When it comes to pastoral care work, nothing feels so good as being put out of a job by other people.

I saw that happen on numerous occasions during the last two years, when I served as the Pastoral Care Team coordinator at UUCF.

The Pastoral Care Team is a group of dedicated and trained congregants who reach out to fellow congregants dealing with any one of the many challenging life events that we all encounter now and again.

During my time coordinating that activity, I came to realize how much caring goes outside the bounds of our team's work. People at UUCF have a propensity to rally around those in need of support, whether it's providing rides to the doctor, preparing meals, or simply sharing insights gained from their own experiences. And all of it done in a quiet but effective way.

Over the years, UUCF truly has developed a caring culture, one in which such care almost seems second nature. It truly is heart-warming.

In a service later this month, we'll be exploring what it means to be part of a caring congregation. As I think about this over the coming days, I would love to hear some stories and insights from people who have experienced the love of this community. I also would be interested in hearing about the experience of caregivers.

If you have something to share, just send me a note. If you would like to stay anonymous, just let me know.

Thank you,

John

 

In addition to giving their time and talents week after week, a dedicated group of UUCF volunteers also recently presented a new white board to the Southgate Community Center in the Hunter Mill section of Reston. The donation came from UUCF's Social Justice budget.

The community center offers multicultural programs for families, adults, children, teens, seniors and individuals with disabilities. Our volunteers teach regularly in the center's English as a Second Language (ESL) morning and evening programs. The center will use the new white board for its fall ESL classes.

More than 20 UUCF members or friends currently teach ESL at Southgate. Volunteer Terry Goplerud says, "The classes we teach are filled with adults of all ages, from countries all over the world and have all levels of English proficiency. But, we find that all our students are highly motivated to learn and are a pleasure to teach. By the end of the year, we've all made warm and positive connections with our students." 

The following UUCF members and friends are current ESL teachers in the Southgate ESL program. The list below does not include past volunteers.

Tuesday morning volunteers include: Karen Adkins-Hastings, Mary Bellamy, Mary Binderman, Judy Gallimore, Terry Goplerud, Bob Hatfield, Gladys Henrikson, Roberta Kiver, Joan Lisante, Rebecca Simpson, Nancy Smith, Bruno Walker and Joanna Walker.

Thursday evening volunteers, who started out teaching at the community center and have now moved to a new location, include: Kathy Birnbaum, Janine Fudala, Ann King, Bill King, Rama Kotra, Nancy Landis, Romy Post, Lily Reider and Jeanne Swan.