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Social Concerns/Faith in Action
Social Concerns: Members Making a Difference
Bill and Yvonne Pfoutz
No one can add up the contributions made by Bill and Yvonne Pfoutz. If you just count the newsletter ably done by Yvonne, you could miss her gifts of serving in various board positions (membership, RE, program and president), teaching RE for many years, creating press releases and ads for church activities, giving to various fund-raisers, or managing the library. Where would the labyrinth be if she hadn't helped with the bricks?
Bill has fixed many things at church, including stereo speakers, outside lights, mowers and phones. He laid out and painted the indoor labyrinth. He also served on the board (as building and grounds chair, treasurer, and president), and don't forget all those hours he spends riding the lawn mower.
Both have been helpers for each other's church projects. They love this church and are true stewards.
 Sylvia Kremp
Sylvia has been a member longer than just about everyone except for Sara Zenge. If you want to find Sylvia, all you need to do is look in the closest garden and you'll probably find her there. Although her own sons are now grown, she still volunteers in RE, teaching other UU children.
She also organized our 50th anniversary celebration this year, donates to the auction, has served on the board in many positions, and is working to establish a remembrance garden on our church property.
Sylvia doesn't wait to get involved; she gives from the heart to our church. With her rich history of volunteerism, she is a true steward of our church!
Marlin Barnes
What makes Marlin such a hero? Is it because he plays the marimbas for us? Is it because he's funny? Is it because he helped paint the classrooms for us? Should we pick him for being a teacher? N - O! …uh- yes. Well, yes and no. For all these reasons and because he's not a member. What? Marlin is not a member?
Let me tell you what he is. Marlin is a music teacher, retired from the Tuscarora School District but still teaching at the Cumberland Valley School of Music. He also gives demonstrations of percussion instruments at arts festivals and libraries.
Also a professional percussionist, Marlin performs solo, with many groups including the Altoona Symphony and the Mercersburg Community Chorus, and in the Musica Ritma, the ensemble he started with his wife, cellist Jane Peatling.
So why is Marlin so great? He volunteers his talents for church programs and percussion concerts and he's not even a member. He has a commitment to his church and is on his way to being a steward.
Gordon and Janet Bartels
If you wanted to buy coffee---really good coffee, where would you go? Not to Starbucks. To UUCH, of course. On Sundays, behind the coffee table you'll find Gordon and Janet Bartels, who introduced Equal Exchange coffee sales to our church when they moved here from New Hampshire. They have been involved with Fair Trade products since the 1990s.
By buying this premium coffee, many good things happen. A coffee farmer is paid a fair price for his product and his community can afford a well, a school or medical supplies. And the 10% mark-up on the coffee you buy helps pay for the premium coffee we enjoy during our after-service fellowship. The Bartels make it easy to do our part and become green.
Emma Poston
The locks in question belong to generous Emma Poston. She grew her hair to over 10 inches then donated her tresses to Locks of Love, which makes wigs and donates them free to children with hair loss from chemotherapy or other illness-related reasons.
Before you say, "but I'm only one and besides I'm so small,'' remember Emma Poston. This small, seven-year-old gave one of her most precious possessions.
It's an act all of us can do if we have hair that will grow out. Imagine growing our hair all winter and cutting it in spring. You only need six inches to donate.
For more information, check out: www.locksoflove.org. Emma is on her way to being a generous girl and a steward.
Ed Hagan
Ed Hagan, an attorney, comes to us with a strong belief in social justice; he joined our church for its community activism.
"Social solidarity, " says Ed, "is, arguably, a precondition of social security. Thus, joining together with community members in order to achieve collective betterment is not just a social good, but also foundational in creating lasting interpersonal relationships. This is one reason why I continue to try get to know people and participate in the UU Church and other local communities"
Ed helped start Washington County Community Triangle, an organization dedicated to the advancement of Lesbian, Gay and Transgendered individuals in the regional community. Triangle participates in service activities such as Food & Friends (food delivery for persons and families with chronic, debilitating illness); a project to create interim housing for homeless persons with AIDS in our area; and activities that foster participation in the political process. For more information or ways you can help Triangle, contact Ed at 301-331-8331.
In addition to his other activities, Ed will serve on our church board of trustees as the 2007-08 chair for membership.
"Possibly unlike any spiritual community in which I have participated to date," says Ed, "the UU Church challenges individuals to not only formulate their beliefs but also to implement these proactively."
Julie Shupp
Julie Shupp is the story of the volunteer who didn't know she was a volunteer. If you ask her, it goes something like this:
"Hey Julie, how do you volunteer?"
"With nothing. I just help Camille."
Of course if you ask, "Do you help with the Care Committee, bring a covered dish to meals, bring children to RE, help with coffee, clean up or work with picnics, you'll get, "yes but…"
The truth is Julie just joined the Committee on Ministry, baby-sits in our nursery faithfully and mows grass. These are things she likes to do and are just the things that make a good steward.
She looks out for us, makes the church a better place for all of us and never gives a thought to personal praise.
Susan and Dave Hartman
If you ever doubted what a small group of people could do, just look at the Martin House. Starting with a vision of how our religious education space could look, Susan Hartman enlisted her husband Dave and a team of helpers to turn shabby rooms in the Martin House into three beautiful classrooms.
The team included Marlin Barnes, Courtney Elder and Julie Shupp, Mary Godwin, Max and Karen Poston, and Camille Smith.
Thank yous would not be enough for these volunteers. Susan, Dave and their team worked extensively to renovate our RE rooms before our church's 50th anniversary celebration in April. What they did goes beyond simple volunteering. They are stewards of the church; they cared enough to give their time and make a difference.
Michael and Lorraine O'Neill
Lorraine and her son Michael have to be the queen and king of recycling. Very little escapes the keen eye of Lorraine. If it can be recycled or composted, it is.
When a teacher asked each student to bring in a week's worth of family garbage, Michael only had a small bag. After he and his mother got through recycling and composting, there was very little to take to school. Michael hates the job but he knows how important it is. We could all learn from them.
Of course, recycling is only as good as your pick-up. If you do not have a recycling pick-up, ask your refuse company to start one. If you need yours expanded, maybe your company will consider that. Ask your political representatives to bid "refuse pick-up" to include recycling.
Diana and John Foley
Meet John and Diana Foley. John and Diana first came to this church
in 2001 and we have been the lucky ones ever since.
Many of us have enjoyed John music. We needed a choir director and
John was willing to take the job to help us. It greatly enhances our
services to have a choral group sing for those special Sundays. It
enhances the skills of the singers as well.
At the same time, Diana noticed that we lacked a labyrinth. Her
enthusiasm made not only a lovely outdoor Cretan labyrinth possible but
an indoor Petite Chartres labyrinth too. (I won’t go into all the
people who were diggers, rock-movers, and labyrinth makers.)
Of course we are always blessed by their keyboard playing during
Sunday services.
Rev. Valerie Wills
What does a minister do when she not at church? She volunteers, of course! In 2002, the Rev. Valerie Wills started volunteering with a young boy as part of a Big Sister/Little Brother program that operates from a school. It includes sharing, talking and lunch.
She also volunteers with Hospice as a minister dealing with death issues. Despite the unpleasant topic, she considers it her most important task not only because of the spiritual side but because it puts our name in front of the public.
For those who would like to volunteer but don’t know what to do, Valerie recommends REACH. They have an organized program with different areas in which to work—from donations to direct service.
Sue Stoner
Sue signed the membership book last April, is one of our newest members. Before Sue joined UUCH, she hadn’t volunteered. In fact, she didn’t think about volunteering at all.
Then one Sunday, she was inspired by one of Rev. Wills’ sermon to give back to her community. So she looked for a place to start. Despite competition from local high school students needing volunteer hours (a graduation requirement), Sue began working at the Greencastle Public Library where she shelves books and helps with other tasks.
Lately, Sue has been thinking about other places to volunteer, such as a shelter or women’s organization. You may see her anywhere. Congratulations, Sue!
David Peatling
David started his volunteer efforts with Thompson’s Karate School. He noticed that people started with the group and most stayed. Wanting to see why, David joined the group to realize that not only did he like karate but he had fun learning. Now five years later, he teaches three group of students every week He has a first degree black belt and expects to get his second degree in about two years.
David, who is our youngest member, has always come to our church. So, it’s only natural that he volunteers in church with the RE Program. Besides assisting Susan Hartman in the Heartwood curriculum and teaching some classes, David offers a unique talent. Often, he can be found playing his guitar for the RE kids.
David will tell you that since being employed by Giant, he knows that there are plenty of opportunities out there for anyone who wants to volunteer.
Karen Poston
Karen wanted to be a surrogate mother for a long time, but living in Hawaii prevented couples from considering her. Since moving to Maryland, she has done two surrogacies, and has found it to be a rewarding experience.
Karen and her daughter, Emma, co-wrote a children's book explaining the surrogate process for children of surrogates. She generously donated a copy, A Baby for Mabel and Frederick, to our church. Emma helped keep the story for kids. She is the main character and the story is from her point of view.
Karen expected confused and negative reactions because of her choice, but she has only received the best feedback from the people she met. Karen hopes that people understand that this child belongs to another couple, and she is proud to be part of the exciting process and to help them reach their dreams of becoming parents themselves.
To learn more about surrogate motherhood go to: www.allaboutsurrogacy.com
Other generous acts by Karen include donating her hair to Locks of Love and coordinating her home-schoolers in support of Heifer International.
Michael & Rebecca Shaw
Even before the merger of Unitarians and Universalists, the faith had its roots firmly in the social movement of the Industrial Age. Abigail Addams, Margaret Sanger and Henry David Thoreau spoke out for the voiceless of society—whether person or environment.
Little has changed since then. We still have members who champion important causes. Both Michael and Rebecca Shaw devote their efforts to education. They can be found collecting and sorting school supplies for disadvantaged students during summers. This school year, Rebecca will be collecting school supplies for Winter Street Elementary School in Hagerstown. She has a list of needed supplies for anyone who wants to help. Give supplies directly to her during August.
Where are they when the school supplies project is finished? You can find Rebecca serving UUCH on the Transition Committee [Sharon’s student ministry praxis committee]. Michael has the coolest job. He helps install the Martin House air conditioners. Aren’t we lucky?
Meet Queen of Heaven Circle
Every celebration is a celebration of life for Queen of Heaven Circle. So when QOHC took time from their monthly celebration to pose for this picture I was thrilled. October's celebration was Samhain.
For many years, the QOHC volunteers to maintain the only year-long outreach that UUCH does. Their members fill the food basket each month. This month, they will join with Rebecca Shaw to provide Thanksgiving food baskets for her 20 students at Winter Street School. QOHC invites you to help before Thanksgiving by leaving food in the food basket in the Sanctuary or on the table in the Martin House. Think Thanksgiving!
QOHC members includes: Bonnie, Destiny, Scott Jr and Scott Hann Sr; Sue Kemp; Al, Angie, and Mike Mason; Joan Mohn; Dave and Gabriella Schultz; Suzanne Thackston and Michelle Williams. Not present was Robin Elkins, Kayley Kemp, PeniJo Renner and Melinda Stup.
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And don’t forget to buy your food for the basket with the grocery store gift cards (script) available from finance
chair Robin Chute. Help others and our church at the same time. For more information about this or any other social
concern issue, contact Sharon Rucker (email: ssrpond@aol.com)
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