Saturday night nearly 200 folks enjoyed an amazing, delicious meal at elegantly decorated tables.  Many told me how impressed they were with not only the food at our Growing Love auction event but also how organized and well-run the whole event was.  Members, friends and visitors competed for silent auction, raffle, and live-auction items with good cheer, raising their bids and raising funds to support the this congregation.  I enjoyed being the auctioneer for the live auction.  Sadly, I didn’t win any raffle items.

One of the most gratifying moments was Fund-a-Need.  Here is what I said before inviting donations for this year’s project.  (By the way, last year’s project was new lighting and a patio cover structure; the blueprints are now in the County Planning Commission’s office, the last stage before the contractor begins construction!)

FUND A NEED 2019–new playground equipment, renovated nursery bathrooms, an alarm system, and new paint and toys in the nursery. In the past year, UUSS has launched our Family Ministry program.  This project will extend our hospitality to all families who come to UUSS with small children.

We are raising funds to buy and install a new playground equipment and a swing set just outside the nursery at the end of the education building. The Cedar Summit Valley View Deluxe Playset is built of 100% premium cedar lumber, and provides various options for fun and imaginative play for our UUSS kids.   Two stories:  a lower clubhouse with charming windows and a chalk board inside; from the upper clubhouse windows extend a 12’ tube slide plus two high-rail wave slides.  There are two belt-swings and an acrobatic swing. It’s amazing.

But that’s not all we’re doing.  If you go to the current playground, you see a beautiful and enormous oak tree next to the structure and swing set.   The thick old branches extend ominously over the playground, waiting for a dry summer to cause a heavy branch to fall.  It’s only a mater of time.  So we’ll put the new equipment in the meadow between the nursery and the community garden.  It’s a soft grassy area fenced in on all sides and overlooking our garden..  We are installing a doorway in the wall so kids and caregivers can go directly out the door to enjoy the meadow, and all will be visible through the large windows on that side of the nursery room.  The doorway will be wheelchair-accessible.   No heavy trees hang overhead, and equipment will be mounted firmly in the ground over with soft rubber mats rather than bark chips or concrete.

On top of all this, we are upgrading the Room 11 Nursery with fresh paint and new toys for the kids, and we are extending the burglar-alarm system to the Nursery and all the Sunday school rooms.  The two small bathrooms between the Nursery and Classroom 10 are being repaired and renovated, with new flooring and plumbing.

In the spirit of this “Growing Love” event, Grandma Ginny started the giving with a “bid” $1,000.  Dozens of people followed with “bids” of $750, 4500, $300, $150, $75 and $50.  Thanks to all who donated so eagerly for this great project!
If you weren’t there or had to leave early, feel free to make a tax-deductible donation via our UUSS PayPal account (click here for the link) or send a check to UUSS Fund a Need, 2425 Sierra Blvd., Sacramento 95825.

Donations raised over the total cost of this project will be kept in the Capital Outlay Fund for campus improvements and repairs.

Thank you for your generosity!