by Admin | Feb 16, 2020 | Announcements(home), News (home)
Efforts are gearing up for the primary elections in March and the presidential and congressional elections in November. The UU Church of Ventura has helped to create positive change in our community throughout the years, including fighting for justice issues that we as Unitarian Universalists hold dear. The Unitarian Universalist Association’s new “UU the Vote” effort is encouraging UUs to get involved.
We at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura will provide a variety of ways to answer this call. Are you interested in finding out more or volunteering to help in any way? Come to the Jan. 12th information session or contact Jimmy V.
by Admin | Jan 1, 2020 | ATIR News, Justice Actions, News (home)
“How Deportation has banished thousands of U.S. Veterans to Mexico”
Speaker: George J. Sandoval, Vietnam War veteran and documentary film maker
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020 6pm – Berg Hall
About the topic: Mr. Sandoval has embarked on his latest project taking him to Tijuana to film and interview U.S. military veterans deported by our government. Mr. Sandoval joins a growing number of American elected representatives, veterans and civil liberties groups demanding justice for military veterans and to Bring the Deported Veterans Home! 
Thousands of veterans of the U.S. armed forces have been unceremoniously deported. Many are combat veterans who sustained physical wounds and emotional trauma in conflicts going back to the war in Vietnam. Many were decorated for their service. But service records notwithstanding, the U.S. has seen fit to kick them out of the country they swore to defend. The largest number of these veterans live exiled in the border cities of Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
The vast majority had been in the United States lawfully for decades and long ago lost any ties to the nations in which they were born. Many do not speak Spanish, and Mexico is a foreign land far from home.
Our federal government failed to ensure that service members were naturalized during military careers, or shortly thereafter, although nearly all deported veterans were eligible to naturalize during their service. Deportations have denied veterans comprehensive medical care they would receive in the U.S., leaving many to die or suffer. Nearly all deported veterans have left behind families who have struggled with the absence of a spouse, sibling, parent or child.
About George J. Sandoval: Mr. Sandoval is the executive director and founder of the non-profit Oxnard Film Society. In 2015, He produced and co-curated the exhibit, We Remember- Ventura County to Vietnam and Back, for the Museum of Ventura County, which included a memorial wall honoring the 114 soldiers from Ventura County who died in the war. From 2001-2014 he was a member and past president of the Ojai Film Society. He has produced and directed numerous documentaries including El Campo: A Brief History of the Piru Labor Camp built during the Bracero Program; The Chinese in Ventura County; Oxnard -The Changing Face of an American City; and The Moment a 30-min. film in collaboration with writer/poet Aram Saroyan.
by Admin | Dec 21, 2019 | In Memoriam, News (home)
12/20/19 – Bobbie Schoenherr, our last founding member of the church, died this morning. There will be a memorial service in the new year. To view Bobbie talking about the history of UUCV – its inception and early years, click the link below.
Her decline was quick this week after she went to the ER Sunday evening with abdominal pain.Her daughter Catherine and son Rick were with her almost constantly throughout. Many folks from the church visited. Catherine told me how grateful she was to us all because the church meant so very much to Bobbie. Video interview here>>
As the Solstice approaches, may we lean into the darkness and remember our loved ones, including Bobbie who has been such a steady presence in our community for more than 60 years.
In sorrow and gratitude,
Rev. Dana
by Admin | Dec 3, 2019 | Climate Action, News (home)
Environmental Tips: Recycling Soft/Film Plastics
It’s easier than we thought! The Mendelsohn family will no longer be collecting your soft, otherwise known as film, plastics to take them to Santa Paula’s curbside recycling program. Santa Paula’s recyclables are now taken to Oxnard’s Del Norte transfer station, which does not recycle the film plastics. The bin in the church kitchen will be removed as of December 1 because every one of us can now simply drop them off on our regular shopping trips! Sprouts, WinCo, Vons, Target and Kohl’s send them on their journey to become outdoor decking, fencing and furniture products manufactured in the USA by the socially and environmentally responsible company, Trex.
Of course, reducing and reusing is always preferred to recycling, so do that first, but when you find yourself ready to recycle, know that there are many film plastics that can find a new life with Trex. These include grocery bags, bread bags, case overwrap (e.g., around toilet paper rolls), dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, wood pellet bags, produce bags, air pillows, bubble wrap, shrink wrap, salt bags, and cereal bags. Zip-top bags are acceptable only if they do not have a lining. Plastic shipping envelopes, padded or not, are acceptable but not combos of paper and plastic.
All film plastics should be 99% dry and clean. You should rinse out and dry zip-top bags, but with all others it’s more like a shake out the crumbs level of cleaning.
Trex explained a good way to feel for the HDPE #2 and LDPE #4 types of plastic that are accepted, because they won’t always display the symbol/number, is to stretch the plastic with your finger. If it leaves a finger dimple, then it’s good.
Some items NOT acceptable are biodegradable/compostable bags, frozen entree wrappers and other plastics that are shiny, crinkly, and rip easily/straight, as well as foil-lined chip/snack/energy bar bags/wrappers, and pet food bags. Trex is counting on us to properly sort and only submit these accepted film plastics!
Other types slow down their process, cost more to burn off of the correct plastics, and jeopardize the entire film plastic recycling program of the submitting store! We will install posters (available from here: https://www.trex.com/recycling/recycling-programs/) in the church kitchen, and other places, to help you get used to this new way of caring for the Earth! Oxnard is hoping that their transfer station can also become a collection post for the Trex program; and Ventura has started promoting this rapidly growing way to divert our waste from landfills, via social media and in the press: https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2019/11/10/eco-tip-update-effects-grocery-bag-law/2549735001/.
By Mark Mendelsohn and Celia Ortenberg
Please print these to post on your refrigerator!
by Admin | Nov 27, 2019 | News (home), Notes from President's Desk
The Holiday Season is upon us and with it the many feelings and emotions that usually accompany this season of hope. This is a time to be reflective as individuals and as a faith community. It is a time to cherish family and friends. A time to remember the blessings of the year now passing and to consider the possibilities for the year ahead. Here are some things that we can say about where we are now.
We are moving along with creating our next 5-Year Plan thanks to the work of the 545 Task Force following the speed visioning event held last month. Committees and teams have begun working on writing specific goals based on the information gathered over the past year. It looks like our new Plan is shaping up to be a road map to boldness in the coming years.
Some other highlights from this year include:
- Adding Jimmy Vasquez to our staff as Membership Coordinator.
- Beloved Conversations began last year, and this year will be hosted by our congregation.
- The Auction was a great success with lots of fun for everyone.
- Our parking lot is scheduled to be re-coated the end of January.
- The Art Gallery in the Green Room is a constant source of inspiration.
- A Capital Campaign started to fund a sound system for the sanctuary.
- We have expanded our circle of relationships.
Most importantly the UUCV has changed lives for the better. We do that every day of the year with our Lift Up Your Voice advocacy, with our Safe Sleep overnight parking, and with our Inreach/Outreach program of giving away the Sunday Plate to other non-profits and folks in need. We make a difference by donating food each Sunday to Project Understanding; by supporting River Haven; and by providing support to numerous organizations that use our facility for meetings. And those are only some of the things that we do at the UUCV!
Please take a moment to read the letters of thanks and appreciation from those receiving our gifts. They can be found on the bulletin board by the copy machine. This then is the work of Unitarian Universalism where our first principal states : “We affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.” That’s a message for every season! Finally, on behalf of the Board of Trustees,
Happy Holidays to Everyone! Thank you especially to our Staff, to Rev. Dana Worsnop, Congregational Administrator Jennifer Luce, Music Director Carolyn Bjerke, A/V Technician Brian Fortune, DRE Emily Carroll, Membership Coordinator Jimmy Vasquez, and to all of the RE Aides for all that you do in support of the UUCV. We have much for which to be grateful.
May peace and joy be yours this season.
Bryan Buck, President
by Admin | Nov 27, 2019 | News (home)
Holiday Season Schedule
- Dec. 1 – Everyday Awe
Gregory Carrow-Boyd, guest speaker and Worship Associates Jim Merrill and Maura Raffensperger. Greg is a religious educator and Aspirant for the UU Ministry. He is on the Board of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
- Dec. 8 – Too Many Holidays: Surviving December in America
Rev. Dana Worsnop and Worship Associate Joe Hutchins. We’ll celebrate the last day of Chalica and oh-so-many other holidays.
- Dec. 15 – One More Redeemer
Music Sunday. Rev. Dana Worsnop, Carolyn Bjerke and Worship Associate Krista Mendelsohn.
- Dec. 22 – A Light Shines Beyond Fear
Rev. Dana Worsnop and Worship Associate Maura Raffensperger. Dec. 24 • 5:30pm – Making Room at the Inn: a Las Posadas Christmas Eve (Bring the whole family) Rev Dana Worsnop, Carolyn Bjerke, and Worship Associate Sue Brinkmeyer.
- Dec. 24 • 9:30 pm – We Will Seek A Quiet Awe
Lessons and Carols at a more contemplative service Rev. Dana, and Worship Associate Jim Merrill.
- Dec. 29 – Offer our Love-Power and Heal.
Guest speaker Roberto Vargas and Worship Associates Joe Hutchins and Andy Edgar-Beltran.
Dr. Roberto Vargas, organizational psychologist, planning consultant, and leadership coach works with proactive organizations throughout the country assisting them to be their best. Author of the book, Family Activism, Roberto’s current focus is encouraging activists to recognize the role of radical love to create the billion miracles required to ensure a sustainable human society and Mother Earth
