ANNOUNCEMENTS
AND REPORTS FOR APRIL/MAY 2024
SPECIAL EVENT: EARTH DAY 2024 SERVICE
NOTE: There will be NO Zoom access for this service.
Please join us in person.
On Sunday, April 21 (the day before the official Earth Day), members and friends of Manatee UU Fellowship will gather at the Coquina Beach Gulfside North Pavilion from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. to worship, picnic, and share songs and activities promoting environmental awareness.
“Our theme for this year’s gathering is, ‘Beloved Community, Beloved Earth’ and we will welcome Coquina Beach visitors to stop by our observance,” said Rev. Fred L Hammond, the fellowship’s developmental minister. He added, “We will encourage best practices when it comes to our environment endangered by climate change while sharing the basics of UU principles and beliefs.”
General Schedule :
9:00 am Informal gathering with intergenerational activities including decorating paper table coverings with Earth Day messages and artwork.
10:30 am UU Worship Service led by Rev. Fred with theme, “Beloved Community, Beloved Earth.” Readings and songs appropriate for theme.
11:15 am Picnic. Bring your own food and utensils and something to share if you wish. Two grills are available. Soft drinks and water provided.
12:30 pm Joyful Jammers — Earth Day music and singalong.
Afterwards, until 2:00 pm:
- Explore the beach
- Scavenger hunt
- Participate in other intergenerational activities
- Offer your support to Anna Maria Island residents as they resist proposed development.
- Make a protest sign! “Save Beloved Island!” “Save Beloved Beaches!”
Notes:
• Coquina Beach Gulfside North Pavilion
• ADA accessible
• Carpool
• Look for our flags
• No dogs
• Picnic tables available or bring your own chair
For more information, contact Carol Alt.
NEW: CHAIR YOGA
Chair Yoga is now held weekly on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Emphasis will be placed on asana (exercise), pranayama (breath), and mindfulness to strengthen balance, flexibility and body. Member Patricia Hurd will be leading the class. She has been teaching yoga for 9 years and is a certified instructor through Yoga Alliance. There is no charge to participate.
SPECIAL COLLECTION FOR APRIL:
COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS
Our Special Collection for March will benefit the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW).
The coalition is a worker-based human rights organization internationally recognized for its achievements in fighting human trafficking and gender-based violence at work. The CIW is also recognized for pioneering the design and development of the Worker-driven Social Responsibility paradigm, a worker-led, market-enforced approach to the protection of human rights in corporate supply chains.
This Special Collection begins April 14 and runs through April 28. Please make checks payable to “Coalition of Immokalee Workers” and bring to a service or mail to: Manatee UU Fellowship, 322 15th St. West, Bradenton, FL 34205.
Thank you for your help in supporting the work of this important organization. Go online to ciw-online.org for more information about the CIW.
SOCIAL EVENTS FIRST WEDNESDAY, THIRD FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH
Our next restaurant outing is Wednesday, April 3, at 4:30 p.m., when we will meet at Pier 22, located on the Manatee River at 1200 1st Ave W, Bradenton. Plan to join us for a drink, an appetizer or an early dinner. You can check out the venue online at pier22.com. Everyone is welcome; it’s a great, casual way to get to know us. Last month 24 attended!
Our next Share a Dish potluck is Friday, April 19, at 6 p.m. at our building. Bring a dish to share — like the name says! — and join us for food, fellowship and fun. Share a Dish is held on the third Friday of each month. Some months a special speaker or program is presented.
Please check back here each month for the latest updates and details. And join us for these social events and more.
FROM OUR SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
This month’s Social Justice Committee recap is a review of the difference we are making in the larger community. During the sermon on Feb. 18, I asked the question as to how we know we are placing love at the center of this fellowship.
Here is one clue: Five years ago I attended the NAACP Freedom Awards Dinner with other members of Manatee UU Fellowship. It was a very nice event, but we stayed at our table and didn’t really mingle much. And we did not have a full table. This year, on Feb 17, we sponsored a table which was full. Members mingled with other community members that our fellowship has worked with—League of Women Voters, NAACP, ASALH (Association of Study of African American Life and History). We were the only faith group that was listed as a sponsor of the dinner. The week prior to that we were also the only faith group that sponsored a table at RECESS Education for their Black History Month Luncheon. We are founding members of STREAM (Stronger Together Reaching Equality Across Manatee), the interfaith coalition to address injustice in Manatee County. We are developing relationships within the community. We are becoming known for our desire to support justice initiatives in the community.
We are living our talk. We as a fellowship can be very proud for the ministry we are doing in Bradenton and beyond.
The Social Justice Committee meets on the first Sunday of each month after the worship service. All are welcome.
— Rev. Fred L Hammond
LATEST FROM OUR BOOK CLUB
At its April meeting, the Book Club discussed Tom Lake by Ann Padgett.
Our selection for May is The Women by Kristin Hannah. Hannah also wrote The Nightingale, which we read and enjoyed a few months ago. The Women takes place in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It tells of the difficult lives of U.S. Army nurses who served in that war. It is currently No. 1 on the New York Times Book Review.
The Book Club meets the first Monday of each month at 2:00 p.m. on Zoom. Contact Bill Hayes for more information and to get the Zoom link. All are welcome to participate. Come find out what we are all about.
Happy reading!
— Bill Hayes
KNITTING ‘N CHATTING ‘N MORE — OH, MY!
Knit ‘n Chat had an interesting February with some snowbirds returning, and our ongoing discussions about a name change. People vary on their interpretations of the word ‘knit’ in our name. Some feel it’s a symbol of our ‘work.’ Others feel we should use a word like ‘craft.’ A suggestion of “CCC” – Coffee, Craft and Chat – was presented. We also are often including coffee or tea on the cooler winter days, sometimes with a bit of birthday cake or other celebratory treats. But chatting is always the highlight of our gatherings.
We will continue to look for ways that we can give to the fellowship Auction. This year’s craft and baked goods sale, together with another quilt containing squares from several group members, brought in well over $200. And we continue to send handmade scarves to Women 4 Peace, which are sent around the world with volunteer doctors and dentists. We look forward to March and to spring so we can return to our favorite outdoor back deck meeting spot.
Knit ‘n Chat meets at the fellowship at 10 a.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. All are welcome to stop in and experience what makes us such a happy, productive group!
— Carol Alt
LATEST REPORT ON OUR WORK WITH STREAM
Mental Health needs are the primary focus of STREAM (Stronger Together Reaching Equality Across Manatee) this year. This from the Research Kickoff meeting held January 22 at Peace Presbyterian Church. It was attended by about 65 people.
We are still going to be focusing on Adult Pre-Arrest Diversion Program (APAD) because while it has started in Manatee County, it is not being utilized nearly as much as in Sarasota. Only 12 referrals to this program were made in a six-month period in Manatee County versus 365 referrals in Sarasota County. We heard firsthand testimony of how being in the wrong place at the wrong time resulted in an arrest for a young man. This arrest caused him to miss out on employment opportunities. He now owns his own business and is thriving, but the stigma of this arrest still haunts him. The APAD program could have kept his options wide open.
This program is for first time offenders of nonviolent misdemeanors like expired tags and registrations. STREAM will be following up with State Attorney Brodsky on how we might encourage Sheriff Wells and the police chiefs to better use this program that will not only save money for the county in court costs but also prevent individuals from being labeled for life with a criminal arrest record.
The gathered justice seekers broke into groups of about 6-8 people and shared their own or friends and family’s stories of mental health. In the group I was in, the focus quickly became mental health services in the school district. I heard how the district had received funds for additional mental health support and instead used the funds to hire truant officers. The social workers have caseloads that are too large to be able to provide the support needed by teachers and students in dealing with mental health issues within the student population. Will STREAM narrow the huge umbrella label of mental health to services in the school district? I do not know at this point. This was only one group’s focus of about 10 groups. A consensus will need to be developed. If you have a story regarding mental health experiences in Manatee County, please see Rev. Fred to share your story so it can be given to STREAM as we discern the direction of this new focus.
Our Nehemiah Action Assembly is April 29 at 6:30 p.m. This is the assembly where we meet with the decision-makers in Manatee County and ask them to support our recommendations to address this issue. We need as many folks to attend this event as possible as it is people power that sways the decision makers.
Let Justice Roll– Like a Mighty STREAM!
— Rev. Fred L Hammond
ABOUT THE PROGRESS PRIDE FLAG
The original pride flag was created in the 1970s by gay activist Gilbert Baker, friend of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. Baker used eight colors and corresponding meanings: hot pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit.
The new Progress Pride Flag includes new colors and a new design that are meant to represent people of color, as well as people who are transgender, intersex, or nonbinary.
The colors black and brown were added to the Progress Pride Flag to represent unrepresented black and brown people.
With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, culture at large began to shift in a much-needed way towards acknowledging the vital roles that people of color have had in our society. The pride movement background is one of many areas where people of color did not receive the recognition they deserved historically. Adding colors to represent them on the flag is one way to change that.
The word “progress” in the new flag isn’t only about adding the new colors to it. It’s also because of the shape, which differs from the original design of horizontal stripes only. The Progress Pride Flag shows the white, pink, baby blue, black, and brown stripes in a triangle shape, with the old six-color rainbow stacked next to them.
The color placement and new shape was done intentionally to convey the separation in meaning and shift focus to how important the issues represented on the left are.
The placement of the new colors in an arrow shape is meant to convey the progress still needed.
— Mariano Vera
[As a Welcoming Congregation accredited by the Unitarian Universalist Association, Manatee UU Fellowship flies the Progress Pride Flag in front of our building each Sunday morning. It also appears on our permanent building sign.]
WARMINGTON FREEDOM TINY LIBRARY IS NOW OFFICIAL!
On Sunday, Nov. 19, members and friends of Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship gathered in the front of our building to dedicate our Warmington Freedom Tiny Library as an act of resistance to the book bannings that are taking place nationally and in the state of Florida.
As Florida leads the nation in banned books, more than 1,400 so far, this is one way to provide encouragement for those who are being targeted. Rev. Fred L Hammond shared the legacy of earlier members Ruth and Carl Warmington, who in leaving an endowment for expansion of our fellowship’s library, made this possible. Our tiny library gives us an opportunity to expand into our community and let others know that justice, equity, and inclusion are values we hold in our hearts.
As we listened to the voices and percussion of the Joyful Jammers, we felt a sense of oneness and pride in the books we are providing to whomever is interested. Each book has a bookmarker and sticker beginning with “Enjoy this book …”
Thank you to Bernie Salzinger who skillfully refurbished a cabinet to serve as our tiny library and to Chris MacCormack who painted the illustrations on the sides. The books that have been selected by Rev. Fred, Becky Smith, Barb Ehren and Carol Bartz include banned books as well as books that embrace social justice themes or align with our UU Principles. More than 50 books have already been shared through the tiny library during the past month and we will continue to add more books to those two shelves.
We encourage each of you to order one book from the list being offered by Boston-based philanthropists found at BannedBooksUSA.org. This allows Florida residents to order banned and restricted books for just the price of shipping: $3.99. Please have it delivered to your home address and then give the book to Becky, Barb, Rev. Fred or Carol so that we can catalog it first.
May all be valued for who they are and may all accept differences and unique abilities of others.
— Carol Bartz
RENEWING OUR LEGACY CIRCLE
Anyone can join our Legacy Circle and make meaningful gifts to Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in their will. Regardless of the amount, your bequest is a statement of faith that our UU movement and our voices for compassionate justice, democracy, and religious freedom are heard long after we are gone. When you demonstrate that you care enough about this fellowship to support its future, others will follow your generous example.
No matter what your age, you can designate Manatee UU Fellowship as the beneficiary of all or a percentage of your IRA and it will pass to us tax-free after your lifetime. It’s simple, just requiring that you contact your IRA administrator for a change-of-beneficiary form or download a form from your provider’s website.
Join the Legacy Circle at our fellowship by stating your gift plan on your personal intentions form available in our office. Your name(s) will be placed on the Legacy Circle plaque in the sanctuary. Because most popular retirement plan administrators assume no obligation to notify charities of their client’s designations, the intentions form is an important document to us and will be held in a confidential file.
SOMETHING FOR OUR SANCTUARY
This beautiful banner, made by fellowship member Klara Weis, was carried by her during the banner parade at the UU General Assembly in Pittsburgh, Pa., in June 2023. It currently hangs in front of the media booth in our sanctuary.
Thank you, Klara!
A GIFT FOR US ALL
For our 2021 auction, Peg Green offered to create a flaming chalice fabric wall hanging “to hang in your home or give as a gift.” The winner would get to choose the flaming chalice design and color scheme. and then Peg would create the piece.
During the live auction held in February 2021, Bill Hayes kept raising his bid and finally outbid everyone. Over that summer he generously gifted the lovely quilt to our fellowship. It is bold and beautiful, and can be seen in our Sanctuary on Zoom as well as in-person during our Sunday services.
Peg’s artwork can be viewed on her website www.peacepeg.com and one of her works is on the cover of the UUA Pocket Guide for new members.
Thank you, Peg and Bill, for being so generous!
Reverend Fred L Hammond
FRED’S FLAVORINGS
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Becky-Smith
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