A non-profit youth services organization for LGBTQ young people ages 13-23, JASMYN provides a welcoming and safe place for this vulnerable population.  Liz Nolan, volunteer and community engagement specialist will represent this amazing organization to explain its mission and the many ways  UUCJ can lend support to this “rainbow community.”

Special Collection July 15th: L’Arche of Jacksonville. Our Arlington neighbor L’Arche Jacksonville provides housing and on going support for people with intellectual disabilities. L’Arche believes that by creating an environment where people with intellectual and physical disabilities can share their gifts, we are affecting a positive change in the world. Mark Cashen, Board Secretary will further explain the valuable mission of L’Arche Jacksonville. Let us show support for our neighbors with disabilities by giving generously to this wonderful organization.

The online silent auction will close Saturday June 2nd, 10am. Winning bidders can pay for their items in the social hall Sunday, or payment arrangements can be made upon receipt of statement. We have learned a lot by conducting the event a little differently this year, and will put that info to good use for next year. Congrats and heartfelt thanks to all who participated!

READ USA is a local non-profit, which conducts book fairs at high poverty schools throughout Jacksonville. Every child in the school chooses 3 brand new current books for their very own. The barrier of cost is removed. For some of these children these books are the first brand new books they have ever owned. Our special collection on April 15 for this organization was overwhelming. We collected $1500.

Thanks to your generosity we now have an amazing opportunity!  An anonymous donor has matched our $1500. With just a few more dollars — only  $200 more to go! — UUCJ will be able to sponsor a READ USA book fair at our partner school-Arlington Heights Elementary.

If you have not had an opportunity to contribute or would like to contribute a little more;  make out checks to UUCJ with READ USA in the memo line and give your checks or cash to Jennifer Riley by May 25th. You can also donate via our website: http://uucj.org/give. Just select “Special Collections” as your designation, and add “READ USA” in the notes.

READ USA is an entirely volunteer organization. Every dollar contributed will go to books for AHE children. In addition,  due to the partnership READ USA has with Scholastic — Scholastic contributes an additional half toward books for children and this enables  teachers to choose books for their classrooms.That is why a $15 contribution is really worth $23.

The Special Collection for May will be this Sunday, May 6 supporting the Coming Out Monologues (COM) of Jacksonville.  In conjunction with a special service by Karen Smith-Scott we will welcome Tina Vaughn-Wardle — founder and producer of the COM-JAX.  Best described as “social activism through theater” the Coming Out Monologues is  community-inspired, community-created and community-led organization that promotes social change through storytelling.

Please make Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville your Charity of Choice on Amazon Smile.  Just go to smile.amazon.com and choose us.  Then a percentage of your Amazon purchases will be donated to UUCJ!

Read USA was created by Ellen Wiss and teacher Vanessa Tussey at George Washington Carver Elementary School when she realized that the students had never had a book fair. This spring, through the fundraising efforts of READ USA every student in six of the highest poverty elementary schools in Duval County Public Schools will be given a $15 gift certificate to purchase books of their choice before summer vacation. Ellen will share with us the mission of READ USA and ways UUCJ can support this effort.

This month we are collecting for Lutheran Social Services, an organization that has been helping many people for 38 years.

Make your check payable to UUCJ, with LSS on the memo line.