The folks at Big Creek have requested donations of spare tools, including:

Hammers, Pry bars, Circular saws, Reciprocating saws, Masks,  Goggles, Drills, Jigsaws

If you have any of these items, please coordinate pick-up with Richard Joklik rgjoklikcse1(at)gmail.com.  Thank you!

Our Ministry Begins When We Leave This Place (We CAN do More)

Rev. Donald E. Robinson

193^rd Berry Street Essay (2013 Berry Street Lecture)
Delivered at the Ministerial Conference, June 19, 2013, Kentucky

This lecture will be livestreamed.   Here is is the link to watch from home

https://uuma.site-ym.com/?page=livestream

Tour De Peace cross-country bike ride will come to Maryland on Sat., June 22. Please welcome her to Maryland and join her for dinner!

Background:  Following the death of her son, Army Specialist Casey Sheehan in Iraq in 2005, Cindy galvanized opposition to the Iraq war with Camp Casey outside George Bush’s ranch in Texas. She has continued to speak out against wars and militarism ever since, in a variety of ways.   

The Tour de Peace

The bike tour began in Vacaville, California on April 4, the anniversary of Casey Sheehan’s death. It has stopped in numerous cities, including Sacramento, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Tulsa, St. Louis, Chicago, and Detroit. The tour will conclude July 3 with a press conference at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Cindy’s goal with this bike tour is to rally grassroots support for an end to:

•         U.S. wars and U.S. immunity for war crimes;
•         Suppression of civil rights and the persecution of   whistle blowers;  
•        The use of fossil fuels.

 Please Join Us

Maryland will greet Cindy Saturday, June 22, at 4 p.m. Acoustic guitar player and singer Rick Sullivan will entertain us, and a few representatives of local groups will welcome Cindy before we hear from her.   

We’ll enjoy a potluck dinner at the home of Jean and Whit Athey in Brookeville, giving you a chance to talk with Cindy in an informal setting.

Please RSVP for the potluck and tell us what you’ll bring (vegan a goodchoice):  just reply to jeanathey(at)verizon.net.

WHERE: TBD

WHAT: VACOLAO is excited to announce its “Legislative Strategy Conference” where members of the Latino community and its allies will gather to learn and debate about VACOLAO’s legislative priorities for the upcoming 2014 Virginia General Assembly Session as well as issues relevant to Latinos living and working in Virginia. Some of the issues that will be addressed are included below:

* The implementation of Affordable Care Act in Virginia and its implications for the Latino community including Medicaid expansion in Virginia
* Immigration Reform and its potential ramifications for the Latino Community.
* Immigrant workers access to drivers licenses in Virginia, regardless of their legal status
* In-state tuition for immigrant children (Virginia DREAM Act)
* Combating notary fraud with state legislation
* The Latino community’s contribution to the culture and economy of Virginia.
The results of this convention will be presented at the IV Virginia Immigrant Advocates Summit<http://virginiaimmigrantadvocatessummit.wordpress.com/> this fall.

ABOUT VACOLAO: The Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACOLAO) is a coalition of non-profit organizations serving and supporting the Latino/Hispanic immigrant communities in Virginia. Since its foundation in 2002, VACOLAO have been advocating for the rights of Latino immigrant in the Commonwealth. VACOLAO works to empower, secure equal treatment, opportunity, and representation for Latinos/Hispanics. To achieve this mission VACOLAO has provided leadership for education and advocacy for Latino immigrants and immigrant advocate supporters.

For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Edgar Aranda-Yanoc at 703-772-1555 or  vacolao(at)gmail.com or Leni Gonzalez at  vacolao(at)gmail.com or 703-328-2616

This program will focus on helping you and your congregation be more effective transgender allies.  It is designed to meet individuals where they are and empower them to go back to their faith communities with new tools as we journey towards transgender equality.

Our first training is June 23, 3-6pm in Silver Spring at Christ Congregational Church (Conference Room, 9525 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring 20901). Click here to RSVP.

The second training is September 15, 3-6pm in Frederick at Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ (15 W. Church St.Frederick, MD, 21701). Click here to RSVP.

Click here to download the Montgomery County flyer. Click here to download the Frederick flyer.

Intersection at University Pkwy and St. Paul Streets, in front of the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation, Baltimore, MD

The vigil is co-sponsored by Homewood Friends Meeting, Stony Run Friends Meeting and the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation.

The Beacon House Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of
Gerald Kittner as Beacon House’s next Executive Director.  Mr. Kittner had
served as Beacon House’s Interim Executive Director since September 1, 2012,
following the voluntary resignation of Stacey Erd, Beacon House’s previous
Executive Director.

Mr. Kittner has been involved in the development of Beacon House since its inception.
In 1991, soon after Reverend Robinson founded Beacon House, Mr. Kittner, while
still a practicing lawyer, began volunteering to help children and youth with
their homework.  Soon after, he joined the Beacon House Board
and stayed involved as a volunteer until he joined the staff of
Beacon House as a part-time grant writer in May 2003.  He eventually
became Beacon House’s Development Director, then its Deputy Director before
succeeding Ms. Erd.

In announcing Mr. Kittner’s appointment as Executive Director, David “Ty”
Johnson, Chair of the Beacon House Board, stated: “We are so pleased and
fortunate to be able to appoint Gerry as our next Executive Director.  His
long history with the organization, his legal background, and, most
importantly, his passion for Beacon House’s mission of raising up our children
and youth, make him uniquely qualified to build upon the body of work of our
previous Executive Director, Ms. Erd, and  take Beacon House forward to
our next stages of growth and development.  The Board is excited about
working with him and we anticipate great things to come for Beacon House.”

Reverend Donald Robinson, Beacon House’s President and Founder, had this to say:
“Gerry has been with me in growing and developing Beacon House the entire
way.  His early efforts on behalf of Beacon House were instrumental in
enabling Beacon House to grow and develop into the wonderful program it is
today.  He is not only a valued colleague but a close personal friend as
well.  I can think of no better person to assume the leadership of Beacon
House.”

Beacon House is a year-round, non-sectarian, not-for-profit after-school
tutoring, mentoring, athletic, creative arts and nutritional program for low to
moderate income children and youth based in the Edgewood Terrace neighborhood
of Northeast, Washington, D.C.  For further information about Beacon
House, including ways to support Beacon House, please visit our web site at www.beaconhousedc.org, or call us at 202-529-7376.

Why have so many churches, schools and other nonprofits in Maryland and D.C. “gone solar,” while Virginia is left in the dark?

These nonprofits didn’t purchase the expensive equipment themselves, and do not own the equipment now. But their states permitted them to pay a private entity, which owns the panels on their roofs, for the use of the power they are generating. 

 Now, thanks to a new state law which takes effect July 1st, nonprofit organizations in Virginia will have access to the same “no money down” solar financing arrangements — called Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) — that have driven so many successful climate-friendly energy projects at community organizations in DC, Maryland, and beyond.

Join Interfaith Power and Light (MD.DC.NoVA) and the Sierra Club at one of Northern Virginia’s pioneering solar congregations for a free workshop on new solar opportunities for Virginia nonprofits. Come learn how your organization can take advantage of exciting new opportunities to generate energy “from heaven”!

Sunday, June 23

Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, 1909 Windmill Lane in Alexandria

6:30 pm – Tour of MVUC’s 25 kw solar panels, snacks, and fellowship

7:00 pm – Solar Workshop for Northern Virginia nonprofits

To RSVP, and request a ride from the Huntington Metro Station:

www.tinyurl.com/VaSolarWorkshop

Facebook event: http://tinyurl.com/VAsolarworkshop-event