Phishing Alert! Scammer Targeting UUSM Members – Again!

Dear UUSM congregants:

 

If you have received an email from president.uusm@gmail.com, minister.uusm@gmail.com, or another unusual gmail address, it is a scam by someone who would love to relieve you of some of your cash. Refrain from responding by email or from clicking on attachments sent from unknown email addresses.

 

Official church emails come only from uusm.org email addresses not gmail addresses. Personal emails from members may come from any email address.

 

Always, if the content of any email sounds a little uncharacteristic of sender, it’s probably phishing.

 

May you have a phish-free day,

Jacki

• Open your Gmail inbox and click to open the phishing message.
• Click or tap the three-dot “More” menu next to the Reply button.
• Click or tap “Report phishing” to open the pop-up window, then click “Report phishing.” The message is forwarded to the Gmail Team.

Also, users of any email program can report the emails to the federal government by forwarding the messages to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org and to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

October UUSM Generous Congregation Supports the UU Service Committee’s Hurricane Dorian Relief

TO GIVE RIGHT NOW TEXT $10 GCC TO 844-982-0209

Our practice here at UUSM is to dedicate 40% of our non-pledge Sunday offerings to organizations doing work in the world that advances our Unitarian Universalist principles; 60% of the offering is used to support the life of our church. This month, 40% of our Sunday offerings will go to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) to support their Hurricane Dorian Relief fund.

 

UUSC has spent 80 years providing help to those who have struggled against unjust power structures, governments, and systems. They’ve devoted their resources to assisting those who are rendered powerless due to xenophobia, racism, and bigotry.

 

Hurricane Dorian has brought to light incredible underlying inequities on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. Thousands of Haitian migrants live in large shantytowns. Working low-wage jobs, they live in poverty and are often mistreated and exploited due to language barriers and their undocumented status.

 

UUSC will partner with local groups to assess the greatest threats survivors face and put together an emergency crisis response. They’ll focus especially on the Haitian migrant community on Abaco Island and other groups most likely to fall through the cracks of traditional rescue and relief efforts. As in any emergency response, UUSC also works to plan for long-term relief and equitable recovery—part of their ongoing work with those displaced by the climate crisis. For more information, visit the UUSC website.

 

UUSM’s Generous Congregation supports our church community. And together, we uplift the reach and impact of vital organizations doing work we could not do on our own.

 

Please consider supporting the mission of our church, and the UU Service Committee’s efforts to aid vulnerable communities affected by Hurricane Dorian. To give right now, text “$10 GCC” to 844-982-0209. (One-time-only credit card registration required.)

 

 

Notes on Camp 2019

Worship in the PinesWhen our Santa Monica church community began arriving at Camp De Benneville Pines on Friday, September 13, there were people who had not missed a camp in years, people who had never been to camp, and many more who enjoyed camp as often as they could. So many of us being there together made for a great time.

 

We have a unique advantage in that our church is one of the many members of the Pacific Southwest District that owns De Benneville.  The mid-September weekend that has been our private slice of time has continued to flourish as a moment for people to slow down and spend some time together in the woods.

 

what to do at campCamp was filled with workshops and activities for all ages. The stalwart tie-dye station for creating unique clothing was a popular spot for making DIY souvenirs, and go-karts could be seen rolling down the campus roads. There was music on the deck, at the fire circle, and often in Homet Lodge all weekend.

 

There were crafts — friendship bracelets and duct-tape wallets. There were hikes — to Jenks Lake, to the Fairy Forest, and an enigmatic short stroll to a meditative walk through the labyrinth.

 

There were meals.  A always, the kitchen at Camp De Benneville fed us like beloved family, and we feasted.

 

We were also fortunate to have both our new minister, Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae, and our new Director of Religious Exploration, Cleo Anderson, join us to add to the mix and spend time relaxing together.

 

Camp Dean Amy Brunell did an exceptional job of organizing the camp committee. Dedicated volunteers Linda van Lighten, Karl Lisovsky, Sunni Pavlovic, Chela Metzger, Joyce Holmen, and Judith Martin-Straw all made their best efforts to make sure everyone had a good time.

 

The committee offered big thanks and gratitude to Camp Director, Janet James, and Camp Development Director, Jackie Weber, for keeping the lights on in all the most important ways. There were thanks to all the campers who made the weekend so family-flavored, so low-key leisurely, and so religiously relaxing.

 

We will have to do it again, and again. Join us (again) next year.

 

-- Judith Martin Straw

 

[For more images of this year's camp weekend, see http://news.uusm.org/notes-on-camp-2019/ ]