wa_announcements

Post with category “weekly announcements” plus this tag “wa_news_and_announcements” appear on the news page under the weekly announcements tab, under the heading “News and Announcements.”

News from the Board of Directors

Greetings from the Board of Directors! The Board met July 16, 2024 and made great progress in adopting policies related to the accounting and distribution of our financial resources. Small revisions were made to the Reserves and Justice Outreach funds, and we established an Endowment fund to support the long-term vitality of the Fellowship. The principal of the Endowment will not be spent, and annual distributions from the Endowment fund will not exceed 90% of earned interest. If there is a negative return, no funds will be spent until the principal level of the year just prior to a negative return is reestablished. At least $600 of earnings will be drawn upon each year for the benefit of youth through the Ozretich memorial fund and remaining funds will be allocated by the Board in collaboration with the Endowment Team of the Financial Oversight Council. As of June 30, 2024, the Endowment fund totaled approximately $90,000.

In other work, the Board continued to discuss a new fundraising policy and adopted a revised 2024-2025 budget that reflects lower income from pledges than hoped for. Rather than hiring additional administrative help for 2024-2025, staff duties will be rearranged, and volunteers will be recruited to fill the administrative role. If you are new or are a procrastinator and have not pledged, it is never too late.

To donate or find out more, visit the “donate” page uucorvallis.org/donate.
Find out more about Board activities through our approved minutes, as well as the latest policies in our Governing Documents, visit the UUFC Filing Cabinet page.

Jackson Street Youth Services – School Supplies Needed

The Jackson Street Youth Services has a School Supply Drive for at-risk and homeless youth ages 10 and up.

Wish List:
Backpacks
Calculators
Notebooks
Flash drives
Planners (dated/undated
Sketchbooks
Headphones

Drive ends August 9. You can place in basket in Foyer marked Clothing or Staples in Albany during open hours, or Corvallis Tue-Wed, 10a-1p at 225 SW 4th St.

Questions: Ben email (ben.martens@jacksonstreet.org) or 541-760-5825 UUFC Secure Housing and Food for All team.

Outreach Offerings In July

Our Sunday Outreach offerings in July support DRUUMM – Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries – which is a Unitarian Universalist People of Color Ministry and anti-racist collective bringing lay and religious professionals together to overcome racism through resistance and transform Unitarian Universalism through our multicultural experiences. As an all-volunteer ministry, DRUUMM continues to lead efforts to fulfill the Journey Towards Wholeness Resolution towards becoming an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, multicultural UUA, creating space for youth, young adult and our families of color to heal and work collectively, and steward an effective organization that develops new leadership and manages consistent communication with members. DRUUMM is a collective of people who identify as People of Color. Allies are welcome and organized as Allies for Racial Equity. Together we are open to all people.
At the Fellowship, our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Justice Team works in partnership with DRUUMM.

UUFC Fiscal Insights – Fulfilling Your 2024-25 Pledge

First, our thanks to all who have committed to the ongoing success and growth of the UUFC through a pledge for its 2024-25 fiscal year. Together we are doing great things! It is not too late to make a pledge if you have not yet had the chance to do so. To make your pledge, visit the annual pledge drive page.

For those who have made a pledge, now is the time to ponder how you intend to fulfill your pledge. Some of you will have seen a version of this information via a direct email:

Pay By Check

Drop checks at church or mail to UUFC, 2945 NW Circle, Corvallis OR 97330. No need to read further.

Use Your Bank Bill Pay System

Be sure that the donation amount and beginning and end dates for these contributions are correct. Have checks mailed to UUFC, 2945 NW Circle Blvd, Corvallis OR 97330. No need to read further.

Pay Through an IRA

If you have an IRA and need to take a minimum required distribution, you can make such directly to the UUFC with tax advantage. Talk with your financial advisor about options.

Stock Donations

Some people make stock donations. If you need information about making stock donations, please ask Russ Karow.

Breeze Automatic Payment System

If you would like to pay using the Breeze automatic payment system and have not already set that up, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to Breeze, using the link in the “Members Area” at the bottom right of any page on the website.
  2. Click on Manage Recurring Giving button at mid-screen or in the left-hand column
  3. Use the “Stop this recurring gift” button to stop your 2023-24 pledge
  4. Add a new pledge
  5. Enter dollar amount and if possible, agree to cover the processing fee
  6. Select 2024-25 operation budget from drop down menu.
  7. Select frequency of the gift – one time, weekly, every two weeks, etc.
  8. You should see an option for using an existing account or you can add a new debit/credit or bank account Please note that some people have said they see a different screen setup when they go to Breeze. If you have issues with the system, let us know.

Additional Thoughts

If you are currently using the Breeze payment system but are comfortable using bill pay through your bank, please consider this option for the UUFC payment. It saves processing fees – neither you nor the UUFC have to pay these fees

If dealing with the breeze system seems overwhelming, please let us know and UUFC staff will deal with the system for you. We are happy to do so.

If you have any questions, send an email to the address below or call Russ Karow at 541-760-4770 (leave a message if I don’t answer) and we will find answers for you.

Thanks for your many contributions to the success of the UUFC. You are appreciated.

May your summer be amazing.

Contact email – businessmgr@uucorvallis.org Russ Karow on behalf of your UUFC Board, Financial Oversight Council and Staff

Support Groups for Parents and Parents of Adult Children

Parenting is hard, no matter your stage in life. It can be made needlessly harder if you’re doing it without a village. In an effort to create a scaffolding of support for families of every age, we would like to gauge interest in two distinct support spaces:

  1. A peer support group for parents of children and youth (with the possibility of breaking into sub groups by age) and
  2. a peer support group for parents of adult children.

If there is sufficient interest in either of these groups, we will start with a 3 month initial commitment. At the end of that time, we can assess whether the group would like to continue through the church year or consider making this a regular summer support group. These groups are intended to help parents in all phases of life strengthen their web of mutual support, not as a substitute for qualified mental health care. 

If you are interested in a parent support group, or a group for parents with adult children, please fill out one of the following surveys.

Fill out a Parent Support Group Interest Survey

Fill out a Parents With Adult Children Group Interest Survey

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Skyla King-Christison if you have any questions!