United Church of Santa Fe will present bilingual Children’s Bibles to their Pre-K’s through 3rd graders (20+ kids). It’s God’s Good News in both Spanish and English!
The Phoenix Welcome Center sends a big THANK YOU to members of Desert Palm who donated winter wear and other clothes. The asylum seekers (adults and children) at the Welcome Center appreciate the coats, sweaters, hats, scarves, gloves, other clothing, etc., etc., that were given. Other items currently needed at the Welcome Center include small and medium men’s clothing, new underwear for men and women, folders for their documents, disposable razors, black or white shoelaces for gym shoes, and regular plastic shopping bags.
Your excess citrus can become important nutrition for Arizona’s hungry throughout the entire state. St. Mary's Food Bank is accepting citrus drop off donations in the Shepherd of the Hills church parking lot on Saturday, February 12th & 19th, from 9:00am – 3:00pm.
There is a new task force at Church of the Palms: Othering and Belonging (O&B). It has formed around the social justice issues of anti-racism, oppression, marginalized people, criminal justice, etc. O & B will be exploring further education opportunities, additional social justice ministries opportunities and collaboration with other social justice like organizations/ institutions for those we sadly call “the other” in our society. Othering is a phenomenon in which some individuals or groups are defined and labeled as not fitting in within the norms of a social group and involves attributing negative characteristics to people or groups that differentiate them from the perceived normative social group. It is critical to note that the “opposite of ‘Othering’ is not ‘saming,’” it is belonging. And belonging does not insist that we are all the same. It means we recognize and celebrate our differences...where ‘we the people’ includes all the people.”
For 20 years, Tempe Empty Bowls has involved local students and artists in creating clay bowls and other pottery to help raise money for organizations that help feed hungry people in Tempe. After taking a year off due to COVID-19, the event is back with some changes. The 20th event is happening one day only, Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Tempe Library Complex, 3500 S. Rural Road, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All current City of Tempe COVID-19 safety measures will be followed. No food will be offered at this year's event. There will be live music featuring Walt Richardson and Randy Olson and Friends. Proceeds from the event benefit Tempe Community Action Agency and United Food Bank. Since the event started, more than $260,000 has been raised to feed the hungry in our community. For more information, visit tempeemptybowls.org
From First Church Phoenix:
Read, “Refugees,” by Brian Bilston, a self-described wordsmith, who is sometimes known as the “Poet Laureate of Twitter”:
Refugees
They have no need of our help
So do not tell me
These haggard faces could belong to you or me
Should life have dealt a different hand
We need to see them for who they really are
Chancers and scroungers
Layabouts and loungers
With bombs up their sleeves
Cut-throats and thieves
They are not
Welcome here
We should make them
Go back to where they came from
They cannot
Share our food
Share our homes
Share our countries
Instead let us
Build a wall to keep them out
It is not okay to say
These are people just like us
A place should only belong to those who are born there
Do not be so stupid to think that
The world can be looked at another way
(Now read from bottom to top)
Thank you, Scottsdale UCC for providing this tool!
Here's how to look for what district you're in, for voting reasons.
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