First U's Chili Cook-Off

First U’s Chili Cook-Off was a red hot success.  We had a wonderful variety of entries, including white, vegetarian, Cincinnati-style, Southwestern, bean, and authentic Texas chilies. The dinner was sponsored by the LLPC as part of the Stewardship Committee’s Pledge Day on Saturday.  More than 80 people sampled from 11 choices of chili.  Thank you to the many  people who helped organize, set-up, and clean-up.  Special thanks to our chefs:

Sue Popinchaulk         Aunt Linda’s Chili (1st Place)

Sue Shaw                    Southwest Chicken Chili (2^nd Place)

Linda Wyatt                Pork with Black & Pink Bean Chili (3^rd Place)

Lee Reid                     Three Bean Vegetarian Chili (1^st Place Vegetarian, 4th Place Overall)

Jay Lavelle                 Texas Red

Madeline Silva           White Chili, The Virgin Bride

Tom Crowley              Texas Red

Alison Barrows Ronn Vegetable Chili Con Tempeh

Gini Johnson               Hacienda Chili

Jesse Anderson           Vegan “Fast Food” Chili

Ken Mandile               Spicy Cincinnati-Style Chili

Sue has graciously allowed us to disclose her winning recipe:

Aunt Linda’s Chili

2 lbs. Lean ground beef
4 med. onions (2 cups chopped)
2 med. green peppers (2 cups chopped)
1 12-14 oz. package of kielbasa, cubed
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
5 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ketchup
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans red beans (drained and rinsed)
1 tsp hot sauce (or more to taste)

Sauté ground beef, onion, and peppers.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2 hours.

Race and Recism Through Page and Screen

Race and Racism
Through Page and Screen

Led by the Rev. Sarah C. Stewart
The First Unitarian Church in Worcester

What can we do about racism today? It is clear to us that the struggle for racial equality and justice in our country continues. Especially if we identify as White people, we need more opportunities to understand racism and explore what steps we can take to become anti-racist allies.

This book and movie discussion will invite us to explore race and racism in America through novels, essays, feature films and documentaries. We will explore historical moments and our present realities. We will follow themes from work to work: What is beautiful? How are dark-skinned bodies treated in America? How can racial equality be pursued and achieved? What has changed since the Civil Rights Movement, and what work remains to be done? As people of faith, what can we do?

These discussions are for all members and friends of First Unitarian Church, of all racial identities. Feel free to bring your friends—no formal connection to the church is needed. They are open to adults and youth, although youth will need permission to watch R-rated movies. You can attend one or all of the discussions. Of course, the more sessions you attend, the fuller your experience will be.

We’ll meet in the Landers Room. All discussions take place at 7 p.m. on Monday nights throughout the church year. Feature films will be screened the night before their discussion, on a Sunday night at 7 p.m. Feel free to attend the movie screening (popcorn and some themes to think about overnight will be provided) or to watch the movie on your own.

At the end of the year, we’ll conclude with a worship service and an opportunity to think about next steps. I look forward to gathering with you for these important conversations.

Race and Racism
Through Page and Screen

All gatherings begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Landers Room

September 28               Book Discussion           The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

October 25                    Movie Screening           Do the Right Thing (rated R)

October 26                    Movie Discussion         Do the Right Thing

November 9                  Book Discussion           Between the World and Me
by Ta-Nehisi Coates

December 6                  Movie Screening           Slumdog Millionaire (rated R)

December 7                  Movie Discussion         Slumdog Millionaire

December 14                Book Discussion           Faces in the Bottom of the Well
by Derek Bell

January 10                    Movie Screening           West Side Story (Unrated)

January 11                    Movie Discussion         West Side Story

January 25                    Book Discussion           The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

February 7                    Movie Screening           Caesar Chavez (rated PG-13)

February 8                    Movie Discussion         Cancelled due to snowstorm

February 22                  Movie Discussion          Caesar Chavez

March 13                      Movie Screening           12 Years a Slave

March 14                      Movie Discussion         12 Years a Slave

April 11                        Movie Discussion         The Death of Josseline

April 25                        Documentary Screening and Discussion
                                     Race: The Power of an Illusion: The Difference Between Us

May 9                           Documentary Screening and Discussion
                                     Race: The Power of an Illusion: The Story we Tell

May 23                          Documentary Screening and Discussion

                                     Race: The Power of an Illusion: The House We Live In

June 6                            Closing Worship Service    

HYGIENE KIT PROJECT

HYGIENE Kit Project for Pledge Day

We at First Unitarian are planning a service project of making HYGIENE KITS for refugee children/families facing disaster or crisis.  Each kit contains a toothbrush, a bar of soap, a hand towel and a fingernail clipper.  The kits are packaged and distributed in a useful, double-drawstring cloth bag (11" x 16").  We will be sewing the bags and collecting the contents on Saturday, October 3, 2015 from 11 AM to 3 PM.  They will be distributed by Mennonite Central Committee, a non-profit agency providing relief, service, and peace services to people facing disaster or crisis.

Last year MCC distributed 45,167 hygiene kits to people in Jordan, Syria, Honduras, Lebanon, Haiti, Ukraine, Iraq, the U.S and other countries. See

http://mcc.org/get-involved/kits   There is still an urgent need for hygiene kits to offer comfort to families in crisis around the world.  This is a great project to do with children!

Please bring kit contents (dark-colored hand towel, 1 toothbrush, 1 bar bath soap, 1 nail clipper, all in original packaging) to the Bancroft Room Kit Display Board anytime from now until October 3.  Also bring lengths of material (unfinished size is 38" x 12 ½") for sewing the cloth bags on October 3rd.  You may also bring $12, if you prefer, and we will shop for the kit contents.  The Hygiene Kits are a tangible way to share God's love and compassion, reminding people that they are not forgotten.   

Thank You!

Please contact Cindy Cordova (cgrnc2@yahoo.com) or Marjorie Ropp (508-752-8373) for more information

Sisters,

Summer is winding down and it’s time to get back to our regular activities.  Our Sisterhood ingathering meeting is just around the corner.  As we do every year, we will use this meeting to catch up with old friends, reminisce about our summer activities and most importantly get to the task of setting our calendar for the year.  Many of you have probably sent ideas to Madeline already and she will let us know what those were.  In addition, we will be rounding out the calendar with ideas from the floor.  Please come to share your good ideas.

So far we have:

- Christmas Caroling to area Nursing Homes (Gini Johnson, December Date to be determined)

- Cream Puff Making Demonstration (This was DJ's Allen-Rice's Auction Item that the Sisters bid on and won and DJ was gracious enough to agree to do at the church!) No date set yet.

  

- Pumpkin Pie Filling Making Field Trip to Flavor First Foods in West Bridgewater. Fun day to make and package our delicious pumpkin pie filling to sell as our fundraiser for our Annual Retreat. Suggestions have been made to expand our selections to other pie filling!! Date TBD but before Thanksgiving.

As always we will have a bountiful potluck dinner with fellowship and program to follow.

- Tour of Swissturn/USA  - world class manufacturing plant owned by Ken and Diane Mandile

We will meet on Friday September 18^th.    People begin to gather around 6:00  and dinner is served at 6:30.  Please bring a dish to share.  All women of the church are welcome to attend.