wa_announcements

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Help! 160 local people losing shelter

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Oregon’s homeless shelters face a potential funding crisis if timely action isn’t taken. With the state budget deadline approaching on June 18 (or June 29 if there is an emergency declaration), your advocacy is critical to ensure shelters can continue operating without interruption starting July 1.

An update on Unity Shelter Funding

As some of you may have seen in multiple news outlets, or from our social media, Unity Shelter is at a critical point. While we have been solidly funded for the past 2 years by the State of Oregon, changes in the federal funding landscape are likely to cause challenges to the State’s ability to maintain the level of funding we’ve had in previous years. Click below to read a note from our Executive Director about how we’re responding and the changes to Unity Shelter operations.

Click Here for a funding update

Unity Shelter needs your advocacy! How to Advocate for Shelter Funding in Corvallis: A Guide for Action

The Urgency: Why Your Voice Matters Now

Oregon’s homeless shelters face a potential funding crisis if timely action isn’t taken. With the state budget deadline approaching on June 18 (or June 29 if there is an emergency declaration), your advocacy is critical to ensure shelters can continue operating without interruption starting July 1.

In Corvallis, if emergency shelter is closed, at least 160 individuals will be impacted by the closure of 3 Unity Shelter programs alone: Two congregate shelters and our emergency hoteling shelter.

Understanding the Legislation at Stake

Two bills are particularly important to Oregon’s shelter system:

HB 5011: This budget bill funds Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), including essential shelter funding. Currently in Ways and Means Committee, this bill directly impacts whether shelters receive timely funding.
HB 3644: A policy bill directing OHCS to establish a coordinated shelter system by mid-2026. While this does have long-term implications, it’s not connected to our immediate funding concerns.

Follow the bill and see the full text here:  HB5011 2025 Regular Session – Oregon Legislative Information System

Step-by-Step Advocacy Guide

Step 1: Contact Key Decision-Makers

The most effective action right now is contacting members of the Ways and Means Committee, particularly those on the Transportation and Economic Development Subcommittee who review the OHCS budget.

Who to Contact:

Step 2: Craft Your Message

When contacting legislators, emphasize these key points:

  • Continuity of Services: Explain how any funding gap would force shelters to close in July, leaving vulnerable Oregonians without critical services
  • Community Impact: Describe specific impacts on your local community if shelter funding is delayed (Remember – closing shelters means an additional 160 people outside, including children and the elderly. The city’s current practice of posting and clearing camps means that folx are perpetually dislocated. The data is clear that this is a harmful practice, see this article as just one example of recent research on the topic.) In addition to the impact to those without shelter, 40 people will be laid off.
  • Urgency for Distribution: Stress the need for not just approval but rapid distribution of funds once approved

Step 3: Mobilize Your Network

  • Share this information broadly and encourage advocacy!

Step 4: Follow the Process

  • Monitor committee hearings and votes on HB 5011
  • Stay connected with OHCS’s workgroup on “continuation” funding for shelters
  • Be prepared to provide testimony if public comment periods are available

Stay Informed

  • OHCS is aware of the critical timing issues and has established a workgroup focused on continuation funding for shelters
  • Follow updates from providers like Unity Shelter about budget developments

Remember: Your Advocacy Makes a Difference

Legislators need to understand the real-world consequences of funding decisions. Your specific examples of why this matters to you and how shelters impact our community are powerful tools for effective advocacy.

Sample Advocacy Message

Subject: Urgent Support Needed for Shelter Funding in HB 5011

Dear Representative/Senator [Name],

I’m writing regarding HB 5011, which contains critical funding for Oregon’s homeless shelters through Oregon Housing and Community Services.

Our emergency shelter organization, Unity Shelter, serves over 1,200 unique individuals annually, providing essential safety and support. Without timely funding at the start of the fiscal year, we face the possibility of service closure beginning July 1.

This would mean [include something about the specific impact this would have on our community – like, 160 individuals, including families with children, would lose emergency housing options in our community, 40 employees will be laid off.]

I urge you to:

  1. Support full funding for shelter services in HB 5011
  2. Prioritize rapid implementation to prevent any funding gaps in July
  3. Recognize shelters as essential human services requiring funding continuity

I appreciate your consideration and your care for our most vulnerable citizens.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Organization, if applicable]
[Contact Information]

Message from incoming Interim Minister Rev. Alex McGee

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Dear UUFC:

My name is Alex McGee and I am honored that the Search Team invited me to come serve as Interim Minister, starting in August. I know that this is a tender time as you say goodbye to Rev. Jill. When I arrive, I commit to journey compassionately with you as you stay true to yourselves as you look at your past, strengthen yourselves in the present, and plan for the future. I am excited about learning more about the Corvallis area. Some folks have asked me to share the website that the Search Team has seen, so I updated it a smidge, and here it is: https://www.revalexandramcgee.org/.

Peace and light,
Rev. Alex
(she/her)

UUA Common Read

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The UUFC became an official UUA Welcoming Congregation more than 3 decades ago. The Gender and Sexuality Justice Team is ready to lead UUFC in updating our status as a Welcoming Congregation that includes non-binary and transgender folks.

An important first step is for members of UUFC to read and discuss the UUA Common Read book for 2024-25 – Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and their Families. Please read the book and join a four-part discussion workshop led by Anya Ballinger and Jema Patterson. The meetings will take place from 6:30-8:00 PM in the UUFC Sanctuary on 7/15, 7/29, 8/12 and 8/26. Tell us you plan to participate by registering here: https://uufc.breezechms.com/form/a93a00

Authentic Selves, is a sweeping compilation of life stories and portraits of trans and nonbinary people, as well as their partners, parents, children, siblings, and chosen family members. This important new book was developed in collaboration with PFLAG National and Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund.

Monthly Outreach Offerings for June

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Our June outreach offerings will once again support Flaming Chalice International, the non-profit organization founded by Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana to support Unitarians in Burundi and Rwanda. This year our contributions will provide microloans for young entrepreneurs, supplies to make school attendance possible for young children, university scholarships, a community center for four villages, and more. The Fellowship has been part of this partnership for more than ten years. Our help makes a difference in lives of many Burundians and in the health and growth of global UUism.

Final help request before classroom wing move-in!

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We plan to have a “Welcome Back to the Classroom Wing” Open House Celebration on Sunday July 6 – so we need more help on the following days:

  • Exterior Painting
    • Saturday May 31 – 9 AM – 5 PM
  • Interior Painting
    • Friday June 13 9 AM – noon + 1PM – 4 PM
    • Saturday June 14 9 AM – noon + 1 PM – 4 PM
    • Friday June 20 9AM – noon + 1 PM – 4 PM
  • Move Back Help
    • Saturday June 28 – 9 AM – 3 PM
    • Sunday. June 29 – 1 PM – 5 PM

PLEASE SIGN UP on the sheets on the Foyer table or
contact Wolfgang Dengler.

Working together, we can accomplish this final push – thanks!

UU Elevator Speeches

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Recently, a small group of Fellowship members spent several weeks crafting their elevator speeches about Unitarian Universalism. That is, they worked on how they might best describe UUism to someone in the time it takes to move between floors on an elevator. UUs often find it easier to describe what we aren’t rather than what we are, and many of us are inclined to be rather wordy, so it was no small task. And the task is never done.

The point of the elevator speech is to know what to say on the fly, so it takes practice! If you see any of these brave souls at coffee hour, help them keep their skills sharp by asking to hear their elevator speech.

A few of them will be sharing their speech in an upcoming Sunday service to hopefully inspire you to consider what you might say, if asked, “What the heck is Unitarian Universalism, anyway?” Do you have a go-to answer? If so, Skyla wants to hear it!

Sunday Services This Month

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Feb. 2 “Where I’m From: Reflections on Black History” Rev. Jill McAllister
Feb. 9 “What Do You Know?” Rev. Jill McAllister
Feb. 16 “When Comfort Zone Principles Don’t Apply” Blaise Ntakarutimana (Kevin Shimineza)
Feb. 23 Special Guest Peter Mayer – UU Singer / Songwriter

Pema Chodron Study Group

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Welcoming the Unwelcome Study Group

Monday evenings from 7:15 to 8:30 September 23rd – December 2nd

Facilitated by Joyce Federiuk

Please register HERE.

Try, once again, to let everything you do be done in love.


I am inspired by these words Rev. Jill uses to close our Sunday service. What would it be like to
live this way? Sometimes I speak or act out of love, and that feels like happiness. But not
everything I do or say comes from love, and when an alternative motivation (like ego, obligation,
guilt, anger, etc etc) takes over, the results are often not so good.

How can we move closer to this lovely ideal? Buddhist nun and teacher Pema Chodron has a masterful way of explaining Buddhist wisdom in an accessible and compelling way. After reading “When Things Fall Apart” I was intrigued by the idea that in our incessant quest to avoid suffering, we often make a mess of things and cause a lot of suffering for ourselves and others. When I attended a weekend retreat with Pema and learned to meditate, I learned that it is possible to train in loving kindness. Meditation allowed me to take these ideas to heart and start to apply them to actual situations. I then gained a new level of appreciation of the power of
Buddhist wisdom.

I’m planning a study group to read and discuss “Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World”. Here’s a blurb from the cover:
In her first new book of spiritual teachings in over seven years, Pema Chodron offers fresh wisdom, heartfelt reflections and the signature humor and insight that have made her a beloved guide in turbulent times. In an increasingly polarized world, Pema offers us tools to find common ground, even when we disagree, so we can build a stronger and broader sense of community. Sharing never-before-told personal stories from her remarkable life, simple and powerful everyday practices, and directly relatable advice, Pema leads the way in showing us how to become triumphant bodhisattvas- compassionate beings- in even the most difficult of circumstances.

Well, reading and understanding is one thing. But taking the advice to heart and trying it out in our everyday encounters is what I’m hoping to achieve in this Adult RE offering. We will read, we will discuss, we will do guided meditations, and we will try out these ideas in real life.

Adult RE

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This year’s adult religious exploration programs are centered on our congregational theme of the year: Ancestors, Descendants, and Us.

We will deepen our understanding of our UU religious ancestry, practice articulating our own religious beliefs and spiritual impulses, and explore ways to improve our relationships with ourselves and our fellow travelers in this river of life.

We very much appreciate you taking the time to pre-register so that we can arrive well-prepared to provide you with the best RE experience possible.

Some upcoming Adult RE opportunities include:

Music Theology (November-December)

Fail Fest 2024 (December 28th)

Adult OWL (Our Whole Lives, human sexuality program (January-March)

Elevator Speeches (April)

Common Read: Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families (July)

ONGOING OFFERINGS:

Parent Peer Support Group (3rd Thursday of each month @ 7:15 in the library, free childcare provided)

Neurodivergence and Mental Health Peer Support Group (Third Sunday of each month @ 11:45 in Room 9)

All past RE event listings can be viewed here!

If you have a special interest and would like to facilitate an exploration opportunity for adults, email Skyla King-Christison at dre@uucorvallis.org. The RE Council loves when our members help co-create the gatherings they would like to see, and I’m happy to support you in launching your RE-related ideas.