News October 13, 2023
Dear Friends and Members,
Exciting things are happening around First Unitarian Universalist Church! If you’ve attended Sunday services in-person in the last two weeks, chances are you’ve seen evidence of our Capital Campaign: video testimonials during the worship hour, smiling volunteers at the lobby table, and easel-mounted plans for proposed building renovations.
(If you’re wondering: What Capital Campaign?, please do take a look at our campaign webpage, or at Rev. Dr. Bossen’s newsletter article from our campaign launch, to learn more.)
The truth is that we *are* excited, for many reasons. Not only is our congregational community growing, but we have many new programs and projects to offer. Not to mention our first Capital Campaign in over 25 years!
One goal of the campaign is reducing the ecological footprint of our building. Proposed projects include replacing current light fixtures with energy-efficient LEDs, putting in a rainwater collection system, and installing a commercial dishwasher to eliminate the need for inefficient handwashing and/or disposable serveware. Meeting our Capital Campaign goals will also allow us to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest payments, by paying off the PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) loan that our congregation received to install features like energy-efficient windows, updated HVAC systems, and solar panels. These PACE-related improvements are expected to net overall savings in energy costs over the next few decades, all while reducing our reliance on nonrenewable energy sources.
Taking steps to reduce our ecological footprint will seem natural to Unitarian Universalists who affirm the importance of the interdependent web of existence. Yet they are also a pragmatic choice in the face of both rising energy costs and increasing unreliability of our weather patterns and state electrical grid.
We hope that you will become involved in the campaign by completing the capital projects survey, meeting with a visiting steward, and, ultimately, making a pledge towards our future.
Sheryl Abrahams
Vice President of the Board
Capital Campaign Team
Exciting things are happening around First Unitarian Universalist Church! If you’ve attended Sunday services in-person in the last two weeks, chances are you’ve seen evidence of our Capital Campaign: video testimonials during the worship hour, smiling volunteers at the lobby table, and easel-mounted plans for proposed building renovations.
(If you’re wondering: What Capital Campaign?, please do take a look at our campaign webpage, or at Rev. Dr. Bossen’s newsletter article from our campaign launch, to learn more.)
The truth is that we *are* excited, for many reasons. Not only is our congregational community growing, but we have many new programs and projects to offer. Not to mention our first Capital Campaign in over 25 years!
One goal of the campaign is reducing the ecological footprint of our building. Proposed projects include replacing current light fixtures with energy-efficient LEDs, putting in a rainwater collection system, and installing a commercial dishwasher to eliminate the need for inefficient handwashing and/or disposable serveware. Meeting our Capital Campaign goals will also allow us to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest payments, by paying off the PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) loan that our congregation received to install features like energy-efficient windows, updated HVAC systems, and solar panels. These PACE-related improvements are expected to net overall savings in energy costs over the next few decades, all while reducing our reliance on nonrenewable energy sources.
Taking steps to reduce our ecological footprint will seem natural to Unitarian Universalists who affirm the importance of the interdependent web of existence. Yet they are also a pragmatic choice in the face of both rising energy costs and increasing unreliability of our weather patterns and state electrical grid.
We hope that you will become involved in the campaign by completing the capital projects survey, meeting with a visiting steward, and, ultimately, making a pledge towards our future.
Sheryl Abrahams
Vice President of the Board
Capital Campaign Team
