On this RE Sunday we bring together our hearts, connecting with all weâve done this past year, thanking our teachers, and celebrating our graduating seniors bridging from youth to young adults.
âSupporting Immigrant Voicesâ â Jasmine Rivera, Executive Director the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition
Jasmine Rivera, the Executive Director the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition, will be speaking about the current state of immigration in our area. She will address what weâre facing right now, and how the commitment to our shared values and action is what will get us through these dark times. It is a topic of seriousness and hope. We will also listen to the voices of two immigrant leaders, learning about their insights. Join us as we learn about Jasmineâs experience with community organizing, civic engagement, data and analysis, and coalition building.
Bio:
Jasmine Rivera, the Executive Director the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition, is an impact- driven nonprofit professional with a history of leadership in community organizing, civic engagement, data and analysis, and coalition building. She joins PIC after serving at Pennsylvania Voice for eight years overseeing the coordination and technical support of nonpartisan voter registration, voter education, vote by mail outreach, GOTV and Census programs during her tenure with the state table. Beyond her work at Pennsylvania Voice, Jasmine has worked in the social justice movement for over fifteen years, was a co-founder and co-coordinator for the Shut Down Berks Coalition which celebrated the closure of the prison in January 2023 and was the lead organizer of Juntos and Action United, organizing community members in the Philadelphia region. She has worked on successfully passing ICE holds policies, commonly known as âsanctuary cityâ in Philadelphia with the PFUN coalition and in Norristown, successfully running END case campaigns that demanded the release of four community members from immigrant detention, successfully passing the first paid sick leave policy in Philadelphia and fighting against mass school closures in the Philadelphia school district.
The Share-the-Plate program raises money to give to local agencies which are trying to improve life for Chester County residents.
Eleven times a year, UCWC gives approximately half of the collection plate to a congregation-nominated recipient. Funds are given to small, local organizations for whom our gift is very meaningful in the continuance of their efforts.
The 2024-2025 Recipients
Nov 17 â Baby Food Fund
Dec 15 â Melton Center
Jan 19 â Citizen Advocacy of Chester County
Feb 16 â West Chester University Resource Pantry
Mar 16 â Educational Equity Alliance
Apr 20 â Community Youth and Womenâs Alliance
May 18 â Maternal and Child Health Consortium
Jun 15 â West Chester Food Cupboard
Jul 20 â Kennett Area Community Services
Aug 17 â Act in Faith
Sep 21 â Friends Association for the Care and Protection of Children
Oct 19 â UCWC Board Selection
âLife Is Full of Surprisesâ (You Just Never Know whatâs Coming Next) â Sue Davis
Please join us as UCWC friend, Sue Davis, shares a personal story about a life-changing experience which she never anticipated. Her account of this experience is both powerful and amazing. She has much to share that will help us to face the unexpected when it occurs in our lives.
Sue Davis is retired from a long career in Nursing. After becoming a Registered Nurse, she worked initially in a hospital setting. Later she worked as a nurse educator. During the last 20 years of her career, she was a School Nurse in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District. She was also a CPR Instructor for many years.
As the United States prepares to enter its 250th year, we reflect on the ideals, civil rights, and civil liberties at the heart of our nationâs soul â and our call to protect them.