This week starts what is often called the season of gratitude. While we should always be grateful, we tend to think of this season being one that reminds us to express that gratitude even more.

The past year has been a bit of a roller coaster, with political challenges and changes, and a lot of chaos in our lives. Through it all volunteers and staff have kept congregations going, kept people connected and kept our chalices burning. You have provided a place of refuge when people have needed a space to find equilibrium and heal. You’ve provided a space for organizing and connecting between partners in your communities. You have fed those who had their SNAP benefits suspended. You have defended those who can’t speak for themselves. We thank you for your efforts, your inventiveness, your willingness to think “outside the box” and to take a risk. We’ve found, once again, we are Better Together.

Thank you to the congregations who pay their fair share to the Annual Program Fund and those who stretch to pay as much as they can. Your funds make our work possible and allow us to provide resources, trainings and support to all our congregations in the region and the UUA.

Thank you to all our Chalice Lighters who make a commitment to help those beyond their own congregation with growth and outreach projects, or to recover from devastating situations. Your generosity has an impact on the lives of our congregations and members that you cannot imagine.

Finally, we could not do it without our volunteers. Those who volunteer in our congregations to make them representatives of our values in your communities. The committee chairs and members, those who plan events, congregational volunteers who help us with on the ground planning and logistics and more. We would not be able to do anything without our volunteers. To you we say Thank You over and over again.

So to all of you who make these many things possible, we say Thank You.

Your Regional Staff
Rev. Tyler Coles, Lenore Bajare-Dukes, Beth Casebolt, Cassandra Montenegro, and Rev. Sana Saeed.

If you are feeling grateful and want to share your bounty with others, Giving Tuesday, December 2nd, is a wonderful opportunity. Giving Tuesday kicks off the holiday season, when charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world come together in common purpose: to celebrate their cause and to give. You might consider donations to the UUA. Faithify, our UU Crowdfunding platform, has a number of worthy projects that you may also consider. The CER Chalice Lighter Program is currently accepting donations for the Winter Call. The UU Service Committee and your own congregation are all worthy recipients. Many have matching grants to increase your donation during this time.

The UUA is closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from 2 pm on Wednesday, November 25 through Friday, November 27. We’ll return to our offices on December 1. The next blog will come out December 8th.