“Are we home yet?” asked Rabbit.
“Home isn’t necessarily a place,” said Bear.
“It’s wherever you feel understood and accepted.”
“That’s with myself and with you,” said Rabbit.
“Then, you’re home,” said Bear. “And so am I.”
Why are we here? Because we want to be. We want to make a connection and make a difference in the community around us. I think it is about a feeling that when you are here, you feel safe, you feel understood, you feel accepted for who you are and what you believe.
To me, the UUCF buildings and grounds play a role in how people feel about themselves and whether they are home. When this 11-acre campus opened in 1962 it was seen as a sanctuary for nature and a special place for all of us to explore spirituality. The goal was to create an environment promoting interactions that lead to greater understanding of ourselves and those around us.
The Property Stewardship Committee represents the interests of the congregation in caring for UUCF’s buildings and grounds.
When the parking lot finally got rebuilt a few years ago, I joked, “Well, what are we going to talk about now? It turns out I did not have to worry because the campus maintenance list is extensive. Every day, staff addresses issues on campus that can be resolved fairly easily. We also hire contractors from time to time to fix things beyond our knowledge or expertise. For all other tasks, we need volunteers.
We have tasks that need to be done on a weekly, monthly and yearly schedule. Just as we need volunteers for every worship service, we need volunteers to maintain the building and grounds. On Apr. 15, we are having a Spring Cleanup from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to address some of the outstanding issues on the campus. One is painting the outside windowsills on the Program Building. The other is trimming trees and shrubs around the parking lot. While this activity is not for everyone, it is not going to be completed without an ongoing effort. Adults and youth are needed to help with this work. If you can help for even part of the day, sign up here. You meet the nicest people when you volunteer and you’ll feel satisfied at having contributed to caring for our congregational home.
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