We will hold our annual congregational meeting to approve the 2022 budget on February 13 (via Zoom), right after the service. 

We have good news to share about the Desert Palm Pledge Drive for 2022. As of 12/1 we have received 55 pledges for a total of 179,226 in dollars pledged for 2022. For this year, 2021, we have 65 pledgers for a total of 182859.96 so you can see we are on track to meet or exceed this year's total. 

It is NOT too late to send in your pledge by filling out the form here https://forms.gle/h6N9hPbR8VSyoGav7
or by contacting the church office.

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing details about the next year's budget.

Hurray, it’s great we ended up the year exceeding our pledge amount. It could not have been easy with all of the challenges that you have faced.  Looking forward, I am sorry to say that our number of pledgers is down, but on the upside, the ones that have pledged have more than matched the pledges from this year.  It is great to have enough to keep our doors open for service to ourselves and to our community.  If we could encourage those that have not pledged yet to pledge, we could increase activities in the church. We look forward to hearing from the visioning committee to see what we can do to grow our service to reach new members and get our current members more engaged.  Again, thanks for all you do. If you haven’t done it already mail/email/call the office to register your pledge You can also send in your pledge by filling out the form here https://forms.gle/h6N9hPbR8VSyoGav7 

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HELPING REFUGEE CHILDREN BUT AREN'T SURE WHERE TO BEGIN? 

The "Let's Read, Neighbor" program might be for you!  Volunteers meet and read with newly arrived refugee children at least once per week.  Meetings usually occur in the child's home. The goal is to improve the children's English skills while also exposing them to American culture. You don't need to know Arabic; all you need is a willingness to help. If you want more information, please contact Kathryn Andrews: at kathrynandrews47@gmail.com ...

or you can apply to join the program by contacting the program's director, Melek Akgul-Lee, at melekakgul@gmail.com.

Coffee Hour is a time after the church service for people to get together and talk about whatever is on their mind. Get to know people you may not know very well. You can talk or just listen; it’s up to you. Whether you’re in the Phoenix area or across the country, join us and share some good conversation and fellowship time. 

Topic: DPUCC Coffee Hour
Time: Jan. 23, 2022 11:00 AM Arizona
             

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89734014493?pwd=cCs4RmdON0pqTTVWbXEzYWVKbkdaZz09
Meeting ID: 897 3401 4493

Warren Ray Littleford is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting every Monday at 7 pm.

Topic: Supportive Conversation Zoom Meeting
Time: Every Monday at 7 pm.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92800034295?pwd=ZStxejAzZDVqUVMvclF6bFR3enFXdz09

Meeting ID: 928 0003 4295
Passcode: DPUCC

Joys and Concerns Zoom

Every week on Wednesday at 11:00 AM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86071559166?pwd=TFRadjVFRm5NRXJrYzd3WDZYSVZPUT09

Meeting ID: 860 7155 9166

Thursday Group

The Thursday  Morning Women's book and bible study will meet the first and third Thursdays of the month from 9:30 - 11:00 via zoom. 

We will be reading Girlfriends, Exploring Women’s Relationships in the Bible, by Barbara Essex

All women are welcome. Contact Sue Henderson at suegreenhenderson@gmail.com or at 480-734-0921 if you have questions or would like a copy of the schedule and the zoom link sent directly to you. 

Sunday Group

Please contact Pat Speer at pseer686@gmail.com for more information.

PARTY!  PARTY!  PARTY!

Sunday, Jan. 23, is our next gathering  

We have resumed our virtual Sunday School with one combined class at 8:00 am for children in kindergarten through 5th grade. Don't hesitate to contact Andrew Ponder Williams at 602.386.0669 for more information or to be emailed the link.

Phoenix Welcome Center

It is unclear what effect the “Return to Mexico” policy (court ordered) will have on the number of refugees being dropped at the Welcome Center.  Currently there are an average of 250/day.  The number of families will be increasing due to the closing of the Endeavors hotels that currently process family units.

Our Network assists in the following ways: 100 hygiene kits per month, supplies of travel food/snacks, towels, stuffed animals, pocket folders (to hold legal documents), and excess clothing from our clothing room.  We deliver a carload twice a month.  

Sonoyta Resource Center (now called Centro de Esperanza, aka Center of Hope)

The Center of Hope centrally resources two refugee shelters (a men’s shelter and a family shelter) in Sonoyta, MX.  Our Network supplies clothing, shoes, socks, coats, hats, underwear, diapers and baby wipes, toilet paper, sanitary supplies, toys, towels, and blankets, plus whatever else comes to us and is useful!  Other nonprofits supply other items, such as, food, medical care, transportation, legal assistance, and the facility itself and it’s staff.  It takes a village!  Or a Network!  Thank you!

In addition, over the last month, we collected and sent Christmas lights and decor and new toys for all the children.  

The Center of Hope has renovated an old compound of sorts and currently can offer two meals a day to the shelter residents, clothing, medical care, showers, assistance with asylum documentation, and a children’s playroom/classroom.  An outdoor play area is being developed and we will be sending more toys for that in January.  Other activities and services continue to be imagined as more rooms are renovated.  There is an apartment for onsite security and another for visiting volunteers.

I’ve attached a few pics for you.  Please pass this around to your friends and communities.  If you, your worship community, or another of your groups want to join with us, here are some ideas.  Feel free to call me and we can brainstorm others, too.  My call is to be “useful”  and this is how I do it.  Perhaps your call, whatever it may be, can find a way to express itself with us.  We would love that.

What can you or your “Village” do to help?

• Schedule a “Drive n Drop” for travel snack items for the Welcome Center.
• Coordinate a special offering of a specific item for the Center of Hope.
• It is so easy to shop the thrift stores.  And you would be amazed at how much $50 will buy.  Sign up online at Goodwill and get a monthly 20% discount coupon. Tuesdays are Senior Days and 25% off.
• Volunteer at the Welcome Center- ask me (or Rich Doerrer-Peacock!) for information.
• University Presbyterian is supplying 100 hygiene kits a month to the Welcome Center.  Each item in the kit has a sponsor that provides it.  Your Village could do it, too.  Call me and I’ll tell you how.
• Ask to be put on the volunteer list to help sort donations at UPC twice a month for an hour.  We sort clothes, assemble hygiene kits, and pack shipments of “stuff” to go to the shelters.
• Invite me to speak to a group at your worship community, or other group you belong to, to get them informed and potentially involved.

Checks to support the Sonoyta Center of Hope can be mailed to UPC or dropped through the church office mail slot. Indicate "Refugee acct" on the memo line.  These cash donations allow volunteer shoppers to purchase clothing, underwear, shoes, baby formula and other items requested by the Center of Hope, but which we do not have on hand.  Donations of "stuff" can be brought to my house, or call for a pick up. If you have questions about what we need, please call me.

Thank you all for your continued compassion, energy, and generosity. We appreciate all of you that help.

Holly Herman

Hhbillsmom@gmail.com

(480) 570-0450

1701 W Lindner, Mesa, 85202

(near Baseline and Dobson)

University Presbyterian Church (UPC)

139 E. Alameda Dr.

Tempe, AZ 85282

The Welcome Center in Phoenix is in need of winter wear, coats, sweaters, hats, scarves, and gloves, for babies, children and adults.  If you can donate clean, gently used items of winter clothing, there will be a box inside the gate at church for those donations.  Your help is greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

Pat Riemer and Rich Doerrer-Peacock