The Big Blue Basket
Have you noticed the big blue basket on the raised platform at church?  That basket is for collecting donations of non-perishable food for CLCM’s affiliate food pantry next door at Calvary Episcopal Church.  Food insecurity in our neighborhood is growing due to the funding cuts to the SNAP program, to Medicaid, and to USDA food. It’s also worsened by the government shutdown. As you do your shopping this week, please consider picking up a few extra shelf-stable items and bringing them any/every Sunday. Items especially needed are peanut butter, pasta and sauce, canned meat/fish, soups, breakfast cereal….but all items are gratefully accepted. Let’s fill that Big Blue Basket.

Women’s Alliance Annual Fall Pie Sale – Sunday Nov. 23
As has been the practice of the Women’s Alliance, we are again a Pie Sale fundraiser. This year it will take place on Sunday, November 23rd, after the service in the Social Hall. We will be selling both sweet and savory pies for $15 each to raise money for our programs and projects that support our members as well as organizations that provide services to women and their families. This is a wonderful way to “bake a home-made pie” for your Thanksgiving Day gatherings.

First U Book Club: Monday, November 10 from 7:00-8:00pm
Are you Book Club curious? Our next meeting is in the church library (the room behind the sanctuary). We’ll be discussing Autocracy, Inc. by Anne Applebaum. You’re welcome to join us, even if you haven’t read the book (and we really mean that!). Come for good conversation and fellowship. Questions? Contact the office. See you there!

The Great CLCM Turkey Giveaway
Each November, Central Louisville Community Ministries gives away 300 turkeys and hams to our downtown neighbors so that they can enjoy a holiday meal.  We’re looking for donations to help make this happen this year too. You can sponsor a turkey for $25 by mailing a check to 809 S 4th St, Lou KY 40203 or by donating online to CLCM. You can also donate those items that complete a holiday meal: canned veggies, bags of stuffing mix, etc. The food pantry at 821 S 4th St can accept your food donations on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays between 9:30am-noon.

Auction wrap-up
Drum roll please……..our total from the online, silent and live auctions, + final sale last Sunday, netted First U $10,623!! All left-over items were taken to go into the next Really Really Free Market. Everyone should have received an itemized list of what they won. If you haven’t received your items or your list, please contact the office.

First U Auction – We Did It!  (Payment Details)
The auction was a big success, thanks to everyone who donated items, worked behind the scenes, and stayed to participate!  If you haven’t paid yet, please go to the church’s payment page here.  Or, bring a check with you on Sunday to pay.

Women’s Alliance to Provide Grants
Women’s Alliance is accepting applications for grants. The grants will be for $250 to $500 and are intended to assist organizations that benefit women and families. Internal grant applications for projects within First Unitarian will also be accepted. Applications must be received by November 30 and the grants will be awarded in early 2026. The grant application may be downloaded thru WA grant application.docx.  A completed copy of the application should be forwarded to the office no later than November 30, 2025.

We Have a Very Good Problem in Children’s Religious Exploration!
We are bursting at the seams!
We have so many new wonderful little ones joining us every week that we really need help in the classroom to keep everyone safe. There are two classrooms: The Raccoon Room age 4-7, The Fox Den: grade 3 & up. We have a quickly growing population in the Raccoon Room with many 4 year olds, help is needed there especially.
Assistants do not have to plan anything, just sign up and show up that Sunday about 20 minutes early to get the plan. Parents are always welcomed to assist, but parents also really need some time to worship alone, so non-parents are encouraged to step up! Please! It’s a great way to get to know our little ones. And it really is a lot of fun.
Here is the sign-up sheet. Find a Sunday and sign up now! Thank you!!

Religious Book Collection
Phil Young’s granddaughter has contacted the office. Her grandfather was a member of First U before he passed two years ago. She has possession of his  large collection of new and lightly used books, almost all pertaining to the study of various religions. She is offering them before disposing of them. There are probably close to 300 books of various sizes. She is willing to help deliver. Contact the office for her information.

About the Speaker:
For more than 40 years, Dr. Renee Campbells’ work has been immersed in her multifaceted identity as an award-winning international speaker and leader with Kentucky native roots hailing from Adairville, Kentucky. Her lifelong journey has been within the intersections of education, social work, and humanitarianism. She has received numerous accolades and achievements that illuminate her humble core of intentional giving.

The Kentucky Foundation for Women funded research that provided a clear path to investigate the inequities associated with her grandmother’s wrongful death. Dr. Campbell established the Mrs. Ada Doss Campbell Memorial Scholarship Fund in 2021 to pay college fees for undergraduate students pursuing degrees in social work at Kentucky State University. For more information, click here.

Data Centers and Climate
Data centers are all the rage now, with new programs like ChatGPT and DALL-E popping up everywhere all the time. But, these programs require large data centers to house all of the equipment, energy, and water necessary to make these programs function. Do we really know how much these programs are costing us? Here are some questions raised by the Louisville Climate Action Network (LCAN):

• “How much noise will they create?”
• “What will the impact be on our electric grid in terms of reliability and cost?”
• “How do data centers affect local water supplies?”
• “How will the Metro Council ever meet its goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions community-wide by 2040 if we allow data centers as currently planned to move into Louisville?”

LCAN also points out that “one hyperscale data center can use as much electricity as most Louisville residents combined”.

It’s clear that these data centers need to be regulated, and this is your chance to make sure that happens! Below are the dates, times, and locations of the public comment sessions being hosted by Louisville Metro Council on data center regulations. It would be great if you could attend one (or more!) and make your voice heard.

• Monday, Nov. 3 at 5:30 – South Central Regional Library
  7300 Jefferson Blvd.
• Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 5:30 – Parkland Library
  2743 Virginia Ave.

New: Should First U be a Green Sanctuary? 
The new Green Sanctuary 2030: Mobilizing for Climate Justice, offered through the UUA, is a flexible program to support UUs in transforming their congregations through climate justice.
Should First U work towards becoming designated a Green Sanctuary? Should we choose to become a Green Sanctuary 2030, it would require whole congregational engagement. Although that might sound like a heavy pull, much of what is required is already going on in our church, from cloth napkins to solar panels to our church’s involvement with CLOUT, and much more. We would continue to learn about environmental justice issues, collaborate with community partners, advocate for meaningful actions, and take actions in our own homes, our church, our neighborhood, nation and world.

The Seventh Principle Team is willing and able to lead the congregation, YOU, in becoming a Green Sanctuary, but do you see the value in it? Stay tuned to further articles to learn more about Green Sanctuary 2030.  Send a thumbs up or thumbs down and/or ask questions or make comments to the office. Want to get involved in planning? Yep, contact the office.  You can read further about the Green Sanctuary program of the UUA here.

Opportunity to Help in Afterschool Program for Immigrant Children
La Escuelita Learning Hub, located in Beechmont Presbyterian Church (417 W. Ashland Ave. 40214), runs an afterschool program for children between ages 5-16. They provide help with reading comprehension, gym time, and serve dinner before the children go home. The program runs Mondays-Thursdays from 3pm to 7pm and they are in need of volunteers. A 2-hour training is provided and they ask that volunteers be willing to participate at least one day per week. Jobs include choices of reading with children, watching over the kids in the gym, watching over the kids while they have their snack when they first arrive, waiting outside for school buses to drop off kids, and helping where needed. There’s no such thing as too old, and volunteers as young as 16 are accepted. Contact Program Assistant, Yai Malave at the La Escuelita Learning Hub by calling 502-797-3298 or email.

Strong Paper and Plastic Bags Needed for the Food Pantry
The food pantry volunteers pack bags and bags of groceries to be given out every week and need a lot of bags. If you shop at a store that uses paper bags, could you double-bag and grab a few extra bags and forward them to the food pantry? If you do food pick up or delivery, those strong plastic bags are also needed. As always, we need and appreciate the non-perishable food items donated every week. Place them in the blue basket. As cuts are made to safety nets, the need for food is growing.

Guns to Gardens Event Sunday, November 9 (2:00-4:00pm)
at Lynnhurst United Church of Christ; 4401 Taylor Blve. 40215 Click here for more information and a flyer.

Central Louisville Community Ministries: Bikes for Kids
Got kid bikes?  Cochran Elementary and Pedal Power are joining forces in a Bikes for Kids Christmas Drive.  They have a goal to collect 150 bikes for elementary-age children (age 5-11).  Do you have any no-longer used bikes for these children? Your donations can be dropped off at Cochran (500 W Gaulbert Ave) or at Pedal Power (4100 Shelbyville Rd – drop outside the garage). Pedal Power will refurbish the bikes and make them available in time for the holidays to the families who have children attending Cochran.

La Casita News: La Casita Center works intentionally to build a thriving community based on mutual support and respect built on the vision of connecting people through solidarity, to be one community. Priority needs; ways to give; jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities.

• Click here for Fall Children’s Classes and Registration Forms. Registration information is required for each child, including those in the nursery.

The Nursery will be open for babies and pre-k  from 9:30am-12:15pm on Sundays.

Adult (RE) Adult Religious Exploration – contact Jim H.

• All are Welcome: Members, friends, visitors, curious people, and people lost in the building are all welcome.
• Check in begins at 9:45. Class meets in the Church Library at 10am.

Adult Sunday Schedule
November 2 – We will discuss the prospect of forming a standing Anti-Racism group: how can we utilize what we have learned from the past two instances we have participated in the Anti-Racism Challenge and branch out into doing those things at all times?

• The Nursery: Tadpoles will be open for babies and pre-k  from 9:30am-12:15pm on Sundays.
• The Raccoon Room: Pre-K – Grade 2. Room 212. Teacher: Ms. Loren & guest teachers will begin in the sanctuary with their families and then head upstairs with their teacher after the Moment for All Ages. Class ends at noon, parents will come up and get their children following the service.
• The Fox Hole: Grades 3 and up Room 202. Ms. Christina & guest teachers will begin in the sanctuary with their families and then head upstairs with their teacher after the Moment for All Ages. Class ends at noon, parents will come up and get their children following the service.
• Youth Group: Grades 5 and Up We hope to meet on a regular basis at the church and around town.

Please complete a registration form for each child, including those in the nursery. Contact Loren to get an online link or see the Midweek Update.