 90s, I was a transplant to Bellevue from the Midwest. I moved to the Northwest to find work after college because we were deep in a recession and this place offered an opportunity for me to make a life for myself. It was a lonely time for me. I started searching for a spiritual home and nothing seemed to fit my needs. One day, I was talking to a co-worker, and she asked me about my values and how I moved through the world. She told me I should try her Church – I sounded like a Unitarian. There was a Church community of people who shared my values!
In 1992, the Sunday after the LA Riots started, I walked in the front doors of East Shore Unitarian Church. I was devastated and very broken about what I had witnessed on television. That morning, the minister, sensing our needs, decided to scrap their sermon. Instead, he just passed around the microphone and we just shared how we were feeling.
That was the day I knew that I had found my spiritual home and a community of like-minded people. A place that practiced love, explored spirituality, built community, and promoted justice.
East Shore Really Needs Your Help Right Now
Sunday is the most important day of the week for our Church. It is our opportunity to shine and share our most wonderful gifts to the greater community and with each other. Very soon, due to budget constraints, we will be short-staffed. We need you to step forward and help by volunteering on Sunday mornings to make sure our Church is fully operational. We have a limited staff who work very hard to make our Sunday magic happen week after week, and we need you to step up and volunteer on Sunday mornings to support our staff and our Church operations.
How You Can Help
Once per month, I volunteer at the membership table on Sunday mornings. I made this commitment as a New Year’s resolution in 2024 because I found myself too isolated post pandemic. It had become too easy for me to sit on the couch and consume what East Shore had to offer — without being fully present to experience what we have to offer. I never regret it when I show up in person at East Shore on Sunday mornings and signing up to volunteer each month gets my foot in the front door.
You can find a complete list of all the Sunday morning volunteer needs and job descriptions at onrealm.org/esuc. There is a place just for you to share your time and talents to create the beloved and welcoming spiritual home we call East Shore Unitarian Church.
To sign up and volunteer please, use Realm to sign up! If you any assistance, please send me a quick email and I will help you get signed up to volunteer.
Once again thank you very much for letting me share my story and your continued willingness to support our beloved Church. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday mornings.
With Love and Gratitude,
Jeanne M. Lamont