You may be wondering: What happened to the ideas for church-wide service and engagement that were generated at the "Revival" in October? Well, our Social Justice Steering Committee (SJSC) has decided to focus on three projects for at least the rest of the year. If you are interested in joining these projects, please contact the listed coordinators. Mutual Aid/Helping Hands Coordinators: Ian Mosher, Leah Evison, Jane Howard Congregants need help at different times with different challenges. How can we support one another? For now, we are hoping to develop a pilot program to match congregants who can offer rides to church with those who need rides. The SJSC will host a learning station after each service on February 22 to answer questions and enroll interested congregants in this “Share-A-Ride” pilot program . The committee also may organize a book group to talk about Dean Spade's Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) . We realize we all have a lot to learn about mutual aid as an alternative to charity. Eckstein Student Support Coordinators: Emily Joseph and Patricia Graesser Many of the students who attend our neighborhood middle school are from low-income households. We are collaborating with social workers at Eckstein to determine needs (probably food and clothing, and perhaps laundry services). With the help of our Coming of Age youth, we envision a first step: building storage shelves in the church. Activism and Advocacy Coordinators: Catherine Ruha and Walter Hatch You may have noticed, or even joined, the congregants holding “Side with Love” signs and singing pro-justice songs on the sidewalk outside UUC on several Sundays. Along with our Acting for Racial Justice Team we hope to help organize more vigils like these. In addition, the Activism and Advocacy group is also focused—for now—on three additional efforts: Organizing UUC efforts to monitor ICE activities and support threatened neighbors. We expect to collaborate with the Church Council and the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) . Lobbying the state Legislature on behalf of bills that reflect UU values. We are working primarily with the Faith Action Network . One example of legislation we are backing is HB 2266 , which would promote housing for the homeless by requiring cities to allow permanent supportive, transitional, and indoor emergency housing in residential zones, and shelters in hotel zones. It prohibits local ordinances that block such efforts. Mobilizing in the spring to remind the Seattle City Council that a budget is a moral document. We intend to work with the Church Council to support social services and housing. While the Social Justice Steering Committee has launched these projects for the current church year, we acknowledge that some, if not all of them, may continue into the following (2026–7) year. Please join us!

Sunday, February 22, 9–10:30 a.m. at East Shore Unitarian Church

Thursday, February 26, 7:00–8:45 p.m. in the Knatvold room

Thank you to those of you who showed up for The Road Ahead 2026 meeting on February 8. We had a very engaged audience of forty-plus, with thoughtful questions. (It was a quite respectable showing given competing other meetings and Super Bowl party preparations!) Here's what we covered: Key milestones through this church year and into the next and an update on the search process and timeline for welcoming our new senior minister. A framework for thinking about stewardship and what that means to each of us. A recap of our financial situation now and a high-level view of the UUC budget for the coming year. An introduction of and remarks from Tamar Lively, our new Executive for Finance and Operations A preview of the 2026 annual giving campaign and why that is so critical to the health of UUC. For those of you who were not able to attend, it's not too late to learn more: Look through the presentation slides To watch the video recording of the meeting, please contact the church office . If you have questions, please contact Kathleen Cromp . We are all stewards of UUC!

Week Five of 30 Days of Love is live! This week’s theme is Exploring Possibilities. This week is the final week of 30 Days of Love. We hope that you have found these weekly offerings a meaningful way to reflect on your life and on this moment in the world. Please take a moment to share what you’ve found helpful by emailing Rev. Victoria or Morgan. India Harris from UU the Vote 2026 writes, “How do we lean into the unknown while remaining rooted in our values? This is the tension at the heart of our faith, calling us both to question boldly and to remain grounded in our commitment to justice, equity, and the inherent worth of every person. This work demands courage. It asks us to experiment with new programs, new partnerships, and new ways of being in community, knowing that some efforts will flourish while others will teach us through failure. Program development becomes spiritual practice when we approach it with humility and a willingness to learn.” Check out the offerings for this week : a reflection from India Harris, UU the Vote 2026 Lead; an original coloring sheet; a theological conversation with Rev. Joanna Fontaine Crawford, a meditative body practice, multiple activities for families to do together; and a journal worksheet to reflect on this week's theme. With love, Rev. Victoria and Morgan Rev. Victoria Poling is our Acting Associate Minister for Community Engagement Morgan Sherwood is our Congregational Engagement Coordinator