Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home COVID tests. Here’s what you need to know about your order: Limit of one order per residential address. One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. Orders will ship free starting in late January. Register today at https://www.covidtests.gov/ or here: https://special.usps.com/testkit
I missed posting this earlier this month but thought it was such a wonderful collaboration that I would let you know about it anyway. In December the Immigration Task Force at United Church of Santa Fe organized a card making/writing campaign in partnership with The Good Shepherd church in Sahuarita, AZ. Most of the handmade cards had a detachable hanging ornament. Pastor Randy Mayer delivered the 130 personalized cards and 11 packages of Christmas hats/bibs for the newborns to the shelter in Nogales for their posada.
First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque has posted the job description for a new Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries. It is on their website and on their Facebook page. And also on the SWC website! Please help spread the word to find the right person. The deadline to apply is Feb. 14th.
Church of the Painted Hills recommends we experience “Los Desconocidos: The Migrant Quilt Project” a new compelling exhibition at the Arizona History Museum. For centuries, quilting has been used as a way to bring attention to social issues of great significance, such as women’s suffrage. “Los Desconocidos: The Migrant Quilt Project” exhibition features a collection of handmade quilts that memorialize migrants who have died seeking refuge in the United States. Each quilt carries the names of those who have been identified or simply states “desconocido'' or “unknown” for those who have not. The exhibition will feature the new 2019-2020 quilt, which will be on display for the first time. “Los Desconocidos: The Migrant Quilt Project” opened January 20, 2022 and will close February 28, 2023. https://arizonahistoricalsociety.org/museum/arizona-history museum/#programs
From Henry Brean’s article in the Arizona Daily Star, January 19, 2022: “Quilts honor migrants who perished on their journey. This exhibit shows how artists and quilters used items found with the remains of those who have died crossing the Arizona desert to honor these children of God searching for a better life. The 2018-19 quilt incorporates postage stamps from the migrants’ home countries arranged in the shape of crosses. The 2015-16 quilt includes pesos the quilter found hidden in the hems of several pairs of jeans left behind in the desert. The new exhibit will mark the Tucson debut of the latest work in the series, the 2019-20 quilt by renowned textile artist Susan Hoffman. Based on the latest figures from Humane Borders, 226 sets of remains were found in the Tucson Sector in 2021 alone. That’s the highest total for a single calendar year since the medical examiner began tracking a dramatic increase in migrant deaths two decades ago. It does not account for the unknown number of people who died in the desert but whose bodies were never found.”
Through Saturday, February 19th Pastor Derrick of Desert Heritage will be fundraising online for AIDS Walk Arizona. He also will be running in the 5k run on Saturday, Feb. 19 at Tempe Beach Park. All proceeds benefit Aunt Rita's community partner agencies that provide critical HIV services in Arizona. Aunt Rita's Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in Arizona. Their vision is to be the catalyst of HIV/AIDS awareness, education, and support. This year Aunt Rita's partner organizations are in need of extra support due to the ongoing pandemic. When we work together, we are all stronger, so please help Derrick raise some funds to keep these critical HIV services in our community! When you make a donation to my fundraising page, you bring us one step closer to ending HIV.
It's Girl Scout Cookie time! Please support Shepherd of the Hill’s Troop 2325 to do service projects including Family Promise or buy a box for the military. We're happy to deliver anywhere in the Valley. (Really? Let’s see!). Thanks! Order Online
In Tucson, the daughters of Church of the Painted Hills UCC's office administrator, Stephanie, are also selling cookies. Kahlan's site Abi's site