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Outreach
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Transitional Housing Project |
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The Hyde Park Transitional Housing Project (HPTHP) provides
housing, in local apartments, and a stable, supportive mentoring
environment for up to two years for homeless families who are working
on improving or developing the skills necessary to live independently.
Financial support for HPTHP comes from local congregations, their
members, and from other members of the Hyde Park and Kenwood community,
plus from some local businesses. The volunteer mentors, who meet with
the client families virtually every week, are caring members of the
Hyde Park and Kenwood Community, who have participated in mentor
training and who work with the volunteer Case Manager to further client
skill development and goal achievement. A major strength of HPTHP is
in the positive relationship which develops between mentors and the
families they are supporting.
HPTHP is an Illinois non-profit corporation with Section 501(c
)(3) status under the Internal Revenue Code. It currently has the
financial and mentoring resources to serve two families transitioning
from homelessness to independent living. For furher information one
may write to
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. Contributions may be sent to HPTHP c/o University Church, 5655 S. University Ave., Chicago, IL 60637.
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Hyde Park and Kenwood Interfaith Council |
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The Hyde Park and Kenwood Interfaith Council (HPKIFC), formed in 1911,
is an association of religious and spiritual communities, seminaries
and service organizations which intentionally cooperate to foster just
and compassionate relationships and interconnections. This is done by:
promoting mutual understanding and respect through interfaith experiences of sharing, dialogue and learning;
seeking peace and healing for Hyde Park and Kenwood and the world by
strengthening and supporting community service and social and
environmental justice efforts.
HPKIFC annually organizes a community Thanksgiving Day Worship Service
at Rockefeller Chapel, administered the local hunger programs for over
two decades, and is currently in the process of doing strategic
planning around 1) Building Interfaith Relationships, Education and
Communication, 2) Healing Relationships in the Community and World
through Social Service and Social Justice, and 3) Outreach to Member
Organizations and Building Infrastructure and Organization
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Social Mission Task Force |
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What is the Social Mission Task Force?
It is a group of people who have been selected to develop the process for finding ways to put our money where our mouths are. The Board decided that it is important for First U. to actively, financially support organizations and projects which take our mission into the larger world. The Congregation affirmed this goal in the Annual Meeting.
Who are Task Force members?
Andy Greenlee, Rev. Nina Grey (ex officio), Madeiria Myrieckes, Ken Schug, and Lara Tushla is the convener.
How are we gathering funds?
The un-identified plate offerings on the 3rd Sunday of the month will be committed to the Social Mission project grants
How will grant recipients be selected?
This is where we need your help... The Task Force decided that in order to make meaningful grants, we would combine the donations for 3 months and distribute quarterly. We selected the efforts of the Katrina CAREvan as the first recipient. To date we have also supported: Hyde Park Kenwood Hunger Programs, Affinity Social Services, Hyde Park Transitional Housing Project, Blue Gargoyle, and Blackstone Bicycles. To ensure that this project is effective and reflects the commitment of the members of First Unitarian, we need your ideas.
Do you have an organization or project that you would like to nominate for a possible grant? If so, there are several ways you can put their "hat in the ring:" identify the organization/project on this paper, tell a member of the Task Force, or email me (
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).
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 Sometimes all it takes to make a difference is to start. What began as a conversation about a news story became two weeks of hard work, friendship, sweat, aching bodies, kindness, cold showers, appreciation, learning, and joy. 27 members of First U, along with some friends from other Midwest churches, drove to New Orleans and spent one week in July, one in August, doing what we could to help out with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the floods that followed.
We were fortunate to be housed in the Volunteer Center at First Unitarian Universalist Church in New Orleans. Their second floor classroom area had not been flooded (though the first floor had been under about four feet of water for several weeks), and they had, with the assistance of other volunteers, made dormitory space and a full kitchen to house anybody who came to work, as no cost to the volunteers. The UU church of Baton Rouge provided volunteer coordination and directed us to places where we could do the most good. During the two weeks our crews spent there we: gutted three houses; talked with a number of New Orleans residents to learn about how things really are for them, and how we could be of real service; moved the boards from 1st UU’s pews so they could begin to think about worshipping in their own sanctuary again; ate wonderful food prepared by the fabulous cooks who were part of our work groups; put in a garden at the front of the church; gutted one building and tore down a garage and other outbuildings so a group could create a new community center; toured the Lower Ninth Ward to see firsthand the devastation that most of us had only seen on television; ate a wonderful gumbo prepared by loving 1st UU church members; put in emergency lights on the church’s 1st floor; took apart the remains of the church organ; ENJOYED the cold showers; worshiped together; went out a few nights to help the tourist industry; were enlightened, discouraged, thanked, exhausted, inspired, grateful, and changed forever.
It is difficult to describe the experience we had, because for most of us, even those who had been in the Peace Corps or done other volunteer work in less than ideal conditions, this was all new. It began as a conversation. It ended, for most of us, as an understanding that living our faith is the most rewarding work we can ever do.
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Outreach 