Our church photographer, Martha H., is shown above with an arrangement of lilies and greenery from our church flower garden in one of the dozen vases that were gifted to the flower team by Lorraine Surlak. Also pictured is our “flower pied piper,” Linda P. Ask Linda how you can be involved by digging, weeding, giving, delivering.
1U’s Endowment Board reported on our financial standing and its support of the 1U Beloved Community. The Board of Trustees held up the achievements, milestones and challenges of our first post covid year. Plans for next year were an important element of the meeting. And, of course there was the voting: approval for Spring Congregational Minutes; FY 2023–2024 Budget; and slates for 2023–2024 Endowment Board, Board of Trustees, and Nominating Committee members. Many voted online before the meeting, others on line during the meeting and at the meeting. All meeting materials are located Here.
Lake Eola amphitheater was filled with central Floridians supporting constitutional freedoms and dreams. Many groups spoke, and our local congressman, Maxwell Frost, supported the many groups in attendance for coming together for the upcoming challenges.
Sharing LOVE in the face of state-sanctioned hate was the focus of this powerful rally. Giving hope to many marginalized groups – Dreamers, LGBTQ+, union organizers, resistance advocates – as we were reminded that we are working together for a better and fairer community.
As though it wasn’t enough to lead a service, Green Team continued the message in Gore Hall. The Go Green Mini-Fair shared information about solar by Mary D. and Energy Ideas (ideas and ways to apply for IRA monies) for your home by Lisa R., Zero Waste products by Debbie M. and Lisa-Marie and fresh vegetables and seeds at the Mystic Grove table. If you want any additional information about these topics, ask Mary D. to connect you.
Here is Lisa-Marie with a ‘mater from one of the seedlings Cat and Julia started for the church garden. It’s a whopper. I encouraged Lisa to pick it before it was fully ripe to make sure none of our critter friends took a bite out of it.
It is far and away the biggest tomato we’ve ever produced!
A very big thank you to the gardeners who helped make it happen.
All welcome to come participate in the next Garden Work Party on May 20, 2023 any time from 9 AM to 12 PM for more garden fun.
~Rene (Garden Coordinator)
Black Cat Café Open Mic Live Performance in Gore Hall – Friday, May 12th, 6:30 to 10:00 pm
Are you a bard, troubadour, musician, singer, poet, actor, dancer, comedian, or highly skilled fool? The Black Cat Cafe is live in Gore Hall! Join others and share your love of live performance at the Black Cat Café for a positive experience. Or, just come and enjoy the show.
Doors open at 6:30 pm for signup and performances begin at 7:00.
For more information email blackcatcafe@orlandouu.org.
The Ready, Set, Solar program on Sunday explained the 30 percent federal tax credit available for nonprofits to help reduce the overall costs of installing solar energy for their buildings. The program was hosted by Solar United Neighbors of Florida (SUN) and the interfaith Environmental Alliance of Central Florida and took place in our 1U Sanctuary and on line.
Heaven Campbell of SUN also explained that Solar United will assist each nonprofit through the energy audit process and the paperwork. Mary Dipboye and Michael Cohen of the 1U Green Team, founders of the Florida Solar cooperative initiatives, and greeted attendees and helped during the question and answer period.
Very interesting were the questions at the end of the program which displayed high interest in reducing utility bills and going solar. Everybody thanks 1U’s tech team for great sound and support.
1U was there from beginning to end-Ready Set Solar Program on April 30, Solar Coop for Orange County Sign up, information about our liberal and energy conscious church and members, Right to Clean Water petitions at the League of Women Voters of Orange County table (350 petitions collected), and the Coalition of 100 Black Women table working with 1U on air quality as well as quality of life issues for the Parramore area, the Farmworkers of Apopka and Ten Thousand Villages.
We were able to offer free booth space because the organizer of the Earth Day Festival is Vegetarians of Central Florida who has hosted a monthly potluck at 1U for many years. As a thanks to 1U, 1U receives a free both at VegFest and Earth Day and invites us to give free booth space to a few organizations aligned with our mission.
A special thanks to our Volunteers: Mary wrote: Thank you for being an amazing team of 20+ for Earth Day 2023.We were blessed with your energy and good will as you brought the good news of 1U to hundreds at the Festival. Children and families so enjoyed the children’s activities and offer of seeds for planting and our new church brochure and our fans were a great gift for visitors.
The Florida Farm Workers know about Dreams and Freedoms. It is time to unite for the freedom to Exist, Love and Dream!
1U Blog 