The first ever get-together of the UUCH Knitting Circle will be held at Barbara Hitt's home on Friday, Jan. 31, around 6:00 to whenever. We will be knitting and/or crocheting Care Shawls and Comfort Throws to give to our members who are going through difficult times or celebrating good times. Some of us are rank beginners (Barbara), but eager to learn how to knit or crochet, so please plan to join us whether you are an experienced knitter or a newbie. Donations of yarn are also beneficial, and anyone is welcome to join us. Please email or call Barbara, bghitt1@comcast.net, 256-881-2531, if you plan to come.

Barbara Hitt, Care Chair, will be traveling out of the country for five weeks, from Feb. 4th to March 11th. During her absence, the following people have offered to help keep this vital part of the UUCH community there to serve as needed.

Millicent Simmons and Nancy Stetson have agreed to be the Care Committee contact people.  

Millicent: 256-551-0366

Nancy: 256-650-6116

Millicent Simmons and Lydia Hines will handle telephoning.

Lydia: 502-229-2276

Catherine Hall and Tim Miller will be available to send out email notices and requests.   

Catherine: 256-880-6465

Tim: 256-880-6792

Audrey Fox will handle the Care Shawl and Comfort Throw effort. 

Audrey: 256-417-6197

Thanks to all of you for stepping in, and thanks to everyone for the past support so many of you have provided for our UUCH members in need. It is very gratifying to have so many people offer to help in many different ways when a member of our community needs care. It makes us a very loving and caring congregation.

There are three ways that you can send in your contribution to the UUSC's Guest at Your Table program:

1) As soon as possible, bring your GAYT box or envelope to church and leave it in the basket in the foyer. We'll be sending our collected contributions to the UUSC in the beginning weeks  of February.  

2) Mail your GAYT envelope or check directly to the UUSC at:

Guest at Your Table

UUSC

P.O. Box 808

Newark, NJ 07101-0808

3) Charge your contribution on-line at the website: https://guest.uusc.org/uuch.

An Introduction and an Invitation:

The Board recently created a Transition Team to facilitate the congregation's move to the new church building. Throughout the months to come, the team will be soliciting input and coordinating decision-making around the process of moving our congregational life into our new home; we hope you will be as excited about the possibilities as we are!

To kick off our work, the Transition Team would like to invite you to an Open House at the Broadmor property on Sunday, February 16, from 2 to 4 p.m.  Please take this opportunity to explore our new campus. If you have toured the buildings before, you'll be interested to see what has already been done, and everyone will have a chance to see our work in progress and participate in envisioning our congregational life in these new spaces.  

Renovation Committee Chair Brad Korb will offer a brief presentation at 2:30 p.m.; the rest of the time will be open for self-guided tours, snacks in the fellowship hall, and imagining UUCH in its new home. (Parents: All ages are welcome at this event, but the Broadmor property is currently a construction site, and children will need close supervision.) Members of the Renovation Committee will be on hand to answer questions, and Transition Team members will be eager to hear your thoughts and receive your comments.   

Save the Date:

Broadmor Open House on February 16th!

The Children's and Youth RE Program invites all church members, friends, and guests of all ages to a party at the Little Gym in Jones Valley, on Sunday, February 23rd, 4-6 pm. (The date is changed--the party will NOT be on February 2nd.) Come on out for some family fun, games, and treats! Toddlers, children, youth, and grown-ups: ALL ARE WELCOME!

Wear comfortable clothes and be prepared to be barefoot in the gym. You won't believe how much fun we're going to have. We'll have a head-over-heels good time! The address for The Little Gym in Jones Valley is 2124 Cecil Ashburn Drive. Contact DRE Erin Reid at eereid@hotmail.com   for more information.

Increasingly, Americans are choosing to dine at restaurants that offer organic, fair-trade, and free-range ingredients for reasons of both health and ethics. Yet few of these diners are aware of the working conditions at the restaurants themselves. But whether you eat haute cuisine or fast food, the well being of restaurant workers is a pressing concern.

As the guest at your table campaign comes to a close the Adult RE committee invites you to join in as we discuss what it means for us to be guests at the tables in restaurants across this country. We will discuss the 2013-2014 UUA Common Read, "Behind the Kitchen Door" by Saru Jayaraman on Sunday, February 23rd.

You can find a print version of the book at the UUA Bookstore (Click Here), Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Books a Million. An eBook is also available if you prefer or if you are unable to get a copy for yourself we will have a few on the coffee bar at the back of the sanctuary that can be checked out. Keep an eye out for more  details to come. And START READING! 

The church's Annual Budget Drive is coming up soon, and the kick-off event for it is something that we hope to have ALL members and supporting friends attend.  So please mark your calendars for the evening of March 8th. (NOT March 1st, which was previously announced.) There will be food, fellowship, music, and expressions of gratitude to everyone who has helped us get to the threshold of a new facility with revitalized energy for growth.  More details coming soon!

Our general contractor, Lee Builders, continues to make progress at the Broadmor facility. They have replaced most of the rotten exterior soffit and fascia boards, prepared the walkway ceilings for painting, painted ceilings in two RE classrooms, and begun painting the sanctuary walls.

--Brad Korb, Renovations Chair

 New Futures, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, founded in 1990, addressing the need in Huntsville and Madison County for an organization that serves homeless, intact families. New Futures Inc. operates the Marilyn Mabry Family Lodge, a homeless shelter that allows families to remain together in a safe, family-friendly environment. They are the only homeless transitional housing program in Madison County that accepts families with children up to 18 of both genders, single fathers with minor children, and single mothers with sons over age 10. By keeping families together, the Lodge will enhance the positive outcomes for all family members, and ultimately for the community of Madison County.  

New Futures' shelter is dormitory style, with private rooms and shared bathrooms and common areas. Through its transitional housing program, New Futures acts as a catalyst for homeless families to obtain skills, education, and successes to empower themselves and overcome extreme poverty to achieve independence. Services include a Shelter Program--90 day program, job prep, job search assistance, case management; and a Transitional Housing Program--including Education Services (including GED, Certificate & assistance), Job Placement, Job Coach/Resume Building Classes, Transportation, Counseling, and Daycare assistance. For more information, see their website:newfuturesriseabove.org

*When we "Share the Plate," all cash collected on the first Sunday of each month in the quarter (January, February, and March), along with any checks noted as "Share the Plate," will be halved with New Futures, Inc.  

From the Overlook is a publication of

The Unitarian Universalist Church,

2222 Governor's Dr. Huntsville, AL 35801

Minister: The Reverend Alice Syltie

Board President: Kevin Betts 

Editorial Board: Laurel Bollinger, Kathy Heath 

Newsletter deadlines are each Monday at midnight!
Please send submissions to news collator Deedee Moore at uuch@uuch.org.  

Admin. Office Hours: Monday 10am- 1pm; Thursday 9:30am-12pm; Friday 10am-2pm.   

Minister's Phone: 256.539-9607, email: revaluu@aol.com.

Web: www.uuch.org 

Sunday Services are held 10:45am to 12 noon;  

Children's Religious Education held concurrently.   

Nursery available for age 3 years and under.

For further info on any event, call the church office:
256. 534-0508.