Salt and Light Volunteer Opportunity: a reflection by Michele Grove

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Dear friends,

This year Emily McKown, UUCUC’s youth coordinator created a work project for the Monday of Martin Luther King, Jr’s Holiday weekend.  She encouraged us to look at the Monday of Martin Luther King Jr’s holiday weekend as a day ON – not a day OFF. It became a wonderful day with more than 20 people volunteering at Salt & Light Ministries. We had a true multi-generational event!

Salt & Light Ministries will be UUCUC’s shared offering for February 2020 thanks to the recommendation of the YRUU (Young Radical Unitarian Universalists 9th-12th graders). The opportunity to learn more about their good work and participate as a volunteer enhanced my enthusiasm for their ministry to the Urbana-Champaign area. We gathered for lunch and then had the privilege of an orientation and tour led by Lisa Sheltra, the Director of Community Engagement, who provided the team with an orientation to Salt & Light’s Mission. It is an inspiring program for the Urbana-Champaign community. 

I have loved the work of Salt & Light but did not fully understand their mission until our visit.  Many of the people who volunteer with Salt & Light receive credits they can use to purchase much needed items.  It is a system that allows for people to be a part of the great work of this organization while also receiving much needed necessities.  Lisa told us that we can help in the following ways:

  1.  Donate goods to be sold (household, clothing, etc).  If you are unsure if the clothing is in good shape, donate it anyway because they recycle tons of clothing each month.
  2. Shop at Salt & Light.  When you shop, you support their mission and bring much needed funds to their program.
  3. Volunteer
  4. Support monetarily

In February, we will give from our own generosity.  I also hope that each of us can choose to do one more thing to support Salt & Light – with our feet and with our choice.  As your interim director of religious education, I plan to make a special effort to shop at Salt & Light for all the supplies we need for religious education during the month of February. 

How about you?  How will support this organization that is working hard to support our community? 

In faith,

Michele Grove, IDRE