See: Ethical Eating Tips for the Holidays

Volunteer Message

• We encourage CUUC members and friends to learn about and become personally involved in social justice outreach activities.
• We serve as a repository for information about social justice programs outside of CUUC.
• We research areas within the broad theme of healing injustice that might be of interest to our congregation.
• We share our research with members and friends and listen to their responses.
• We coordinate the scheduling of charitable appeals to the congregation.
• We provide Helpful Hints for Starting a CUUC Social Action Project, a compilation of suggested elements to consider when starting a new project.
• We nurture project participants through mentoring, training, and spiritual reflection.

JustACT to Sponsor "Thrive" Documentary After February 5 Service at CUUC

After the service on February 5, our Justice Action Team (JustACT) will be sponsoring an unconventional, thought-provoking documentary, titled "Thrive", in the CUUC sanctuary. The documentary follows the money upstream, uncovering a global consolidation of power in many aspects of our lives. Thrive weaves together breakthroughs in science, consciousness and activism, offering solutions and bold strategies for reclaiming our future.

Free childcare and a light lunch will be provided by JustACT.

The program will start at 12:15 and last until 3:30. There will be a brief intermission midway through the documentary. There will also be a discussion afterward led by Eric Belsey and George Mandeville.

Just ACT Planning Meetings

We meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 to 8:00pm at church.

What are you up to? Can you fit some Just ACTion into your life? We have opportunities for you to make a difference in someone’s life and to influence how our kids live. Spend a few hours a month and discover what you get back spiritually. Or, if you’re the curious or committed to action type, come to our meeting and discover what we’re really up to as we plan for 2010 and our future.

Social justice programs are the reflection of Unitarian Universalism principles put into practice. As a coordinating team, Just ACT offers support and assistance to those who wish to learn about, participate in, and create service, charitable, or advocacy projects. Team members are individually involved with diverse projects and meet regularly to share information, strategies and experiences. Members and friends with ideas for new projects are particularly welcomed. We‘d like to hear your ideas and passions, so please feel free to contact sarahmanning@sprynet.com or just show up on Wednesday!

Ethical Eating Tips from our Justice Action Team’s E.E. Guru

With many holidays around the corner and cold weather arriving, our eating habits change from fresh salads to warm stews and chili. Below are resources to find ethically raised and grown meats and veggies for the holiday and winter season.

Ethically raised meat:

Amy & Ellen’s grass finished beef: 970-881-2147 Sell whole, half and quarters of beef.

Arriola Sunshine Farm: 970-882-4222 Sell sheep, live turkey, fruits and vegetables

B Bar S Ranch: 303-442-1995 Sell beef as halves.

Bare Bottom Ranch: 719-541-4761 Sells goat milk, soap and lotion, wool, eggs and meat.

Craig Angus Ranch: 970-402-1098 Grass fed Beef

Desert Weyr, LLC: 970-527-3573 Mutton and wool

Grunniens Ranch: 303-646-6226 Yak meat

High Wire Ranch: 970-835-7600 Buffalo and Elk meat

Indian Ridge Farm and Bakery: 970-327-0336 poultry, turkey, veggies, bakery

Check out other resources at: www.eatwild.com.

Currently there are not a lot of resources for finding prepared holiday foods that are ethically produced. However, the following resources are great for local Colorado food:

http://www.localsustainability.net http://www.growlocalcolorado.org  http://www.colocalmarket.com/Default.aspx

Happy holidays EVERYONE! May ethically raised and produced food grace your table!

Maura Stack-Oden, JustACT

CUUC gives a great deal of support to three specific programs within IFCS: outfitting children returning to school; buying turkeys for the food baskets given to over 500 families at Thanksgiving; and sponsoring families at Christmas with two gifts for every child and coupons for groceries. Contributions of clothing, household items, and non-perishable foods are always welcome in the wicker basket in the CUUC foyer.

If you would like to volunteer or make a donation, please contact Frances Blizard at 303/795-8221 or justact@columbineuuchurch.org  for more information.

Project Angel Heart

CUUC Involvement in Project Angel Heart

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Project Angel Heart (303-830-0202) to sign up for a required volunteer orientation at the PAH Headquarters near Colorado Blvd and I-70. Orientations last about 90 minutes and are required for all new volunteers. Volunteers who will be the drivers should bring their driver’s license and proof of insurance to the orientation. Please note that you must RSVP for the orientation.

Upcoming orientations are:

First Saturday of the month at 10:00 am
Second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm
Fourth Wednesdays of the month, 5:30 pm

Once you have been through the orientation, contact Jim Hopkins to find out about signing for one of our CUUC Saturday delivery days. The time required on the Saturday that you volunteer will be approximately 2 hours, from 1-3pm.

For more information about this volunteer opportunity at CUUC or for any questions, please contact Jim Hopkins by email at jahpk@att.net or at 303-589-5971.

Services for Hire is CUUC’s fund raising program in support of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee advances human rights and social justice around the world by partnering with those who confront unjust power structures and mobilizing to challenge oppressive policies. UUSC is affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA).

Services for Hire matches individuals’ needs with skilled CUUCers who can fill those needs. CUUC members and friends offer their services to each other for smaller fees than would normally be charged commercially. Checks for services performed are made payable to UUSC and become donations instead of payment to the volunteers. Current services include tutoring, house cleaning, home repairs, pruning, meal preparation, pet care, window washing, transportation, and carpentry. If you have a need, please contact Les Jones or Sarah Manning at and we will do our best to connect you with someone who can help.

If you’d like to contribute, please consider the talents and skills you’ve developed that you can donate as you help out a fellow CUUCer and the UUSC. A complete list of volunteers and services can be found at: http://www.columbineuuchurch.org/uusc.html#Volunteer_Service_Roster.

Please contact Sarah Manning at justact@columbineuuchurch.org  to be added to our list of wonderful volunteers!

The Kids Need Us!

Tutoring Program at Fort Logan Elementary Organizing
for the 2011-2012 School Year

In its 8th year, the CUUC Tutoring program, supported by the CUUC Justice Action Coordinating Team (JustACT), continues to grow in number and effectiveness. Sixteen volunteer Tutors, along with several more volunteer substitutes, will be swinging into action in the latter part of August at Ft. Logan Intermediate School and Dutch Creek Elementary School.

Tutors will support teachers in the classrooms for at least two hours each week, helping with reading and writing skill development, arithmetic, and other projects desired by the teachers. The Tutoring program does not require that volunteers have a teaching background, and the majority of
our Tutors do not. Additional volunteers are welcome in the Tutoring Program. Here are some thoughts from one of our volunteers:

“I am one of the tutors in the CUUC Tutoring Program, working with the students at Dutch Creek Elementary School. This past school year I worked primarily with one teacher and her 4th grade students, tutoring a group of 3 – 8 students once a week. The students were a delight to work with and were
enthusiastic about their reading. In the process of tutoring them I learned about the migratory paths of birds, the Southwest Indians and even a bit about dinosaurs. In addition to the reading, I was able to help with computer projects and several reports, including a persuasive letter to the President of the United States to convince him that turkeys should be saved and not eaten on Thanksgiving Day The children were always excited about seeing me arrive, waving and smiling the moment they saw me each week. I can’t think of a better way to volunteer my time than working with the children that will be in our future world.”

Brian Pendleton, JustACT

Please join us! Contact Brian Pendleton if you are interested in participating, or if you have questions about the program, at 303-972-8544, or at bpendleton@msn.com

CUUC Women's Circle participates in an outreach project through an organization called Women for Women International (WfWI) which focuses on the urgent need for aid in many countries throughout the world for women who are victims of war. Very often rape and victimization of women is used as a military tactic. The women affected by this violation are generally considered outcasts by their neighbors and families, often deserted by their spouses and left with their children in poverty and despair.
WfWI has set up a program of support, education and re-socialization of women in several of these war torn countries. (You can visit their website at www.womenforwomen.org ) Their programs are changing the lives of women and children each day. WfWI provides rights awareness and leadership education along with the vocational and technical skills training needed to provide a better standard of living for each woman and her family. The sponsorship is nominal for the sponsors but invaluable for those who benefit from it.

Our Women's Circle has sponsored women from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hopefully our financial support and personal letters to our sisters in the DRC will show they are indeed valued and help on their way to independence and security.

What a good way to enlarge our circle. For more information, please contact Ruthanne Cauley at 303.979.7753 or justact@columbineuuchurch.org .