Unitarian Universalist Congregational

Society of Westborough

Share the Plate organization for May -

Pastoral Counseling Center of Westborough



The Pastoral Counseling Centers of Massachusetts provide counseling to all persons seeking wholeness and renewal, honoring their race, ethnicity, religion, cultural background, gender identity and sexual orientation. We know that mental health care is of profound importance and can be very difficult to access, so we include the Pastoral Counseling Center as one of our share the plate organizations every year. Donations like ours make it possible for the PCC to provide mental health services to as many people as possible, regardless of their insurance coverage or income.

Annual Meeting

It's that time of year again! Our Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, June 9 after worship, and the annual report will be sent out to the congregation in the week before. If you are the head of a committee that submits a report, please send your report to the office by This Sunday, May 26. Please contact the office with any questions. Thank you!

Saturday June 29 4-8pm

Send off for Rev Laurel!

At the home of Kim and Bruce Hall

8 Schipper Farm Lane, Southborough

Please click the link below to RSVP, and to sign up to help with logistics.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR GOOD WISHES for Rev. LAUREL!

There is a gift-wrapped box in the parlor with a slot on top so you can drop in a note or share a memory - there are cards and notes with the box or you can bring your own. It will be in the parlor until the annual meeting.

We will give her the closed box after the 6/29 party so she can open it privately at home.

Please take this opportunity to share the gift of yourself with Rev. Laurel.

Thank you - Many more details to follow!

Garden Update

The Turquoise Table is here!

UUCSW sure is looking beautiful! The garden, the steeple windows, and now (drumroll please) - the turquoise table! Many thanks to an army of people: Jane, Vinnie, Amanda, Kris, Naomi, Landen, Laurel, Scout and Phyllis worked in the hot son to get the job done. It looks terrific! The turquoise umbrella provided nominal shade, until it decided to take off like a kite and flew away toward West Main Street.

Please pick up the Garden Party Save-the-Date Cards in church on Sunday and give them to your friends. family, and post them at your favorite spots. Amanda and Phyllis have more if you need them. Check UUCSW.org upcoming events and look for us on Facebook for more information.

Pledge

Thanks for helping us Grow and Share Together!

Vote Forward - Update

The Racial Justice Committee has a goal to send out 1000 letters to folks targeted by Vote Forward as "Social" . These are people in underserved parts of the country who are being encouraged to vote. This is not about party affiliation or candidacy.  

If you wish to participate, contact me and I will make a bundle for you. This bundle includes 20 letters, envelopes, and instructions. It takes about an hour tp write a short message on the letter and address the envelope for a bundle of 20 letters. 

We have already had almost 300 commitments to write letters by 6 of our members and friends. When the bundle is completed, it will be returned to me so I can record them as "prepared" and save them for mailing on October 1.

Contact me if you have any questions or concerns or wish to participate. Sheila McPharlin, sheilamcp@gmail.com 860.304.4668.

SMOC Food and Clothing Drives

SMOC food and clothing donations may be dropped off in the box in the Sanctuary every Sunday. Bologna may be stored in the upstairs refrigerator in the parlor. Other requested items are chewy granola bars and juice boxes.

May's SMOC collections will be delivered to the Worcester shelter tomorrow - May 24th. Donations may also be dropped off on the Thursday evening before, on May 23rd. (Ruggles Street door from 4:30 - 5:45) If you need alternate arrangements for drop-off, please contact Pauline Sciarappa at psciarappa@gmail.com.  Thanks to all who help UUCSW support SMOC, your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Book Group

Our next book group meeting will be Fri, June 14 at 7pm at Central One Bank, 40 South Street, Westborough. The book this month is Girls and Their Monsters, by Audrey Clare Farley.

Summary: “Girls and Their Monsters,” examines America’s complicated relationship with mental illness through the four sisters who would become known as the Genain Quadruplets under research done by the National Institute of Mental Health.

Please contact Susie Wells with any questions: susie48winnip@gmail.com.

All are welcome!

Accessibility Options during Worship Services

If you are in need of Assistive Listening Devices during worship service, please know that we have several options:

• We have assistive listening devices available in the front of the sanctuary in the tech area
• You may log into Zoom from the sanctuary and sync with hearing aids
• There is Closed Captioning on the big screen at the front of the sanctuary. If you sit on the right side of the church, you will have a clear view of the text

Please note that we also have large print Hymnals on the table at the back of the church.

If you need anything other than the options above, please contact the office at office@uucsw.org and we will work with you to accommodate your needs.

The End of Life Options Act

From UU Mass Action

We UUs have supported Medical Aid in Dying since Right to Die with Dignity was passed in 1988 as a General Resolution. yet 36 years later, we residents of Massachusetts still don’t have the right of choice if we are terminally ill and suffering. 

The End of Life Options Act has been introduced in the legislature many times, and had finally been voted forward out of two committees and it is now before the Senate Way and Means Committee. Time is short before the end of this session and if you believe that this is a right that we should have, please contact your legislators and ask that they support H.2246 and S.1331, and ask them to urge leadership to more this bill forward. This is a link to find your representatives and senators and their contact information.

https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

Please also share this with friends and family who might also be supportive of this issue.

The End of Life Options Act would legalize medical aid in dying which would allow a terminally ill, mentally capable adult with a prognosis of six months or less to live to request from their doctor a prescription for medication they can decide to self-ingest to die peacefully in their sleep. For more information please go to https://www.compassionandchoices.org/in-your-state/massachusetts/bill-summary#:~:text=The