Building our Strength for the Work Ahead

UIDN’s work is done by volunteers. Many foundations and charitable groups have shared our vision and funded our efforts, sometimes repeatedly. Recently, we formalized our structure and incorporated as a 501(c )(3) organization under the federal tax code. As a result direct donations are now tax deductible, and we are eligible for a broader range of grants.

Time for Some Thank Yous

So many people have stepped up to work with UIDN on so many projects that we have hesitated to thank them individually in writing for fear of  missing someone. But with the end of our first food programs, shop and deliver and the biweekly Wednesday programs, we changed our minds.

Believe it or not, our email system can’t send out a message large enough to identify all those volunteers by name. So in this issue, we name only the Wednesday delivery volunteers. (Please let us know if we have missed anyone.) We will list shop and deliver folks in the September UPDATE.

Many of these volunteers have contributed to other work as well, and several who delivered food directly to immigrant families have forged ongoing ties and continue to see their new friends. Special thanks to Leslie Gallagher and Kim Touchette who coordinated the work of the shop and deliver volunteers, and to Penny Coleman for coordinating Wednesday deliveries.

Coming next month

There are many personal stories linked to UIDN volunteers and the immigrant friends we serve. In our next UPDATE we’ll start bringing you some of those stories in a featured called In Their Own Words. Thanks for reading!

To comment on this issue or recommend topics for next month, send feedback to UlsterIDN@gmail.org. You can donate to UIDN here. Options for getting involved and a link to volunteer applications. Read back issues of UIDN UPDATE. And, you can follow UIDN on Facebook and Twitter.

Kindness, Compassion, and Mutual Aid by Dave Loewenstein, on Instagram @daveloewenstein, JustSeeds.

Thank You Wednesday Delivery Volunteers

Maj-Britt Allen * Melanie Baise * Katherine Betts * Kerri Bohringer *Adele Calcavecchio * Mark Chmiel * Patrick Clancy * Lawrence Clayton * Lisa Shields DeRuvo * Beth Dixon * Claire Goldstein * David Gross * Kate Hamilton * Toni Hedges * Laurie Hicinbotham * Margot Jepson

Autumn Joy * Barbara Kerner * Andrew Kontola * Elissa Krauss* Cara Kuball *  Chaia Lehrer * Jeanne Lenzer * Amy Little * Betty Marton * John Masson * Emily Monahan * Zena Nason * Roxie Newberry * Peggy Paparone * Hilary Partridge * Samrat Pathania * Joyce Reeves * Ellen Richards

Pamela Ross * Jane & Dan Ruback * John Seidman * Lisa Sloane * Karin Smith-Spanier *  Jan Stivers *  Elisa Tucci *  Liz Wassell * Susan Wile * Zahava Wilson * Katie Wolgamuth * Lynn Woods * Shelley Wyant * Marji Zintz