JUUstWA’s 2023 Environmental Justice Legislative Summit
January 28, 2023 • 9:00 am – 1:00 pm on Zoom
On January 28, JUUstWA will be hosting time and space for our network and WA legislators. This year is going to be a significant and busy year as we will grapple with: climate change, especially as pertains to the Growth Management Act impacting WA counties’ salmon recovery, the breaching of the Lower Snake River dams more activity around green buildings and transportation, and other environmental justice issues.
Legislators will be giving us important information we need about the bills going through the legislature right now and how we can support (or oppose) them becoming law. It’s going to be a big year that can herald some of the much-needed changes and we’ll need lots of folks to be participating if we’re to change our present trajectory.
We also heartily welcome all allies and partners, regardless of whether or not they are UUs.
Register for the Summit here:
https://give-usa.keela.co/2023-enviro-legislative-summit.
A quick view of the day (roughly):
9:00 am – Welcome and introduction
9:15 am – Panel of legislators.
10:30 am – Break
11:00 am – Strategy sessions. We’ll cover how to navigate TAN and group work to map a plan: identify legislation, evaluate support, develop comments and monitor legislation through the legislative process)
1:00 pm – Closing
1:00 pm – Chat session (for those who have questions, additional discussions, or just want to hang out for a bit)
Seminary for a Day on Saturday, January 28, at First Unitarian Portland, online or in-person. This year’s spiritual theme is Transcendentalism.
Our keynote speaker is Rev. John Buehrens. Rev. Buehrens served as UUA President, 1993-2001. A prolific author, his most recent one about our heritage is CONFLAGRATION: How the Transcendentalists Sparked the American Struggle for Racial, Gender, and Social Justice (Beacon, 2020).
Rev. Buehrens will offer a keynote on the first Unitarian Transcendentalist on the Pacific Coast, the Rev. Thomas Starr King. He exemplified key spiritual practices of the Transcendentalists that need renewal among us today: personal reflection (often in the form of keeping a journal), and deep interpersonal connections crossing conventional boundaries.
In addition, Rev. Buehrens will offer a workshop entitled, “God Optional: Theologies Among Us Today.” John Buehrens and Rebecca Ann Parker surveyed the hope-filled thought patterns in progressive religion today in their book, A House for Hope: The Promise of Progressive Religion in the 21st Century (Beacon, 2010). While their framework borrows from a heritage of Judeo-Christian systematic theology, it also makes room for humanist, indigenous, and non-Western a/theologies. All such thinking, however, needs to meet some overriding and important tests to be effective. Tests which will be revealed in the workshop.
Saturday, January 28
9:30 am – 2:35 pm Pacific Standard Time
Registration is open until 4:00 pm Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, January 22. You will receive a link to join via email on January 23.
https://www.firstunitarianportland.org/events/sfad23/
Facebook: https://fb.me/e/3aga8EBP0
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstupdx/?hl=en
Winter 2022 Cascadia Chalice Lighters Call – The more than $900,000 the Chalice Lighter community has given since 1990 to help our neighbor congregations grow and thrive is vital. The Winter 2022 Cascadia Chalice Lighters Call will go to two different recipients. The first is the UU Congregation of Vancouver (WA) which will receive a technology grant to improve its sound system and allow members and visitors attending services by Zoom to better hear the choir and music. The second recipient will be the Umpqua UU Congregation in Roseburg, Oregon which applied for funds to replace the broken furnace in their sanctuary. This small congregation has been an active and generous supporter of the Chalice Lighters program for many years. Please support these worthy causes with your generous donations. Contribute online by CLICKING HERE. Questions? Please contact chalicelighters@cascadiauu.org.
Remit to:Cascadia Chalice Lighters2839 W. Kennewick Avenue, PMB 231Kennewick, WA 99336
OUUC folks are invited to join a discussion group hosted by Quimper UU Fellowship
Common Read: Mistakes and Miracles, Congregations on the Road to Multi-Culturalism Widening the Circle Committee
Four Thursdays, February 2, 16, March 3, 16, 10-11:30 a.m. RE 2-3 HYBRID
This is the UUA Common read this year. Using the UU study guide, we will discuss this book which is a series of stories of UU churches that are on the path of becoming anti-oppressive, antiracist, and multicultural Beloved Communities. These are human stories of conflict and redemption, of setbacks and transformations, mistakes, misgivings, and the hard-won miracles that make their work worthwhile. Common Threads are themes that run through every congregational story. These include intentionality, leadership that’s diverse, committed and collaborative, education for multicultural competencies and antiracism, adaptability and entrepreneurship, a willingness to take risks and to feel uncomfortable, patience, perseverance, courage, and humility. These are stories of transformation and the power of congregations to grow into the Beloved Community. Researched and written by a UU Minister and the other is a longtime UU.
Cost: Purchase the book, on your own.
These discussions will be facilitated by the Widening the Circle Committee. We are learning about best practices and resources for QUUF as we explore ways to deepen our understanding of the methods and thinking that perpetuate racism and other oppressions in ourselves and QUUF.
To get registered, email Kathy Stevenson at QUUF at kstevensonpt@gmail.com
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide will offer free tax preparation in Thurston County this year for the 2023 tax season. Our IRS-certified volunteers will be preparing and e-filing tax returns at six locations in Thurston County. We welcome clients of all ages and income levels unless your return is outside the scope of our training. In most cases, your return will be prepared in one visit from start to finish unless you are missing important tax documents or identification.
There are three ways to make an appointment:
- Call our appointment line at 360-474-3869 and leave a message.
- Make an appointment on our website at https://taxaidewa20.org/online/
- Walk in to one of our sites during open hours. We will accept Walk-ins if space is available, or we will schedule an appointment for you for a later date.
| Site | Days | Hours |
| Olympia Community Center | Tues & Thurs | 11 am to 3 pm |
| Lacey Senior Center | Tues & Thurs | 12 to 4 pm |
| Lacey Timberland Library | Thurs & Sat | 11 am to 4 pm |
| Tumwater Timberland Library | Mon & Wed | 12:30 to 5:30 pm |
| Yelm Timberland Library | Tues | 12:30 to 4:30 pm |
| Panorama Chalet | Wed & Fri | 11 am to 4 pm |
Starting January 17, veterans in acute suicidal crisis will be able to go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for emergency health care at no cost — including inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days.
Veterans do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to use this benefit. This expansion will increase access to acute suicide care for up to 9 million veterans who are not currently enrolled in the VA system.
The final policy, which takes effect on January 17, will allow the VA to:
- Provide, pay for, or reimburse for treatment of eligible individuals’ emergency suicide care, transportation costs, and follow-up care at a VA or non-VA facility for up to 30 days of inpatient care and 90 days of outpatient care.
- Make appropriate referrals for care following the period of emergency suicide care.
- Determine eligibility for other VA services and benefits.
- Refer eligible individuals for appropriate VA programs and benefits following the period of emergency suicide care.
Eligible individuals, regardless of VA enrollment status, are:
- Veterans who were discharged or released from active duty after more than 24 months of active service under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former members of the armed forces, including reserve service members, who served more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or in support of a contingency operation either directly or by operating an unmanned aerial vehicle from another location who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former members of the armed forces who were the victim of a physical assault of a sexual nature, a battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment while serving in the armed forces.
If you or someone you know is struggling: Don’t wait. Reach out. Visit www.va.gov/REACH for resources and information, or call 988 (then press 1) to quickly connect with caring, qualified crisis support 24/7.