June 2015

 

Thank you again to everyone who came to our end of the year celebration and donated during The Great Give last month! Thanks to you, we met and surpassed our matching donor challenge and raised more than $5,000! Your donations will help us continue to grow and support more and more people in Connecticut.

As many of you know, we're taking some time this summer to plan and prepare for the fall. But we're also still offering a number of our regular programs during the summer, including the quickly-growing WTF Discussion Group, pub and board game nights, counseling, and SMART Recovery. Read on for more details about these events, as well as some conferences happening in the area this summer -- and be sure to stay tuned for our August newsletter, where we'll share more information about our Fall 2015 - Spring 2016 Humanist Haven speakers, discussion groups (returning and new), student dinners and lunches, 

special event speakers, community service opportunities, and more!

 

We hope you find time to rest, relax, and refresh this summer. If we don't see you in the next couple of months, we look forward to welcoming you back in the fall!
 

Best,

Chris Stedman, Executive Director
Have some summer free time? Get involved!

Though we're putting some of our programs on hiatus for the summer in order to step back and plan for the fall, there are still a number of opportunities to get involved in our community before fall begins!
 
See below for details about which programs are going on hiatus, which ones are running less frequently, and which ones are continuing without interruption. For those of you sticking around New Haven, we hope to see you over the summer!

Continuing without interruption: 
  • Monthly graduate student, professional, and young adult pub night (Third Fridays of each month)
  • Monthly graduate student, professional, and young adult board game night (First Sundays of each month)
  • WTF (Who to Follow?) Discussion Group (Fourth Tuesdays of each month)
  • Existential counseling (by appointment)
Less frequent meetings: 
  • SMART Recovery (Every Monday, but no meetings in June or August)
On hiatus: 
  • Weekly Undergraduate Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics dinner
  • Weekly Open Party lunch
  • Practical Humanism Discussion Group 
  • Community Life Committee
  • Weekly chat with Maytal and Chris
  • Community service program
  • Special event speakers
Who -- if anyone -- do you follow? Come discuss!

 

Do you "follow" anyone? What does it mean to "follow"? Can we "follow" someone without losing ourselves in the process? This quickly-growing monthly meeting, hosted by Tom Krattenmaker, is a space to explore who we "follow" -- the scientists, poets, thinkers, and even religious figures that some of us look to for inspiration, guidance, or example -- as well as what it means to "follow." All are welcome to participate. If you're interested, please join us on Tuesday, June 23 at 7 PM at The Grove (760 Chapel Street)!
Monthly young adult pub night and board game night

 

YHC's group for graduate students, professionals, and young adults hosts two events every month, and you're invited! The first is a pub night, every third Friday of the month at 8 PM at Firehouse 12 (45 Crown Street). The other is a board game night, every first Sunday of the month at 6 PM at a community member's house (email wwebber@gmail.com for details). The board game night is BYOB, and we order food -- so please bring money if you plan on eating. Both of these regular events continue all summer. We hope to see you at one or both of them!
Struggling with addiction? Weekly YHC support group
Are you struggling with addictive behaviors? We host a weekly SMART Recovery support group meeting every Monday at 6:30 PM in at The Grove. The goal of SMART, which stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training, is to provide quality support and community for individuals struggling with addictive behaviors -- and a nontheistic alternative to twelve-step programs, which rely heavily on God and Christian theology. People of all faiths and beliefs are welcome to attend. Meetings will be on hiatus for June and August, but will meet as usual in July. Click here for more information, and for other meetings in the area.
Humanist Alumni of Yale: Get involved!

Thanks to all of the alums who came to our reunion weekend open houses this month! It was great to see you. If you're a Yale alum and want to get involved in our new Humanist Alumni of Yale group, click here to learn more and sign up to connect with with other alums.
A goodbye and thank you to Olga Verbeek

Olga Verbeek recently finished her internship with YHC, and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank her for her service. It's hard to believe that Olga only joined us in January, because she has had a tremendous impact on our community -- and her influence will be felt for a long time to come.

From planning and leading the Practical Humanism Discussion Group to offering excellent counseling meetings for students and community members -- and much more -- Olga was thoughtful, generous, and warm to all. Plus, her willingness to pitch in and help with any task, great or small, was evidence of the depth of her humility and commitment to supporting our community.

We will miss her gracious presence, careful attention, sincerity, empathy, and her sense of humor. We are so grateful she decided to spend this semester with us, and we will miss her a great deal. Please join us in thanking Olga for her hard work and for sharing her amazing ideas and passion with us!
Did you see Chris talking about community on msnbc?
 
Did you catch our Executive Director Chris Stedman on msnbc a couple of weeks ago? He returned to the Melissa Harris-Perry panel to talk about the growing number of nonreligious Americans and the importance of communities like YHC:

"Moral communities for nonreligious people, like Humanist communities ... can provide opportunities, inspiration, and outlets for nonreligious people like myself to act on our values and get organized." 

Click here to read some of his comments and watch videos of the panel's discussion! 
A Christian pastor reflects on YHC

YHC exists to offer community, support, and resources for Humanist and nonreligious Yalies and New Havenites. But more and more, people of all beliefs and backgrounds have gotten involved in what we're doing -- and we're thrilled. We aim to be a welcoming and inclusive community, and we're committed to creating space for dialogue with people of all religious and philosophical beliefs -- so we hope you will feel welcome at YHC, no matter what you believe.

 

In this regard, Matthew Croasmun -- Director of Research and Publications at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture and Lecturer of Theology & Humanities at Yale University -- recently preached a sermon at Elm City Vineyard Church about what he's gained from getting involved in Yale Humanist Community events. 

 

The idea of a Christian pastor participating in a Humanist community may sound a bit strange to some, but perhaps it will make more sense after you listen to his sermon:

 

"I have been a regular at Humanist Haven and at Yale Humanist Community events this semester. It all came about as a result of getting to know a couple of great new friends who are involved in that community. It's an amazing group --one that helps nonreligious folks ask and answer the big questions of life in the company of friends... And, as a result, I am becoming a better Christian by hanging out with atheists...

 

They've built this remarkable community of curious people searching together for how to build lives of meaning... I told Chris not long after I showed up at the first Humanist Haven meeting, 'I have to keep coming.' And not because of some 'sociological' interest or because I'm curious to 'observe.' I have to keep coming because there's something here for me. And -- I hope this is okay to admit publicly -- the spiritual conversations that have been most sustaining to me personally in this season have been happening at Yale Humanist Community events and with my Yale Humanist Community friends."
Please support YHC and help us build community


We think that there's more to being nonreligious than what you 
don't believe, and that nonreligious people deserve to have access to the same kinds of support and resources as religious people. 

If you share this conviction, or if you just enjoy our events and programs, please dig deep and donate to support us in sustaining and growing a diverse community for atheists, agnostics, and Humanists at Yale and beyond. 

As a new, small, and growing organization, this is an important moment for YHC and we need your support. And as a 501(c)(3), YHC relies on your donations -- with no financial support from Yale University. To donate, please click here.

YHC Donor List 

'14-'15 Academic Year



In last month's newsletter, we offered our thanks to the many volunteers, speakers, advocates, and friends who gave their time and talent to YHC and helped us exceed all of our goals this year!

 

This month, we'd like to thank the people who donated to YHC during the last academic year. Without you, we simply wouldn't exist. As a 501(c)(3) that receives no financial support from Yale University, we've relied entirely on the generosity of the community members, supporters, and friends listed below. Thank you for supporting our community!

  • Atheist Humanist Society of Connecticut and Rhode Island
  • Dana Allswede
  • Anonymous (multiple)
  • Tanya Barrett
  • D. Edward Beck
  • BikeRide.com
  • Sean Bowen
  • Joann Bristol
  • Norman Brody
  • Kevin Brosnahan
  • Robert Camm
  • Center For Inquiry NYC
  • Arnold Chadderdon
  • Vladimir Chituc
  • College of William & Mary
  • Connecticut Valley Atheists
  • Donald Cummings
  • Alex Dakoulas
  • Celeste Dakoulas
  • Peter Dakoulas
  • Jesse Docken
  • Kate Domaingue
  • Elm City Vineyard Church
  • Emotion Dynamics LLC
  • Greg Epstein
  • Furman University
  • James Galea
  • Adam Garner
  • Nicholas Gauthier
  • Aaron Gertler
  • Stephen Goeman
  • Chandra Goff
  • Aaron Goode
  • Carolyn Gretton
  • Amber Grogan
  • David Guerette
  • John Hooper
  • Conrad Hudson
  • Humanist Association of Connecticut
  • The Interbelief Store
  • Jessica Jackley
  • Nancy Kelly
  • Tom Krattenmaker
  • Ash Lago
  • Tony Lakey
  • Nate Larkin-Connolly
  • Elizabeth Lasater
  • Ike Lasater
  • Judith Hanson Lasater
  • Miles Lasater
  • Chelsea Link
  • Cynthia Link
  • Ross Link
  • Julie Maxwell
  • Carlos Maza
  • Patrick McCann
  • Gregory McGonigle
  • Jonathan Merritt
  • Jade Meshesha
  • David Metzler
  • New York University Global Spiritual Life
  • Vincent Parrish
  • PC Machine
  • Halina Platt
  • Conor Robinson
  • Scansmart LLC
  • Donovan Schaefer
  • David Schafer
  • June Schafer 
  • Siheun Song
  • Jessica Stearns
  • Christopher Stedman
  • Toni Stedman
  • G. Bradley Sterrenberg
  • Deanna Stocker
  • Carol Stone
  • Strange Ways
  • Casper ter Kuile
  • Dan Troxell
  • Tufts University
  • Union College
  • University of North Dakota
  • University of Rochester
  • Tim van Leer
  • Olga Verbeek
  • Charlene Voyce
  • Wendy Webber
  • William Webber
  • Rebecca Williams
  • Wofford College

...and the many people who donated cash at a Humanist Haven meeting, discussion group meeting, Humanism at Yale Week event, or any of our other programs! Thank you so much for supporting YHC.
New YHC Gear!

Want to wear your Humanism on your sleeve? (Or your laptop, or your...?) Check out our new YHC tees, buttons, and stickers -- and get your own by donating to YHC!
Get YHC coffee!

Have you enjoyed the coffee at Humanist Haven? Get your caffeine fix with our locally-roasted, small batch, ethical coffee. Proceeds support YHC! Click here to buy.
From our partners
 
American Ethical Union conference in CT 6/25-28

Want to learn more about Ethical Culture and connect with other Humanists? The American Ethical Union's 100th Assembly is taking place in Connecticut  this month! "Creating a Sustainable Future: Ethics and Advocacy" will take place Thursday, June 25 through Sunday, June 28 at the Sheraton Stamford Hotel. Speakers include Ami Dar and Dr. Sandra Steingraber. Plus, YHC will be tabling at the conference, so we'd love to connect with you there! To learn more and register, click here.
 
Humanist conference in Boston next month

Want to join fellow Humanists in reflecting, learning, and working to make the world a better place? This year's one-day Foundation Beyond Belief conference and charity benefit will be held on July 25 at 2 PM at the Boston Park Plaza hotel in Boston, MA. Speakers include Sikivu Hutchinson, Monica Miller, Fiery Cushman, Shane Slone, and FBB staff members Rebecca Vitsmun, Conor Robinson and AJ Chalom. Student tickets are available; more information can be found here.
If you received this newsletter as a forwarded email and would like to sign up to
receive future newsletters directly, please click here.


Copyright © 2012. All Rights Reserved.