September 2022 - UC Evanston

Donations, Donations, Donations! 2022 Serendipity Auction – November 6-12, 2022

The Serendipity Auction needs you (yes, you)!!

Can you make something: knit a scarf, bake cookies, bead a necklace, woodwork? Do you have a piece of art (painting or ceramics) you want to share with others? These donations have always been treasured as auction offerings.

Group events and activities (virtual or in-person) are wonderful opportunities for creating connections. Click on the UCE auction website to directly enter your donation. Deadline for donations is October 30, 2022.

One way to live our principles is to consider purchasing a gift certificate from a business or organization that aligns with our UU values to donate to the auction.

Looking for some ideas? Click on the UCE auction website and check out our “Need Donation Ideas?” page and start to view the catalog.

The goal of the Serendipity Auction is to strengthen or create connections between UCE members and friends while raising funds for UCE activities. The Auction Committee is available to help you decide what and how to donate. Still have questions or want to discuss more ideas or volunteer?

Auction Planning Team: Catherine Deamant, Meredith Haydon, Mary Beth Roth, Christine Allender, Lizzy Powers, Ally Hunter, Alexa Avery and Carla Williams

Donations, Donations, Donations! 2022 Serendipity Auction – November 6-12, 2022UCE UCE2022-09-28T19:28:16+00:00

October 2, 2022

The Courage of Companionship

How would our lives be different if we dedicated ourselves to being one another’s faithful companions, as our animal friends sometimes do. In this service, honoring St. Francis Day and celebrating our annual pet blessing, we consider the courage of companionship. Rev. Eileen leads the service with Melanie Kitchner as Worship Associate. Our special musical guests are the Wailin’ Mahalias. Please bring your well-behaved and friendly pets to church on Sunday to be blessed, or you can send in a photo of your pet to Rev. Eileen via email.

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, September 25th at 10:30 am.

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Interfaith Action of Evanston.

October 2, 2022UCE UCE2022-09-27T20:54:40+00:00

Greetings from your Executive Operations Director

It has been gratifying to see so many members and friends at UCE on Sunday mornings. Ingathering Service was beautiful and a perfect way to start the new church year ahead.

We are pleased that Liz Kennedy has returned to work and is doing well. Liz contributes in so many ways to the care of our building and congregation. Her absence was felt during the time of her surgery and recovery. We are grateful she is recovering well and gracing the halls of UCE in her formidable way.

As Staff Lead and Chair of the Integrated Stewardship Council (ISC), I am looking for recommendations for 2023-24 Pledge Drive Co-Chairs. If you are willing to serve or have suggestions, please forward names to me. I can set up a telephone call and provide a job description that might help you or the suggested individual to make a sound decision about whether this could be a good role for you at UCE.

This is a challenging year to procure rentals and make the aggressive budget we have put forth for 2022-2023. Many not-for-profits have changed they way they are fundraising due to lack of volunteers and funding. I see this as a trend post COVID closure. I encourage each and everyone to provide leads if you know of someone who needs space for a memorial or wedding. If you know of not-for-profit groups who need a meeting space, Room 3 and Room 6 that have multi-platform equipment to help them meet the needs of meeting in person with zoom attendees present as well. Music performances are perfect for our sanctuary. In November North Shore Choral Society has rehearsals and a concert. Others are signing on for music events. If a business has closed its office during COVID, perhaps they need a board room environment for a day. Our space lends itself well. Keep us in mind as you connect with friends throughout the community. Email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org with referrals. Thank you.

As most of you know, our Hearing Loop is functioning well and providing a more welcoming space for those with hearing loss. With t-coil hearing aids on users can simply walk into the sanctuary and encounter a whole new experience by hearing the service and music without the aid of the special devices previously provided. There will be a training at the back of the

sanctuary on Sunday, November 20th after the worship service. Audiologist Dr. Gamina will be present to answer questions and assist you in knowing how you can better use your hearing equipment to connect with the new sanctuary Hearing Loop. This is another example of how our Capital Campaign funding has created yet another wonderful feature for our church to provide a safe, clean, updated and welcoming environment for all who enter.

Work is planned to commence in the fall in the lower level bathrooms. The Capital Campaign goal is to provide an accessible and inclusive bathroom on the lower level where the existing boys room is now. I have requested an update on pricing for this project. Architectural drawings and a contractor’s quote was provided just prior to COVID closure. Costs, not doubt, have escalated. Once we have established costs planning can begin.

Our welcome desk received its new Welcome sign on Sunday Ingathering. If you have not yet seen it, stop in and take a look. Notice as you walk in on Sunday morning. The sign provides an inviting feel as one walks into the doors of our lobby. The new sofa delivery has been delayed once again. It could be as late as the middle of October before this arrives. Once delivery of the sofa and more a more attractive waste station unit is in place, the lobby restoration will be complete. Thank you for Sandy Danforth, Gillian Lawrence and John VanDyke for what you have contributed on our team to make the lobby a comfortable, inviting and family-friendly space at the entrance of our building.

Notice the wonderful gardens if you have not had an opportunity. As mentioned previously, Raissa Landor’s daughters are providing a new bench in memory of their mother and grandmother. That will be placed next to the tree in our northwest garden shortly. Also, a new bench in memory of John LaPlante is on order and will grace the west entrance to the garden north of our entry doors.

During the downpour at the Ingathering Service last Sunday you may have noticed water seeping down the wall of the east side of the sanctuary. The roofing repair company is returning to address the issues related to flashings and bents along that wall. Robb Geiger met the roofer on the rooftop to review and determine next steps in completing the repairs. I am awaiting a report from Tecta Roofing.

You may also notice that water seeped into the girls bathroom in the lower level. Cahill will visit next week to determine cause. We believe it is related to blockage requiring pipe rodding. We will take appropriate steps to resolve the problem.

I hope you enjoy reading about the many changes and upgrades to our buildings, grounds and in other areas of church life. It is important that you know what is going on around you. Gratitude is abundant for the contributions to the Capital Campaign that has made so many upgrades possible. If you have questions or ideas to share with me that relate to Admin, Buildings & Grounds, Rentals or other areas of work at UCE, please email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org

Greetings from your Executive Operations Director UCE UCE2022-10-14T21:37:07+00:00

September 25, 2022

On the Side of Love

We are called in these challenging and polarizing times to lean into love, to find resilience through joy, and sustenance in community. We’ll hear from some of our congregational and UUA leaders on living our values through the democratic process. And In honor of Banned Books Week, please bring to worship your favorite banned book to exchange. You’ll be invited to leave it on the altar and take another book you haven’t read. Rev. Eileen leads worship with Shannon Lang as Worship Associate.

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, September 25th at 10:30 am.

September 25, 2022UCE UCE2022-09-19T16:41:57+00:00

Gathering the Chicks and the Nest

Our Ingathering worship service this past Sunday was wonderful! I was full of joy to see so many families and young people – especially to see them enjoying our new family-friendly area we are temporarily calling The Nest. Having the kids all gathered and seeing them and parents getting to reconnect was the highlight of my day.

Over the next few weeks, the Family Ministry Team and I welcome feedback from parents as well as older adults on how we can improve this area and make the worship experience enjoyable for all ages. We will also have a time to vote on possible names for our family area, so look for that soon.

And so now we get to work gathering our chicks of different ages for their first Sunday in their Faith Formation program this week. As always, our nursery will be open for our youngest beginning at 9a. This will allow parents to attend adult faith formation programs and other groups before worship. My hope is to expand childcare in the future to include elementary ages. If you are interested in helping make this a reality, let me know.

We will also have a preschool/kindergarten group we’re calling Chalice Children led by Ann Gadzikowski in room 9. For our elementary ages (1st-6th), we will have Heads, Hearts, and Hands in room 8 led by myself and Sue Larson. Our youth group for 7th-12th grades will be in room 13 and led by Linda Herried, Gillian Lawrence, and Margaret Shaklee.

On the Sundays we have programming for children and youth, they will begin their morning in worship and move to their programs around 11a until noon. This will give parents 20-30 minutes of Kinship Time with other adults before their children’s program ends. You can see our working calendar here and refer to it throughout the year as things get added to it.

I’m pleased to say that many folks have volunteered to help with our pre/k youngsters, and I’m hopeful that we can get more folks to help with our elementary ages. Ideally, we need four more adults, which would mean each person would only need to help twice between now and December! If this is something you could commit to, give me a call or send an email and I can give you more details.

And let’s not forget the adults here! We are starting Faith Formation programming for you too, with the Forum Discussion Group this Sunday at noon in room 6 and on Zoom. Following this, we have two opportunities for a discussion on Faith as Faithfulness led by Bob Mesle. The first one will be Sunday, Sep 25, 9:30-10:30 am and the second on Tuesday, Sep 27, 7-8:30 pm. Both will be In-person and on Zoom.

Be sure to read more about what is happening in Faith Formation elsewhere in this newsletter.

In Faith,

Kathy

Gathering the Chicks and the NestUCE UCE2022-09-16T18:14:39+00:00

September 18, 2022

The Power and Possibility of our Faith

Unitarian Universalism is in a transformative moment of exploring what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist – our shared values, purpose, inspirations, and covenants. In this service, we will explore the history of our principles and sources, how they came to be, and the process our Association is currently undergoing to reimagine and rededicate ourselves to them.

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, September 18th at 10:30 am.

September 18, 2022UCE UCE2022-09-12T19:28:31+00:00

September 18, 2022

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, September 18th at 10:30 am.

September 18, 2022UCE UCE2022-09-12T16:07:44+00:00

2022-2023 Shared Offering Recipients

September: American Indian Center
October: Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois (UUPMI)
November: Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI)
December: Reparations Fund
January: Midwest Access Coalition
February: Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU)
March: Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
April: Land Institute
May: The Neurodiversity Foundation
June: Deborah’s Place
July: Building Peaceful Bridges
August: Interfaith Action of Evanston (IAE)
5th Sundays: Community Renewal Society (CRS)

September - American Indian Center

The mission of the American Indian Center of Chicago (AIC) is to promote fellowship among Indian people of all Tribes living in metropolitan Chicago and to create bonds of understanding and communication between Indians and non-Indians in this city; to advance the general welfare of American Indians into the metropolitan community life; to foster the economic advancement of Indian people; to sustain cultural, artistic, and avocational pursuits; and to perpetuate Indian cultural values. AIC focuses on the arts by offering workshops such as drum making, moccasin making, and also by housing the first and only art gallery space dedicated to the promotion and education of Native artists in the city of Chicago. AIC runs a year round education program for youth that provides culturally based after school and summer programming for youth of all ages. AIC actively engages the Native American community through programming such as monthly senior lunches, monthly community potlucks and weekly drum practice.

October - Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois (UUPMI)

The United States is a prison nation, 1 in 4 people incarcerated in the world reside in US prisons and jails. People who go to jail need to be treated like people both while they’re there and when they get out.

Our Mission: UUPMI will equip UU’s in IL to transform institutions and support people harmed by the prison industrial complex.

Our Unitarian Universalist principles call us to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person and to engage in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We want to engage those most in need of affirmation – the people locked up, often for very minor offenses, in Illinois prisons, who look to worship services for badly needed peace and solace. The UU Church of the Larger Fellowship serves 700 people in prison who deeply value our shared faith, and 260 people in Illinois prisons have pen pals through the GLBTQ group Black & Pink. The need is clear. Our UU presence and support in prisons can save sanity, spirit, and even lives.

Get involved.

November - Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI)

UUANI strives first and foremost to link UUs with opportunities to affect legislation in Springfield and nationally and to offer training to be influential advocates. UUANI devises programs to build power among UU congregations in Illinois in order to achieve meaningful, concrete, far-reaching results which put UU values and principles into action. Part of building that power is honing skills to be effective “woke” partners with organizations representing a wide diversity of cultures, as we work together for systemic change toward a more just and equitable society.

One of the most important ways UUANI serves the UU congregations of Illinois is in supporting folks who yearn for social justice with training in advocacy and discernment – learning how to ally effectively with partner organizations to widen the reach of our voices. Directors Rev Scott Aaseng and Rev Karen Mooney and their teams will work with you and/or your social justice team to hone your skills to advocate powerfully for those social justice issues dear to you, to develop skills to organize support among your fellow UUs, and to discern how unconscious bias might interfere with your work with organizations led by people of other cultures, allowing you to bravely cross cultural barriers toward a more just society.

To get involved: http://www.uuani.org/contact-us

And sign up for Actions of the Week HERE: https://uuani.salsalabs.org/actionoftheweek/index.html

December - Reparations Fund

Coming soon…

January - Midwest Access Coalition

MAC envisions a world in which all people have access to safe, free, legal abortions wherever they live. As a practical abortion fund, MAC helps people traveling to, from, and within the Midwest access a safe abortion by assisting with travel coordination and costs, lodging, food, medicine, and childcare.

Get involved.

February - Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU)

BLUU started as a small organizing collective that formed in 2015 in Cleveland during the Movement for Black Lives Convening. We are now a thriving spiritual community and justice-minded organization creating connection for Black people.

BLUU is committed to Unitarian Universalism that is liberatory and life-giving for Black people. We manifest this dream by creating spiritual community, spiritual resources, and political education opportunities for Black Unitarian Universalists and other Black folks who share our values.

BLUU harnesses love’s power to combat oppression and foster healing as a spiritual and political imperative. We know the power of love to be life changing, inclusive, relational, uncomfortable, unconditional and without end.

March - Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

UUSC advances human rights and social justice around the world, partnering with those who confront unjust power structures and mobilizing to challenge oppressive policies. Our work is grounded in the belief that all people have inherent power and dignity.

Key actions include economic and legal support for Central American refugees, work with indigenous peoples facing climate disruption, and support for the Rohingya struggling with genocide in Burma.

April - Land Institute

Natural ecological systems are self-sustaining. For at least 10,000 years, humans have disrupted those systems and kept them in a continuous state of disruption in order to feed our populations and avoid famine. This, in a nutshell, is agriculture as we know it. Increasingly, the modern scale of those agricultural disruptions threatens to collapse the critical cultural and natural systems upon which we depend.

The Land Institute believes that it doesn’t have to be this way.

The Land Institute and our partners are not working to tweak the now predominant industrial, disruptive system of agriculture. We are working to displace it. We believe it is possible to provide staple foods without destroying or compromising the cultural and ecological systems upon which we depend, but only if we understand and work with the constraints and capacities of those natural systems.

When people, land, and community are as one, all three members prosper; when they relate not as members but as competing interests, all three are exploited. By consulting Nature as the source and measure of that membership, The Land Institute seeks to develop an agriculture that will save soil from being lost or poisoned, while promoting a community life at once prosperous and enduring.

May - The Neurodiversity Foundation

Neurodiversity Foundation is a non-profit built and run by the neurodiverse, for the neurodiverse. We provide a platform for autistic advocates to speak to their experience and provide language for others to do the same. We are rewriting a highly stigmatized narrative by reframing misconceptions around autism and the inaccurately forecasted “outcomes” that harm a child’s self-efficacy. Our community projects are evaluated through a lens of empowerment. Utilizing a strengths-first approach, we empower individuals to feel proud of their identity rather than limited by it.

June - Deborah’s Place

Deborah’s Place opens doors of opportunity for women who are homeless in Chicago. Supportive housing and services offer women their key to healing, achieving their goals and moving on from the experience of homelessness. We achieve our mission through a unique model that weaves together supportive housing with a menu of voluntary, evidence-based services. We deliver these services in an intentional environment that recognizes each woman’s strengths and abilities and fosters a sense of belonging and community. The Deborah’s Place model has evolved over 36 years, using external research and internal data to develop and deliver effective programs and services. We know that women who experience chronic homelessness can overcome complex barriers to housing, health and stability when they have what they need to be successful – access to affordable and appropriate housing, adequate healthcare, regular income and positive social supports. Deborah’s Place serves more than 500 women annually through outreach, housing and support services.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteer opportunities at Deborah’s Place are limited. Currently, we are able to accept individual or small volunteer groups to do meal service in our Dolores’ Safe Haven program. Volunteers can cook a meal in our kitchen or bring in a catered meal and serve it to residents for lunch or dinner 7 days a week. Other volunteer opportunities may be available as the current health situation permits. For more information on volunteering at Deborah’s Place, please complete the contact form on our website at https://www.deborahsplace.org/contact-us/.

July - Building Peaceful Bridges

In 2014, two compassionate women from different parts of the world came together to inspire positive actions and peaceful resolutions. Ahlam Mahmood arrived in 2008 with her two young children to the United States from war-torn Iraq by way of Syria. Ahlam was blessed with many generous and compassionate people as she and her family resettled in Chicago. One of those people was Lori Lucchetti, a Glenview resident. Lori began hosting groups of interfaith women in her home. She would invite neighbors and friends. Ahlam would attend and bring other refugee women who were resettling in the Chicago area. Seeds of mutual respect, compassion, and love grew out of these luncheons and ultimately blossomed into Building Peaceful Bridges.

Building Peaceful Bridges is a nonprofit organization supporting people of all faiths whose mission is to foster multicultural relationships by assisting in the integration of refugees into American society and educating communities on the challenges facing refugee populations through their stories.

Get involved!

August - Interfaith Action of Evanston (IAE)

Interfaith Action of Evanston strives to build a just community. We work with diverse faith communities and individuals seeking to address the systemic issues of poverty, unemployment, homelessness and hunger. Through interfaith dialogue, we bring people together to build relationships and encourage understanding across faith boundaries. We partner with local legislators, community leaders and our neighbors to promote a healthy and equitable society.

We manage and staff soup kitchens, a warming center, an emergency overnight shelter, a hospitality center and free fresh produce distribution in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Producemobile.

We monitor and advocate for social justice. We share ideas across faiths and recommend actions to engage legislators and policymakers. Our public gatherings provide a venue for volunteers, supporters and others who care about ending hunger and homelessness.

We invite and promote opportunities for our faith community members to attend worship and/or engage in conversations with members of different faiths who share their values.

Get involved.

5th Sundays - Community Renewal Society (CRS)

The Community Renewal Society is an organization of over 70 member churches in the Chicago area who have been working together for civil rights and social justice for over 130 years. CRS engineers social change by participating in public demonstrations and events, lobbying state legislators and other public officials and offering social organizing training sessions. CRS decides what issues to work on by participation from its churches and their members, and by working with other organizations.

Members of UCE could work directly with CRS staff to join a committee or to attend an event or training session. They could go to the Community Renewal Society website to see dates and times of coming events. UCE Members also could talk to any member of the UCE Legislative Action Team, or join our Team’s monthly meeting, usually the second Tuesday of each month, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

2022-2023 Shared Offering RecipientsUCE UCE2022-12-21T15:48:36+00:00

From Susan Frances – 09/09/2022

Dear Friends,

I love new experiences. From trying a new food to trying trapeze for the first time, I love the curiosity, the openness, and even the occasional trepidation that accompanies trying something new. The photos are of me flying and then falling into the net at the trapeze school on Foster Beach in Chicago a few weeks ago.

Before the pandemic, trying something new for me typically involved traveling. Since I am not yet getting on planes, trains, or buses, I am actively seeking out new things that I can experience close to home. Things that I can do outside, inside with a mask on, or online. Things that have always been around me, but my attention has been elsewhere.

One of the new things I recently said yes to is being an online presenter at the Faith in Place 2022 Green Team Summit. I will be one of a handful of faith leaders each presenting a short spiritual practice that grounds our environmental justice work during Session 3: Interwoven – Exploring Environmental Justice with Faith Leaders on September 12, 2022.

What will be a new experience for you this year? What might you say yes to?

Here are a few things you are invited to say yes to:

· Vote in the November 8, 2022 election. The three Illinois Supreme Court elections are crucial this year. Educate yourself on the issues. Fill out one of the “I Commit to Vote This Election” sheets while waiting in line for food at our congregational picnic this Sunday.

· Take our UCE Journey of Belonging series, which is a membership class for visitors and members. Get to know folks in our UCE community as we delve into UU History, our sources, and our values and principles. The first three classes (A Journey Through UU History; Spiritual Journeys & Inspiration; and Journeying in Covenant) are for everyone and the fourth class (Journey Toward Membership) is geared toward visitors interested in becoming a member.

Register here for the online series being held each Tuesday in October from 7:00-8:00 pm. The first three classes will be part of the regular Tuesday night adult education program and the fourth class will be additional for visitors interested in becoming a member.

The series will also be offered in-person on the second Sunday of each month. Register here for A Journey Through UU History on October 9, 2022 from 9:30-10:30 am.

· Join a 6-month Covenant Group meeting from October 2022-March 2023. A Covenant Group is designed for meaningful connections between members of a group of up to 10 people who meet on a regular basis to establish and further themselves in community. Click here to sign up

· Volunteer to be on the Greeters Hospitality Team. We have a core of dedicated volunteers who would love to have you join the Team to welcome everyone on Sunday morning. Email me at sfrances@ucevanston.org to find out more.

· Volunteer with the Mitten Tree. This is our annual program to provide winter holiday gifts to clients of organizations that share our values. We are looking for a co-captain as well as shoppers and wrappers. Contact Bridget Wild to find out more.

I know some of us are feeling overwhelmed and the idea of doing anything outside of what is required to get through the day is not an option. If that is true for you, please reach out to family or friends, contact me, or consider submitting a Request for Care form to get connected with Rev. Eileen or the Pastoral Care Team. There are still many changes happening with the pandemic from masking requirements being lifted to a new booster being on the way to loved ones getting sick and needing care. I often think about how we are caring for ourselves through all of this.

For me, a piece of my mental, emotional, and spiritual self-care is continuing to engage in new experiences. A year and a half ago, a friend and I started meeting once a month to go for a walk and we go someplace new each time. To name a few places, we’ve explored the entirety of the 606 or Bloomingdale Trail, Northerly Island Park, Jackson Park’s Wooded Island with the Garden of the Phoenix, and walked through several cemeteries including the Bohemian Cemetery with the columbarium for Cubs fans and a memorial for the Eastland Disaster of 1915. These explorations have enriched my life and if I hadn’t been prevented from traveling abroad by the pandemic, I might never have explored these places so close to home.

I invite you to make time to figure out what it is you need to care for your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual self. If you don’t know, try out your ideas until you find that one thing that brings comfort or delight to your day.

Yours in faith,

Rev. Susan

From Susan Frances – 09/09/2022UCE UCE2022-09-16T16:39:09+00:00

The Shift to Masks Recommended (rather than Required) Beginning October 2nd – We would like to hear from you!

Given that most places in our community have made masks optional, and given the fact that there are readily available vaccines, boosters, tests, and effective treatments with available bed space in hospitals when needed, The Covid Task Force has made the decision to move from masks required to mask recommended throughout our building beginning October 2^nd, 2022.

We recognize that this may feel like a big shift for some members. We are not suggesting Covid is over or that we no longer need to consider mitigations. We still are a pro-vaccination community. We still encourage you to wear a mask if you feel uncomfortable for as long as you need to and as long as feels right to you. We still expect all of us to abide by our covenant of care for one another. If you are ill or may have been exposed to someone with Covid, please don’t come to church. Test yourself and see your doctor. Follow the CDC’s isolation guidelines.

Before this change takes place, we’d like to hear your questions and concerns. You can reach out to the ministers directly via email to share your thoughts. You can also take this quick poll to let the Covid Task Force know how you feel about this shift. Here are the new building use guidelines posted to our website.

Thank you for continuing the practice of Beloved Community, for listening and sharing your thoughts.

Rev. Eileen, Rev. Susan, and The Covid Task Force

The Shift to Masks Recommended (rather than Required) Beginning October 2nd – We would like to hear from you!UCE UCE2022-09-16T16:40:51+00:00

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