News of the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Women October 2013
Staats Memorial Fund Accepting Grant Proposals Deadline: October 31 The Margaret Rich Staats Memorial Fund is accepting proposals for funding in early 2014. The Staats Fund is a committee of the UMW and supports programs and projects that help others, particularly children. Priority will be given to organizations in the greater DC area and to organizations where Metropolitan members are actively engaged (as volunteers, supporters, etc.). Send proposals by Thursday, October 31 by email to MetroUMW@gmail.com. Feel free to contact Suzanne Vieth at the same address for recommendations on proposal content.
AARP Meeting Monday, October 21, 12:30 p.m. Vestry Chris DeYoung from the George Washington University Health Care Counseling Project will speak about the Affordable Care Act and its impact on seniors. Social time is at 12:30 p.m., and the meeting starts at 1:00. Refreshments will be served.
NEW at the BAZAAR—Alternative Gifts Boutique This Christmas, don’t give the predictable candle or scarf for your impossible-to-buy-for sister. (She doesn’t really NEED anything anyway.) Instead, turn to the UMW Alternative Gift Boutique to solve all your gift-buying dilemmas. Here’s how it works: Shoppers donate to any of eight UMW-supported charities. The donation, in the amount of $10, $25, $50 or more, is made in honor of your intended gift recipient. A card comes with each donation, so you can explain your gift to Sis. We’ve chosen charities that UMW has already vetted and supports through our annual budget. They represent a mix of local and global projects that help women and children in need. Among the options for shoppers in the alternative gift market: -Bright Beginnings, helping provide daycare to children of homeless women in the D.C. area – www.brightbeginningsinc.org ; Fairland Outreach and Sponsors Association, supporting orphaned children in Zimbabwe -www.fosakids.org ; Sasha Bruce Youthwork, giving shelter, counseling and training to homeless youth in Washington - www.sashabruce.org. Please spread the word about this new way to give this holiday season.
Jewelry Making Wednesdays after Soup & Study, 7 - 8:45 pm Christie Room Join us on Soup-and-Study Wednesdays for pre-Bazaar, jewelry-making workshops. We’ll provide wire, clasps, etc. You provide the imagination as we rework pieces that didn’t sell last year and make whole new creations. Please bring pliers, as well. Contact: Kelly D’Angelo, kellysclothes@aol.com or (202) 210-2220.
Bazaar – November 2, 2014 Still Taking Donations What’s new this year? NO BOOKS! Also, NO furniture, no electronics, magazines and NO Crutches (seriously, people.) Donations may be left beside the UMW closet,near the Parlor. Receipts for your donations are there. We take: kitchen gadgets, china, collectibles, puzzles, games, "attic treasures," Christmas decorations, unused gifts, and accessories such as scarves, belts and handbags. Boutique-quality jackets etc. for the "Fashion Mania" section should be delivered directly to Connie McWorkman or Elaine Chan. Call Connie (301-320-4242) or email Elaine (elainechan73@gmail.com). Jewelry donations should be delivered to the church office. To help make jewelry, contact Kelly D'Angelo kellysclothes@aol.com. Sorting and pricing: We meet every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon, in the Parlor or nearby. Please join us, we need help! Questions? Contact Bazaar Coordinator Barbara Gaskill: Barbara@bgaskill.com or 202-244-3512.
Pruning Workshop: November 16, 9:30 – 12:30 Metropolitan Metropolitan’s Gardening Committee is sponsoring a pruning workshop.Why? Consider: "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2 We know you want your own shrubs and trees to bear fruit. But they won’t if you ignore them or hack them using indiscriminate loppers and power shears. They need selective tending that can only come with hand pruners and hand saws. This workshop will teach you how to give your plants what they need to flourish. Elizabeth Doyle, owner of Yankee Clippers, will start the day with a brief talk describing the art of hand pruning. Then you’ll put your pruners in motion by practicing, under the tutelage of professional Clippers, on the shrubs at Metropolitan. Whether you’re a novice gardener or you’ve been hacking your own shrubs for years, you’re guaranteed to learn better pruning techniques at this event. Your may not learn how to prune like God, but we guarantee you’ll learn how to prune like a Yankee Clipper. To Register: Got to www.YankeeClippers.com and click on the “contact us” link. Then select the “workshops” tab. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive a welcome letter providing the workshop agenda, information on tools and instructions on where to send your $60 fee. Your payment secures your place in the workshop. Space is limited.
Weeds Be Gone We’re forming a Weed Team to help tame Metropolitan’s gardens. If you love to dig in the dirt, can bend and pull —you’re qualified. Contacts: Courtney Leatherman, c_leatherman@ix.netcom.com and Mary Rollefson, maryrollefson@starpower.net
UMW Assembly 2014 “Make It Happen!: Turning Faith, Hope, Love into Action” April 25-27, 2014 Louisville, Kentucky Deadline for early registration (available only for online registrations) is November 30. Learn more at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw/assembly/
UMW Sunday – A Huge Success Many thanks to all of the people who made the day possible: to Rev. Dottie Yunger for preaching an inspiring sermon that not only kicked off the fall sermon series "Dancing Partners," but skillfully wove in the important role that UMW plays in helping to build the kingdom of God here on earth; to the ushers, greeters and liturgists who served during the two Metropolitan worship services: Grace Cranick, Eugenia Evans, Courtney Leatherman, Jeanie Mah, Alex McPherson, Claire Saret, Sharon Smith, Barbara Tate and Mary Jo Marchant, who also coordinated the ushers and greeters; to Circle Ten, under the leadership of Caralee Adams, for arranging a beautiful and delicious luncheon; to our wonderful speakers from Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Ken Walker, Director of Workforce Development, and Charmia Caroline, a Youthwork participant. Ken gave an informative and insightful talk not only about the work of Sasha Bruce Youth but also on the broader problem of teen homelessness and the challenges those youth face in getting on the path to self-sufficiency and wholeness. And Charmia gave an inspiring, courageous testimony about her own journey, her goals and her determination to succeed. — Suzanne Vieth
UMW Circle Meetings Circle 2.. Contact Jennie stathisjennie@gmail.com or 202-295-3870 Circle 3: Contact: Anne Bechdolt, abechdolt@msn.com or 317-331-6813. Circle 6: Meets October 10 at 7:00 pm in room 206. Drema McAllister-Wilson will share her
journey on El Camino de Santiago, "the Way of St. James." Contact: Mary Jo Marchant, mjmarchant@verizon.net or Ann Michel, amichel@wesleyseminary.edu or 202-885-8582 Circle 8: Meets in the parlor at 7:30pm. Barbara Green is the guest speaker. Contact: Eugenia Evans, setevans@comcast.net Circle 9: Meets Wednesday, October 2 at 10:30 a.m. in the Choir Room. Drema McAllister-Wilson will tell us about her pilgrimage in Spain. Contact Joan Davenport, (202) 966-0710. Circle 10: Will meet for dinner on Monday, October 7 at 7pm in the Parlor. Please RSVP so Caralee knows how much food to order: Caralee Adams caralee.adams@verizon.net