by UPB Editor, October 04, 2023
*UPDATE 10/20/23: The Legacy Giving workshops will be postponed. We will not be meeting on the dates below. Stay tuned for the new dates which will be announced soon. Once again the Legacy Giving team has put together a series of after church workshops on end of life planning. Last year’s series was very well received. We’ve made a few improvements based on the feedback. The series will be better than ever. Some of the topics we will be covering are: wills, medical directives, power of attorney, speaking with family members, choosing an executor, planning a funeral and ‘so much… Read More
by UPB Editor, October 04, 2023
We can take your gold and sterling silver. Do you have single cufflinks or earrings? Maybe broken or unrepairable chains, necklaces or bracelets? You can donate them to Thrifty Threads. One item may not be worth you going to sell it, but if Thrifty Threads has a bagful of gold and silver, we can sell it to benefit United Parish. Thank you doing good in the community!… Read More
by UPB Editor, October 04, 2023
Thanks to our wonderful volunteers Adele and Amalia, Thrifty Threads is able to share our donation numbers for the month! We are proud to announce that approximately 1,764 pounds of clothing (168 bags) and an additional 3 boxes of household items were kept out of the landfill and made their way to community members in need. To determine the average weight per bag, Adele and Amalia took 6 random bags to Harvard Cleaners. They were each weighed, and the average weight per bag was calculated to be around 10.5 pounds. The charity groups who received these donations included Dominican Immigrants… Read More
by UPB Editor, October 04, 2023
After our satisfying and exploratory experience using a teen book to discuss issues we care about, Growing Grandparents are beginning a three month study of both teenage sexuality and gender issues, as well as mental health concerns, using Lily and Dunkin by Susan Gephart. This is an award-winning book about a transgender girl and a boy with bipolar disorder, finding themselves and friendship in their first year at a new high school. We’ll explore some of the questions we all have, including those which will come up as part of our grandparenting experience. The book is $8, and you can… Read More
by UPB Editor, October 04, 2023
It’s time for our fall membership series, when we offer special programming for those in our community who have become repeat visitors and who might be interested in joining United Parish as members. For the first event, we invite you to join us for a 30-45 minute tour of the building after worship on Sunday, October 29 and get a chance to explore parts of the building you maybe haven’t seen, and hear more about what sort of activities happen there! October 29, after worship – Tour (meet in Marion St. lobby outside main office) November 5, 12:30-2pm in the… Read More
by UPB Editor, September 22, 2023
After a hiatus due to COVID, we are thrilled to be able to bring back a beloved United Parish tradition to share with our community. We will be holding the Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, November 23 at 1pm. As you may remember, we extend a community-wide invitation to this annual sit-down dinner, which brings in around 175-200 people every year. For many, this is their only chance at a family-style traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Therefore, we will need many volunteers and lots of food donations. We will have opportunities for people to donate food, flowers, kitchen items, and their time… Read More
by UPB Editor, September 22, 2023
September was a super busy and exciting month for Thrifty Threads! We welcomed many new shoppers as students recently returned to their college campuses. Many large donation pickups and drop offs took place this month thanks to the coordination efforts of Rachel, Louise, Adele, Ari and Anita. Second Chances, Solutions at Work, Dominican Immigrants Group, and Zion Cares Foster Closet all received clothing donations this month. We have upcoming donation pickups for Catie’s Closet and Cambridge Women’s Center. Thrifty Threads is also directing some monthly store proceeds to UNICEF to support recovery efforts in Morocco and The Hunger Ride in… Read More
by UPB Editor, September 21, 2023
The Gathering Team is seeking folks who can help with coffee hour before and after church one Sunday a month. It involves coming and hour early to set up, and bringing some food…baked at home or purchased, including fruit, cheese, and snacks. All can be reimbursed. After church and most folks have left, the food and dishes need to be cleared away and washed (we have a dishwasher!) It’s a great way to help that is flexible and fun! Contact gathering@upbrookline.org, or call Mary M. for more info…. Read More
by UPB Editor, September 21, 2023
Join the Mental Health Committee for discussions about mental health and our Christian faith inspired by the book Held by Barbara F. Meyers. More about the book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55723149. We are offering three discussion groups: the first on October 1 after worship. This will be an introduction to the topic and book. We will have some copies of the book for you to read throughout the month. For the second and third discussion groups on October 15 and 29 (also after worship), we will use the discussion guide in the book, diving deeper into sharing our stories and learning about mental health… Read More
by UPB Editor, September 15, 2023
GBIO (Greater Boston Interfaith Organization) Faith / Power / Action There are two exciting opportunities coming up soon, to get involved with GBIO’s current work at both the state and local levels. State Level – Housing Justice Campaign GBIO’s Housing Justice Campaign is campaigning for more funding for affordable and public housing, more opportunities in training for mental health careers, and service for persons returning from incarceration. This fall is when we set up “In-District Meetings” with the state senator and representatives whose districts include Brookline, and seek their commitment to these justice issues. Join us for a training on September… Read More
