The Week Ahead at UUCB

Season of Giving starts at UUCB!
We’re entering the season of giving, and in true UUCB fashion, we have multiple causes and organizations that you can contribute to starting November 21 until December 30! You can drop off your donations at the atrium on weekdays from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm. There will be boxes, bins, and tables labeled with each charity/organization’s name so you know where to deposit your donation.
Click here for more information.

Good Neighbor for November

Sogorea Te’ Land Trust

Sunday November 21, 2021

First day to start dropping off donations for Thanksgiving for the Unhoused in Richmond. More information here.

9:20 am Personal Theology
Zoom – We Have it In Us To Heal: Ancestral Memory, Tribalism and Finding ThOur Way Forward In the Half-light and Dark. UUCB member, Wyndy Knox Carr,  will reconnect us to our deepest bio-cultural roots as UUs, in the U.S. and on Mother Earth. Learn more here.

11 am Worship Service
Facebook Live and YouTube – Don’t Buy Nuthin’. Rev. Michelle Collins, preaching. Worship Associate Bob Adams. We are heading into the most consumer-oriented part of the year, the holiday season when it seems like spending often goes into overdrive. Yet our ultra-consumer-based society continues to be detrimental in many ways, both to the environment and in our own lives. Many folks and even some stores are embracing alternatives. Today we’ll consider some different ways of being for this holiday season.

12:00 pm Coffee Hour
Zoom – Click here to join us. Password: 810131. Time subject to change depending on length of service.

12:30 pm Whites Opposing White Supremacy (WOWS) – name to be changed.
Anyone who wants to challenge racism and white supremacy is welcome! For more information, contact Julia Rogers (510-520-8230 or jlundyr@gmail.com).

Click here to join on Zoom or dial 669 900 9128 to call in,
Meeting ID: 894 0793 2840

1 pm Humanist Connections
Zoom – ACCE Organization Fighting for Rental Issues Susan Singh. For more information, contact Marcia Bates.

2 pm Organ recital
Sanctuary – Exploration of “Our Personal Mythic Stories” with organist Katya Kolesnikova. Music by: Felix Mendelssohn, Adolphus Hailstork, Uzee Brown, Florence B. Price, R. Nathaniel Dett, Charles-Marie Widor.

The Week, November 22 – 27

Monday, November 22

9:15 am Writing Group
Safir – Contact Kit Hewitt at kithewitt@lmi.net for additional details.

9:30 am Women’s Insight Meditation Group
Fireside – Contact Lucinda Young luyoung1313@gmail.com for additional details.

Tuesday, November 23

10:15 am Volunteer for Lunch Program at GRIP (in person)
Offsite – Join other volunteers from UUCB to help make sandwiches (usually from 10:15 to 11 am) and serve lunch (from 11:30 to 12:45 pm) to residents and clients of GRIP. Address: 165 22nd Street Richmond, California 94801

Wednesday, November 24

10 am Wednesday Walk & Talk Group
In person – Contact Ann Harlow for more info, annharlow@pacbell.net.

10:30 am Aging with Grace
Contact Jane Ramsey for more info. Jane.rms@gmail.com or (510) 499-5204.

Thursday, November 25
Thanksgiving. Church Closed.

Friday, November 26
Office Closed.

10 am – 2 pm Free Friday (Volunteers Needed!!)
Atrium – Free Friday is UUCB’s first annual day of opting out of rampant consumerism. Instead of participating in the chaos that is Black Friday, come to UUCB for a day of swapping, donating, or fixing the stuff you already have! There will be a clothing swap, book and game exchange, donation station, free gift ideas, gift/service promise table, and a fix it station*.

*small repairs to clothing and small items. Please don’t bring furniture, bicycles, or big appliances. Items accepted until 1 pm.

7 pm Health Challenges Support Group
Zoom – A chance to talk about your health challenges, with feedback if wanted, as well as what you enjoy doing. Includes short poetry readings and starts with a nature-based guided meditation for relaxation. Contact Sandy Nixon for additional information.

Saturday, November 27

2 pm Honoring Indigenous Peoples Group
Zoom – Questions? Interested in joining the Group? Please contact Helen Tinsley-Jones at honoringindigenous@uucb.org.

Upcoming Events

GivingTuesday is a movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world. On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, text “Give” to +1 (510) 988-5666 and follow the prompts. Your donations will go towards improving our sound system in the Sanctuary! This means better audio during livestreams!
12:30 pm Join the Literature, Film, Drama & Music Contingent (the LFDMC) to discuss So Many Beginnings [A Little Women Remix], by Bethany C. Morrow. Don’t let the “Remix” fool you –the only similarities to Alcott’s novel are the daughters’ nicknames, the century, and the war! Morrow envisions a Black March family’s experience. Zoom.
7 pm Time to select our 2022 Good Neighbor recipients! We need to choose 12 of 16 nominees. We’ll have speakers from each on our December Social Justice Council meeting. Nominee information. Voting will take place after the meeting. Questions? Contact Natalie Campbell at nataliehcampbell@yahoo.com.
10 am Food Drive for the Richmond Emergency Food Pantry. UUCB will be collecting food in the rear parking lot to help REFP restock their shelves. It is estimated that one half of low  income households in Contra Costa and Alameda counties run out of food every month. Your donation will help keep our neighbors fed. More info here.

Announcements & Resources

Slide and Livestream Masters Needed
Now that worship is livestreamed from our Sanctuary on Sunday mornings, we’re looking for volunteers to run the livestream equipment, and to make/manage the slides in our Sanctuary. No experience necessary. Training will be provided. We hope to build a robust roster of volunteers so that no one person experiences burnout.
For over 25 years, UUCB’s Adult Education/Exploration program has offered classes and workshops to explore UU values from diverse faiths, philosophies, and wisdom traditions. During heightened emotional times, like the holidays, we keenly need support we can readily access: Here are some materials if you are Experiencing Grief and Loss or Experiencing Stress and Anxiety. Email adulted@uucb.org with questions or suggestions.
So many of us had hoped to be back to “normal” this holiday season so we could gather and enjoy our wonderful UUCB tradition. But not being able to come together won’t stop us from having our Cornbread Celebration! Last year, we asked for your cornbread recipes and you did not disappoint! Check out the UUCB cornbread recipe book and let’s bring the tradition into all of our homes. Click here for yummy yummy recipes.

UUCB Staff and Board Availability

  • Board Listening Presence for November is Cordell Sloan. His contact information is cordellsloan@hotmail.com 510-388-1492.
  • Click here for Rev. Michelle’s schedule.
  • Tess Snook O’Riva (Executive Director) works Monday-Friday. In office Tuesdays and Fridays.
  • Ken Marino (Ministerial Intern) in office Monday & Thursday 11 am-7 pm.
  • Bryan Baker (Director of Music): works remotely Thursday afternoon, and Friday and Sunday mornings.
  • Caitlyn Vincent (Office Administrator) works Monday-Friday. In office Tuesdays and Fridays.
  • Antonio Toro (Facilities Manager) works Monday through Friday, 3/4 days.
  • Charis Domador (Connections Coordinator) works remotely Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
  • Diana Steinbach (Finance Administrator) works remotely Mondays and Thursdays.

Stay in Touch

To stay even better informed, or if you have questions about UUCB, please explore our website. You can also sign up for various email lists:

Submit items for The Week Ahead to weekahead@uucb.org by 8 am Wednesday. Please limit announcements to 325 characters (with spaces).

Submit items for the Beacon monthly newsletter to beacon@uucb.org by the 15th of the month.


Donate