UU vet throws back medal at NATO protest

UU ministerial candidate Shawna Foster, formerly of the Nebraska National Guard, joined a group of more than 40 other veterans who demonstrated at the NATO summit in Chicago, throwing back medals given to them during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In an email to UU World, Foster said she threw her medal back because “I believe that award helped create the culture of fear that forced the U.S. military and the U.S. public’s hand for pointless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.” (Democracy Now! – 5.21.12)

Minister finishes cross-country charity ride

The Rev. Scott Alexander, minister of the UU Fellowship of Vero Beach, Fla., finished his month-long cross-country charity bicycle ride from California to Florida. Alexander has raised more than $50,000 on his 3,300-mile journey, the Ride to Beat Hunger, and continued to bring in money as his ride neared its end. (Palm Beach Post – 5.22.12, TCPalm – 5.20.12)

See also: Pedaling for hope (uuworld.org – 3.19.12)

Alexander’s congregation, the UU Fellowship of Vero Beach, Fla., recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. (TCPalm – 5.22.12)

Chalk art spreads hope, congregations on Facebook, and more

Youth at the Lincoln Unitarian Church in Nebraska raised awareness about suicide and bullying by inviting the congregation to decorate the sidewalk around the church with chalk drawings and messages of hope as part of the nationwide “You Are Loved Chalk Project.” (Includes a short news video.) (1011now – 5.20.12)

UUA Public Relations Director Daisy Kincaid talks about congregations using Facebook in this article, which is part of a series on how social media is affecting local communities. (Wicked Local – 5.17.12)

The Social Justice Committee of the UU Church in Gloucester, Mass., awarded ten local people with the 2012 Gloucester Citizenship Awards, which recognize contributions to the community through volunteer work “carried out quietly and persistently, without thought of remuneration or recognition.” (Gloucester Daily Times – 5.19.12)

The Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, senior minister at the UU Church in Cherry Hill, N.J., writes about the power of sharing our personal stories. (Asbury Park Press – 5.18.12)

The Rev. Jake Morrill, of Oak Ridge UU Church, and the Rev. Chris Buice, of the Tennessee Valley UU Church, both in Tennessee, discuss the UU faith and ideas about life and death. (Knoxville News Sentinel – 5.20.12)

The Unitarian Church in Summit, N.J., will mark Memorial Day by removing a four-year-old wall of more than 4,000 ribbons that has honored members of the U.S. military killed in Iraq. (NJ.com – 5.18.12)

A UU minister responds to anti-gay literature left during a home invasion, calling for the community to show support for the targeted same-sex couple (second to last letter: Support for Carlisle couple), and a followup editorial (third paragraph) describes the community’s reaction. (Carlisle Mosquito – 5.16.12, 5.23.12)

As more congregations become interested in installing solar panels, experts recommend doing a lot of research into the solar installation company and the equipment the company provides before moving forward. (Tucson Sentinel – 5.21.12)