By Elizabeth Corbett, Programs & Membership Coordinator
Happy September, and (as everyone says), the start of cooler weather. I’m not a fan of cooler weather, but I am excited about all the great things happening at Westside. Check them out below:
If you’ve noticed the bulletin board in the back of the sanctuary near the exit door, surely you’ve noticed the two new entries on the board. Check out the fun bios of long-term members Alice Thornton and David Goforth. (See our members' area to read them) As always, if you’d like to contribute to the board and write your own bio, just let me know and I’ll set you up with a template and deadline.
And The Bottom is having its Community Appreciation Day this coming Saturday, September 9th. Westside has supported The Bottom with two particular programs: first, its Book It program that gives young readers a book every month; and second, the Black Outside program that introduces teenagers to outdoor adventures. Please attend this fun day on Saturday! Contact Elizabeth at membership@westsideuuc.org if you’d like to carpool. And, here's the website where you can look at everything they do!
I’m thrilled to announce that SÍ (Serving Immigrants) has its website up and running! Sí was a Share
the Plate partner last year, and this local organization matches asylum applicants with needed immigration lawyers and mental health professionals. Westside’s donation helped them get the website operational, and here it is! Take a look at how they help our community.
I’m also happy to report a Justice and Generosity Project for the fall: we’re collecting period products for Lenoir City Middle School and Lenoir City High School. I’ve been in touch with the system’s nurse and she is delighted that we’ll be donating these items to the schools. She told me that they no longer get free products from Proctor and Gamble and routinely beg for donations. LCMS has a number of students that routinely depend on the school to provide those monthly supplies. So, what do you need to do? Drop off pads and tampons of any size in the box in the church foyer. So easy. Even a teenage girl can do it. Check out the article in the weekly newsletter also.
And these two events are coming up later this fall: one, mark your calendars for a trip to Cherokee, NC, with our neighboring UU churches. Cherokee is the town on the reservation home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. Slated for Saturday, September 30, participants will visit the Oconaluftee Indian Village and learn more about the group and its history with a visit to the museum and arts and crafts store. And two, set aside Saturday, October 14, for Westside’s annual retreat. This year we’ll spend the day at Cove Lake State Park. People will hike, sit by the lake, bike the trails, share lunch, and enjoy the glorious fall day with other Westsiders.
Let me know of any questions, concerns, or ideas you have!
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