Other Initiatives
Bethlehem Inn
Since 2008 UUFCO volunteers have prepared and served a healthy meal once a month for up to 100 residents of the Bethlehem Inn, Central Oregon’s largest emergency homeless shelter. Located in Bend, Bethlehem Inn provides a warm, safe place to sleep, nourishing meals, and case management services for adults and children experiencing homelessness. Bethlehem Inn’s mission is to transform lives with shelter, help and hope. UUFCO dedicates the Christmas Eve service collection to Bethlehem Inn every year. In 2017-18, we prepared and served over 1,000 meals and donated $3,066 to Bethlehem Inn. See volunteer opportunities.
Jericho Table
Since 2015, UUFCO volunteers have provided and served pizza meals on the third Saturday of the month to the homeless population in Redmond in cooperation with the Jericho Road Assistance Group. In 2015-16 UUFCO volunteers served 280 meals and contributed more than $700 to Jericho Table.
Greater Community Collections (GCC)
For the past 10 years UUFCO has given a monthly offering to a designated organization from the greater community to honor their work and assist them in carrying out their goals. Recipients are non-profit organizations and non-discriminatory providers of services whose work is consistent with our UU principles. The first collection was for Habitat for Humanity Faith Build in October of 2006. Since then, 67 different organizations have been recipients of our offerings. Since 2008, the collection for December has been dedicated to Bethlehem Inn. To nominate an organization fill out the Greater Community Collection Nomination Form.
Additional Initiatives
Other initiatives supported by UUFCO Social Justice Committee members are Health Care for all Oregon, Move to Amend, and Environmental Sustainability. Our congregation is part of the Interfaith Network of Central Oregon, and we have participated in the planning team for the Interfaith Thanksgiving service, which we hosted in 2015. We have hosted the Latino Community Association's Empowering Families Luncheon annually for the past two years. We participate in Central Oregon Pride, sponsored by the Human Dignity Coalition. We also have a UUFCO Social Justice email list that informs interested members and friends about upcoming events and legislative actions.