Helping Hands
In March, Helping Hands contributions will be collected for Wonder Workshop, providing opportunities for growth and learning to area children. Learn more at www.wonderworkshop.org.
Your Suggestions Requested for Helping Hands Recipients
If there is a local helping organization that you wish we would include in the Helping Hands offerings, please let us know. Talk to Dixie Moreau in person or contact her at dixie.moreau53 @ att.net. Thank you!
Crisis Center and MESI Support Team
Grab one of the spots on the newly forming CCI and MESI Support Team. This team helps with established Spring and Fall collections of personal care and other items needed by the Manhattan Emergency Shelter and The Crisis Center. Duties of this team are to set the dates for the drives; communicate the dates and items needed to the Fellowship; promote the drives in the newsletter and bulletins; collect, sort and deliver the items. The next drive will be in April. Youth are encouraged to participate. Learn more from Judy Nickelson at judynickelson @ gmail.com.
Fellowship to Host Asylum Seeker
The UUFM Social Justice team is arranging to host an asylum seeker through the organization, Al Otro Lado (https://alotrolado.org/). When Asylum seekers enter the US, they are kept in detention and separated from their children. Eventually they receive legal status to remain in the county awaiting their immigration hearing for more permanent status. Asylum seekers are then released from detention if they have a place to go. The Social Justice team will provide that home for several months until they can obtain a work permit and be on their own. While under our support, in addition to a home, we will provide meals, clothing, medical care, transportation and more. Although there are many unknowns with this project, we are excited about addressing, in a small part, the unfair system our county has created. So far, about 12 UUFM members have offered some services including a home with one of our members. We have not yet been assigned a specific person and timeline. At that point we hope to have a gathering to update everyone. Learn more, and find out how you can support this social justice action, from Anne Cowan at anne_cowan @ sbcglobal.net.