Tuesday, July 14, 2020, 7:00 p.m., via Zoom.

We’re making plans to strengthen democracy in nonpartisan ways, by facilitating voter registration, encouraging voting, and in other ways. Apps, websites and phones make these activities possible, regardless of the extent to which a person is self-isolating. Come to the meeting and learn more.

A link to this Zoom meeting will appear on the church homepage by the time of the meeting.

If you have questions, feel free to contact Bob Lamb, or send him email at:

Heritage UU Church has long supported Inter Parish Ministry (IPM) through volunteer effort, donations of food, and money donations from our outreach offerings.

IPM is now offering groceries through mobile food pantries. No identification or registration is required. See details below.

2020 IPM MOBILE FOOD PANTRIES

All are welcome!

Drive through one of our Wednesday mobile food pantries each month for groceries.

Felicity United Methodist Church
420 Walnut st., Felicity, OH
June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Clermont Northeastern Middle School
2792 U.S. 50, Batavia, OH 45103
June 10, July 8, August 12, September 9 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Spaulding Elementary School
6755 Linton Rd., Goshen, OH
June 17, July 15, August 19, September 16 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

Williamsburg Old High School
549 W. Main St., Williamsburg, OH
June 24, July 22, August 26, September 23 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Please clear the trunk of your car prior to this event.

Visit www.interparish.org or call (513) 561-3932 for more information.

These mobile pantries are made possible in part through a generous gift activated by Greater Cincinnati Foundation/United Way of Greater Cincinnati COVID-19 Regional Response Fund.

If you have questions about Heritage Church’s involvement in IPM, please send an email to:

Posted 6/10/2020.

Mondays every other week, starting July 13, 2020. Via Zoom. RSVP requested.

Working toward an end of racism in America requires an understanding of our national and local history. The Heritage UU Church Racial Justice Team offers this opportunity for discussion.

How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi, was named One of the Best Books of the Year by: The New York Times Book Review, Time, The Washington Post, Shelf Awareness, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews.

In a time when most people profess that they are “not racist,” Kendi’s acclaimed book provides a clear understanding of what makes a policy or a person “racist” or antiracist.” Examining racism through multiple lenses including power, biology, ethnicity, body, and culture, Kendi helps readers see the many forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.

Beginning Monday, July 13, at 7:30, an in-depth, six-session Zoom book discussion will study Kendi’s call to be an antiracist. Sessions will continue every two weeks: Monday; July 13, July 27, August 10, August 24, September 7, September 21. Session #1 will cover the Introduction through Chapter 3. Registration is requested by emailing :

Check the Heritage UU Church homepage for the Zoom link at the time of the meetings.

If you have questions, talk with Tracey DuEst, Louise Lawarre, or Rae Jane Araujo, or send them an email at the email address above.

Heritage Church members support the Inter Parish Ministry food pantries with outreach offerings, food donations, and volunteer help. The following comes from an article in Inter Parish Ministry’s May newsletter:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, as businesses have closed in response to the Stay-At- Home order in Ohio, IPM has seen a dramatic increase in the needs of our local community.

In fact, the number of families IPM Food Pantry is serving each week for food is nearly double the number this time last year.

To support public health and safety, IPM set up a drive -through pantry where families receive a box of food prepared by the Army National Guard, as well as other pantry staples, meat, milk and produce when available

In addition, IPM is serving as a food resource hub for many local schools and nonprofit agencies, providing over 200 emergency meal kits to families in need.

IPM has also supplied more than 3500 Power Packs to students throughout IPM’s service area with the help of community partnerships.

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For more on IPM, visit the IPM website.

If you have questions on Heritage Church’s involvement in IPM, talk with Bob Drake, Kay Inskeep, or Mike Roberts, or send an email to them at:

May 5, 2020.

Covid-19 has changed lots of things, including how Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) feeds, shelters, and shows love to homeless families. Here are the important things to know.

IHN programming falls under essential services as outlined in section 8 of Governor Mike DeWine’s Stay-at-Home Order. Staff and volunteers can travel for these purposes, but such travel should be reduced and limited as much as possible, especially for volunteers.

Under current emergency Board of Health orders, it is not permitted to have the homeless receive shelter for a week in church buildings. Families in emergency shelter are now in a hotel so that they have access to their own kitchen and bathroom spaces. This also allows for social distancing from volunteers, staff, and other families. Families are still served by their case managers, often by phone and email.

IHN will still rely on persons and congregations to provide food, but this will be handled differently. More information will be provided later. What is known now is that, to limit food handling and number of drop offs, IHN will be asking for donations of pre-packaged breakfast, lunch, and snack supplies only. Possibilities include Lunchables, or packages of luncheon meats and loaves of bread that a whole family can use to make sandwiches, rather than the volunteers making the sandwiches themselves. Items that can microwaved are also especially helpful (mac and cheese cups, soup cups, etc.).

Here are some things you can do now to help:

(1) Donate Kroger gift cards to help provide for families. Luckily, there is a Kroger within walking distance of the hotel.  The large ask, what we need each of you to do, is to donate some amount on a Kroger gift card for IHN.  This can be ordered online to be shipped directly to IHN ( 990 Nassau Ave – 45206), to minimize contact.  Increments of $10 are preferred, not to exceed $50. 

(2) Make a contribution to IHN by visiting: www.ihncincinnati.org/take-action/give

(3) Donate items to make kid/adult activity packs for families. Anything that can entertain a family that is isolated would be helpful. These can include puzzles and board games. Please provide new, unopened items only.

Donations can also be mailed to:

Interfaith Hospitality Network
990 Nassau Street
Cincinnati, OH 45206.

Thanks so much for continuing to work together, even as we remain apart.

If you have questions, please email Rae Jane Araujo at:

March 25, 2020.

(The following is taken from an email from the national #UUtheVote project at the Unitarian Universalist Association.)

Even apart, we can work together.

Right now feels pretty intense.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has many of us stressed and scared; we might be feeling overwhelmed or helpless with uncertainty. While many of us are being asked to work from home and many more do not have that option, we can stay connected to each other as well as with our UU the Vote community.

In the words of UUA executive vice president Carey McDonald, “This is a time when we need more ministry and connection with each other, not less. It just may need to take a different form.”

We hope we can offer some connection and ministry to you.

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Spiritual Sustenance Twice per Month

UU the Vote now offers twice monthly spiritual nourishment circles on the first Wednesday and the third Monday of each month. These groups offer space share stories from organizing and justice work, reflect, bear witness, amplify joy, and lessen the sorrows. Find the Spiritual Sustenance Schedule and RSVP.

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How to #UUtheVote without leaving the house

We looked at our 50+ Ways to UU the Vote and suggest:

1. Visit Vote Forward to send letters to unlikely or unregistered voters.
2. Go to Reclaim Our Vote to make calls to voters who were purged from the rolls.
3. Consider small group meetings instead of large gathering or gather online using zoom, google hangout, or slack.
4. Set a date for your congregation to watch Suppressed: The Fight to Vote by Brave New Films or the movie Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook (available on some streaming services, including Amazon Prime) from each individuals home then hold a group conference call to debrief together.
5. Call your legislator to advocate for paid sick leave and relief for affected workers—not a bail out for the fossil fuel industry. Call (202) 224-3121 to be connected.
6. Spend the time to brainstorm who in your life to engage in values conversations with. Start making those calls and texts. See page 27 in our launch guide.
7. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper with your opinion of how the pandemic is being handled and what you would like to see our elected leaders do.

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Moments like these are actually why it’s so crucial we have elected leadership who hold our values of beloved community, welcome and sanctuary, accountability and transparency. We want a country that responds with empathy rather than fear; we hope we can all find a way to do so.

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If you have questions about UU the Vote and Heritage UU Church, please send an email to:

March 25, 2020

You can help address the critical shortage of medical masks by making them at home! Several members of Heritage UU Church are working with TRIHEALTH to create medical masks.

Patterns and tutorials are provided on the Facebook page Sew Masks 4 Cincy. Cloth is available for people who do not have stocks of cloth, and some people are lending sewing machines. You can even sew masks by hand if you like. At least weekly, the administrators of the page arrange for a delivery drop that has no social contact. People with all skill levels can help. If you want to help out, go to Sew Masks 4 Cincy.

If you have questions, please contact Jen James at:

A recent cleaning and organization of our kitchen revealed an abundance of disposable plates, cups, cutlery, napkins, and over 2000 (yes, 2,000) plastic gloves! The greenest thing we can do is to use up the disposables that we already have in the kitchen.

As a Certified Green Congregation, we committed to using reusable plates, cups, etc. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY DISPOSABLE KITCHEN ITEMS INTO HERITAGE UU CHURCH.

That includes not bringing any plastic water bottles or, especially, Styrofoam cups.

Plastic is killing more than 1.1 million seabirds and animals every year.

The average person eats 70,000 microplastics each year.

Plastic chemicals are absorbed by the body—93 percent of Americans age six or older test positive for BPA (a plastic chemical), which is linked to fertility problems, male impotence, heart disease, and may cause cancer.

Please read the sign in the kitchen regarding recycling. The chart clearly shows what you can recycle in our area.

Also, another housekeeping item: Do NOT use sand for holding candles, etc., in carpeted areas. The sand spills and is then ground into the carpeting, causing premature wear.

Sincerely,
The Tuesday Morning Green Cleaning Team

Questions? Talk with anyone on the cleaning team, or send email to:

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Editor’s Note: The chalice water bottle pictured is available at InSpirit, the UUA Book and Gift Shop.

Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) is a program whereby homeless families are housed for a week at a time in churches, temples, synagogues and mosques. Organizers have now set the dates when First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati will host families, which means that we now know when Heritage folk can help in this effort.

Please consider signing up to be a Dinner Host, Activity Host, or Overnight Host for one or more of the dates below.

• April 7th (at First Church)
• June 30th (at First Church)
• September 1st (at Grace Place)
• October 13th (at First Church)
• December 22th (at First Church)

First Church is located at 536 Linton Street, Cincinnati, OH 45219 (in Avondale). Grace Place is located in College Hill – see Rae Jane Araujo for more information.

More information on the various hosting roles can be found on Heritage’s IHN page.

To volunteer or for more information, please talk with Rae Jane, or email her at:

January 2020.

Our 7th UU Principle reminds us to Respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. And our 6th Source invites us to celebrate the sacred circle of life and instructs us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. One way to do that is to continue to be mindful of what and how to recycle at Heritage and at home. Heritage uses Rumpke Recycling Service. Here are the items that they accept:

WHAT YOU CAN RECYCLE

Accept: Paper

 

Accept: Plastic Bottles and Jugs

Accept: Cartons

Accept: Metals

Accept: Glass Bottles and Jars

UNACCEPTABLE MATERIALS

Would you like a handy flyer of this information that you can print out and put up on your refrigerator or elsewhere? Click here to get What You Can Recycle.

If you have any questions, please speak with Tracy Jo Small.

March 2019.