Dear Faith Communities in Evanston and Beyond, 

Evanston Interfaith Clergy and Leaders write to you in celebration of Juneteenth, 155 years after the last enslaved people were told of their emancipation from the evils of slavery. We add our voices to the calls to make this day a national holiday in recognition of the power of Black Indigenous People of Color to survive and thrive despite the overwhelming systems of racism which exist in all facets of society and our economy – in education, healthcare, housing, and in policing and criminalization. 

We write with heavy hearts about the murders of so many Black and Brown siblings at the hands of police, recognizing these murders as the result of violence, militarization and oppression, which disproportionately impact Black lives while diminishing the humanity of everyone. 

We join in mourning and remembrance of the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Rayshard Brooks, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others whose lives have ended because of racist systems that have been unchallenged. We also lament and mourn the tremendous losses our nation has sustained due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has also disproportionately impacted marginalized communities including People of Color. 

The Chicago Board of Rabbis issued a statement in response to the murder of George Floyd, which says:  

“The Torah … teaches, “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor”(Leviticus 19:16). Too many have stood by for too long through a history of lynching, kidnapping, enslavement, Jim Crow, [criminalization] and other forms of racism. We must not stand idly by as our fellow human beings cry out with anger and grief.”  

A statement on racism from the Evanston Catholic Pastors says: 

“We lift our voices in prayer and unite our voices with all here on earth that this police abuse of power must stop now everywhere in our nation. To those who tried to make this moment something else by their violence, we unite with all who condemn them and their mask of evil which will not ever cover the true face of justice and truth.”  

We call on our congregants, especially those who have white skin privilege, to engage in the struggle to dismantle white supremacy as it collectively exists. We must be brave in examining the way power moves in this world. We must be fearless in examining how we benefit or are harmed by abusive power, and we must accept responsibility and accountability for the ways we either abdicate or use our own agency.  

We encourage the people we serve, and we dedicate ourselves, to continue to learn together, to invest in local Black owned businesses, to join in partnership with Black led organizations, to advocate and organize and witness to the harm that is done every day in oppressed communities.  

Your faith leaders unite in our love of God and love of our neighbors. We unite to recognize our common humanity and our interdependence. We unite to contribute to our collective liberation, knowing we are bound in mutuality, and that none of us are free until all of us are free. We unite to create the Beloved Community built on the foundations of equity and compassion that recognizes the dignity and worth of all human beings.  

Yours in faith and in service, 

Evanston Interfaith Clergy and Leaders 

Rev. Eileen Wiviott, Unitarian Church of Evanston 

Rabbi Andrea London, Beth Emet the Free Synagogue 

Rev. Dr. Michael Nabors, Second Baptist Church 

Rev. Michael Kirby, Northminster Presbyterian Church 

Rev. Ann Ohlrogge Johnson – Parish Associate, Northminster Presbyterian Church  

Fr Robert Oldershaw, St Nicholas Parish 

Dear Unitarian Universalists,

Thanks and Congratulations to Vickie Hellyer!

The Board of Trustees and Executive Team celebrate UCE Director of Music, Vickie Hellyer. Vickie joined us in 2015, and has led our choir with creativity, patience, love, and generosity of spirit. For 24 years, Vickie has also served the DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church as their Choir Director once a month. This Sunday will be her last Sunday with the DuPage Church and we celebrate her long tenure and service to Unitarian Universalism through worship and song.

In addition to her work with the UCE choir, Vickie coordinates beautiful musical performances for worship services on non-choir Sundays. She is always eager to select challenging pieces that add to the theme and message of the overall worship experience and goes above and beyond to support choristers of all levels to rise to the occasion. She makes recordings for them to practice with and holds extra rehearsals.

During this time when we are not able to be, or sing, together, Vickie has spent countless hours guiding choir members and section leaders to join their voices virtually and create powerful pieces. She coordinates all the section leads and singers of the hymns and arranges instrumentalists. Vickie also meets with singers each Thursday to enable the choir to remain connected, and practice in new ways.

One choir member says of Vickie, “Through her warm heartedness, attention to personal details, and a wonderful sense of humor she has created a community of caring within the choir. We are more than just a group of singers.”

Vickie, you contribute so much to the life of the church – when we meet in person and when we meet on-line. – and we appreciate your many gifts.

The Shared Plate donations for the month of June will go to ICIRR, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. ICIRR is a Chicago-based organization founded in 1986 which is dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social and political life of a diverse society. ICIRR is an inclusive entity that organizes, educates and demonstrates in matters concerning healthcare access, public benefits access, civic engagement, and citizenship. Their work is designed to promote the welfare and rights of all immigrants and refugees regardless of ethnic origin. It is the state’s largest multiethnic immigrant advocacy organization, supporting a population which receives little to no governmental funding and which lives under multiple threats including deportation, family separation, arrest, and violence.

ICIRR has been heavily involved in advocacy/policy on the local, state and national levels. Some of their initiatives have included:

• Welcoming Illinois, Welcoming Cities
• The fight against the Public Charge rule change by the Department of Homeland Security, and against the proposed HUD mixed-status rule
• Advocacy for DACA
• The publication of reports such as the “Platform for Resistance”, “Illinois Immigrant Political Almanac”, “Rock the Naturalized Vote”, “Affordable Care Act Implementation in Illinois: Overcoming Barriers to Immigrant Health Care Access”, “The Affordable Care Act (ACA): A Reflection on Immigrant Access in Illinois”, and others.

To find out more about ICIRR, please consult their website: https://www.icirr.org/

From UCE Treasurer, Susan Comstock

Thanks to all in our congregation for steadfast support, both spiritually and financially. As those who came to the budget townhall this week heard, the socially distancing requirement of the pandemic has hit our budget in two significant ways: first, we have had a significant loss of rentals, and second we have had to postpone holding our annual rummage sale. There have been some small savings from the building shutdown, but ¾ of our operational expenses are staff salary and benefits. Fortunately, most of our staff has been able to perform their duties (very ably!) from home. The employees who cannot or have reduced responsibilities (lobby, kitchen, childcare, and custodial) are being fully paid through at least the end of the fiscal year on June 30, at which point we hope to have the building open again. As a result, we are currently predicting a loss of $26,000 for this fiscal year. The good news is that we started this year with over $100,000 in operational reserves, thanks to careful financial management over the last few years. So while this loss reduces our reserves, we have the cash on hand to get through it.

For the new fiscal year starting July 1, first off, thanks to all for participating in our annual pledge drive in the midst of uncertain times. The result of the drive was a 3-4% reduction in pledges compared to last year—not a surprise given that some congregants have lost their income. We are also expecting somewhat lower results from rentals and fundraisers this coming year given what is likely to be a slow return to normalcy. As a result, for the first time in years, we do not expect to be an honor congregation with the UUA, as we have budgeted to cut our dues by 50%. We are pleased that we are planning to maintain all staff positions, but are planning no pay raises. And we are planning to tap into Endowment distributions to pay for building repairs and maintenance that may arise over the year.

Next year’s budget will be sent out with the annual meeting package, and will be voted on by the congregation at the annual meeting on May 17^th—please plan to attend as we need a quorum in order to conduct our official business of elections and budget passage.

Questions, concerns or comments about this year’s finances or next year’s budget? We would like to hear from you—please email me at susan.l.comstock@gmail.com.

Dear Parents,

This week is an important one for many of us as we try new ways of celebrating Passover and Easter while practicing physical distancing. Some families are holding virtual seders and Easter dinners. However your family and friends decide to celebrate, I hope that the meaning of the holy day/holiday holds even more joy for you.

We have a special surprise for you on Easter Sunday – a virtual Easter Egg Hunt! Look for the details in the description on the live streaming of Sunday’s worship service! And look for an Easter Egg Hunt in a PowerPoint that I will share on the Children and Youth Facebook page and via email.

This week’s VirtUUal RE session is about Easter Sunday with a connection to Passover and our theme of “liberation” this month. You can watch my video here. During this video, feel free to pause when suggested, or whenever you need to, and come back to it. If you would rather read through the session, you can see it and the activities at by clicking here.

For the activities I mention, here are the links:

Calendar Connection:

● Lent (Christian) – Feb. 26 – April 9
● Star Trek Day – April 5 (more here)
● Vesak – Buddha’s Birthday (& Enlightenment and Death) (Buddhist) – April 8, and others (more here)
● Palm Sunday (Christian) – April 5

Further Reading:

Jesus by Brian Wildsmith – https://www.brianwildsmith.com/jesus

The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith – https://www.brianwildsmith.com/the-easter-story-paperback

Forgiveness Activity and Craft: A way for kids to practice forgiveness as mentioned in Christian scripture. You can easily take out the Christian references, if desired. http://www.truthforkids.com/forgiving-others#.XoUEe4hKhPY

Neighborhood Love Notes Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1111215548947191/

Send pictures of any of the things you did to me too at kunderwood@ucevanston.org!

Here’s a new offering from Soul Matters: Creating Sabbath Space, week 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yI7kdgeBOYF11rRLCDtqXC_oi8Cdl3dPwMYIpsTjOSs/edit?usp=sharing

Next Tuesday, kids and parents can join me for a virtual Chalice Circle at 3:30 pm. You can join the meeting here or by phone instead at +1 209-844-4600,,392873602#

High school youth can connect Sunday evening at 7 pm on Zoom. Look for an email from the advisors later in the week with info on how to join.

For middle school youth, you can take a virtual tour of some of the world’s famous churches and cathedrals in celebration of Easter: https://www.arch2o.com/enjoy-virtual-tour-inside-3-europes-iconic-cathedrals/
https://cathedral.org/what-to-see/virtual-tours/

Here’s a new offering from Soul Matters: Creating Sabbath Space, week 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yI7kdgeBOYF11rRLCDtqXC_oi8Cdl3dPwMYIpsTjOSs/edit?usp=sharing

Another resource for families from Soul Matters, Soulful Home: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jbGY3c6r_nGVkY5lu7yhIItX5TmOXHLvgvl1e-mAxsg/edit?usp=sharing

Looking for more ideas? Here is a lesson from a colleague, The Challah in the Ark: Wisdom from the Jewish tradition: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZMVvSePb1mkAmp9cQfSrfniIkkf92G86mVaLUp7r0hA/edit?usp=sharing

And for adults, the Non-Fiction Book Group will be discussing An American Summer: Life and Death in Chicago by Alex Kotlowitz on Sunday, May 3rd with Sarah Vanderwicken leading the discussion. Look for information on how to join this virtual gathering in the newsletter.

In Faith,

Kathy Underwood

Dear Parents, 

I hope you are hanging in there this week and that you and your family are finding a new “norm”. If you’re not already connected to our Children and Youth Facebook page, please do! You’ll find suggestions on things to do at home and other ideas shared there. Of course, if you have something your family is doing that you’d like to share, I’d love to see it! 

This week’s VirtUUal RE session is about Palm Sunday. UU Parents have told me over the years that they feel it is important for their kids to learn about the Bible and Christianity, since it is ingrained in our society so much. Many UU parents are also hesitant to have their youngsters learn about Christianity for many reasons, such as their negative experiences growing up. One suggestion I give to parents who shy away from Biblical stories and teachings, is to frame it around your personal beliefs in a positive manner. For example, be honest when your kids ask questions about what you believe without putting down other faiths and beliefs. After all, we have those two principles that say (in kid-friendly words), “That we should accept each other and keep on learning together”, and that “each person must be free to search for what is true and right”. 

Click here to watch the video. During this video, feel free to pause when suggested, or whenever you need to, and come back to it. If you would rather read through the session, you can see it and the activities at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GjikJtBfrQSHFzZrqI3bj206MH495bshZb546YRtvRo/edit?usp=sharing 

For the activities I mention, here are the links: 

Calendar Connection:  

•    Lent (Christian) – Feb. 26 – April 9 
•     Star Trek Day – April 5 (Learn more here)
•     Vesak – Buddha’s Birthday (& Enlightenment and Death) (Buddhist) – April 8, and others  (more here)
•     Palm Sunday (Christian) – April 5

Further Reading: 

Jesus by Brian Wildsmith https://www.brianwildsmith.com/jesus 

The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith https://www.brianwildsmith.com/the-easter-story-paperback 

Forgiveness Activity and Craft: A way for kids to practice forgiveness as mentioned in Christian scripture. You can easily take out the Christian references, if desired. http://www.truthforkids.com/forgiving-others#.XoUEe4hKhPY 

Neighborhood Love Notes Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1111215548947191/ 

Send pictures of any of the things you did to me too at  kunderwood@ucevanston.org! 

For  middle school youth, you can take a virtual tour of the BAPS Mandir in Bartlett, IL. If you ever have a chance to see it in person, I highly recommend it! https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=virtual+tour+baps+temple+chicago#id=1&vid=b238e2c495cf2254feafc5ec53c4e0df&action=click 

For high school youth, join the Zoom gathering Sunday night at 7 pm. Look for an email from the advisors soon. If you do not have the link by Sunday, please reach out to Kathy Underwood at kunderwood@ucevanston.org or Mike Takada at mdtakada@gmail.com.

Another resource for families from Soul Matters,  Soulful Home: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jbGY3c6r_nGVkY5lu7yhIItX5TmOXHLvgvl1e-mAxsg/edit?usp=sharing 

And something new! Creating Sabbath: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gTS7UYSZcU9_A-W-UvBf_2gkfPgmKdA1-LTyAMAAzU8/edit?usp=sharing  

In Faith, 

Kathy Underwood 

Here is Something To Look Forward To

Though the Church has been closed, we have been fortunate that the kitchen renovation was coming to an end anyway. The final painting has been completed, a motion light activated, and a thorough cleaning of all cabinets, fixtures, and appliances was done.  Building, plumbing and electrical inspections have been done, and we passed!  Still to be done are the health and fire inspections, which will be completed once the City of Evanston conducts regular business. The health inspectors need to see how we are planning to use the kitchen, so we will initially need to stock the cabinets with about 50 boxes of old housewares currently being  stored under the stairs and the new housewares we have purchased.

There are MANY new features to look forward to in addition to the clean walls, new sinks, and several other changes:

• Thanks to a generous grant from the UCE Endowment, the Church purchased new silverware, plates, soup bowls, side plates, water pitchers, water servers, serving platters, and bowls. New plastic tumblers are on order, which will allow us to stop using the compostable cups and all the other compostable serving items that were costing the Church $5,000 annually.
• New undercounter dishwashers are now in place and have been tested. The Eco-Lab salesman came about two weeks ago and hooked up the two chemicals that are needed. The new high-temperature dishwashers work very fast and very hot. We ran a couple of loads to make sure everything works.
• The coffee maker is installed and ready to use. The new layout will make coffee service much more convenient, with no need to move hot coffeemakers out onto tables for serving that delicious Sunday morning coffee.
• New coat hooks have been installed in the storage closet, giving our kitchen volunteers a safe and clean area for storing coats.  There is a cupboard to store purses too!

There are a few minor punch list items that will be completed once we are open. We are waiting on a few orders—a stainless shelf to go over the three-sink combo, locks for a couple of cupboards, and a shelf for the east-side closet.

We are so grateful to Karen Courtright who has made over 15 butcher aprons for the kitchen. We will have a ready and clean supply every time we work. We owe Karen a big thank you for her sewing skills.

Some have taken the Illinois Food Handling Certification Course. It costs $10 and can be done online. If you are interested in doing this, please contact Carol Nielsen. We hope to have 10-15 people who have this food handling certificate. It takes about 2 hours and might be a good way to fill your time and to be available when the church is open to help with food service.

It is exciting to look forward to when are back in our building and enjoying coffee hour in our newly renovated kitchen. Thanks to everyone for their generous donation to the Capital Campaign, that offered us the opportunity to make a welcoming and lovely space both for ourselves and for future soup kitchens, and other social justice projects involving food.