The Launch Pad, is an organization which helps young adults, who are aging out of government care, or facing homelessness. They provide safe housing and empower youth to gain employment thru educational and vocational training.
The co-founder of the organization Lia Fourlas, MA MED, was raised in Cumberland County and graduated from Big Spring High School. She has worked extensively in the social justice field, including Children and Youth Services and Juvenile Probation in Cumberland, and other counties. It was there that she saw a large gap in housing for children aging out of the foster system and/or involved in the Independent Program of PA. In July 2019, she and some friends purchased a 7000 square foot apartment building on E Main St, Newville. They and many volunteers renovated the building and opened the building for their young guests in 2020.
In 2024, One North Thrift, Gift and Upcycle, a thrift store run by the Launch Pad Foundation, opened at 1 N. Corporation St, Newville. All the store’s profits support the transition to successful adulthood for young adults who are aging out of care or facing homelessness.

The UUCV Book Group meets at 6:30 pm on the 4th Sunday of each month for a lively, thoughtful discussion on our worship ZOOM channel https://zoom.us/my/uucvpa

April 27 – Outspoken: My Fight for Freedom and Human Rights in Afghanistan, by Sima Samar (John Katz leads)

The impassioned memoir of Afghanistan’s Sima Samar: medical doctor, public official, founder of schools and hospitals, thorn in the side of the Taliban, nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, and lifelong advocate for girls and women. Sima Samar’s wide-ranging experiences both in her home country and on the world stage have given her inside access to the dishonesty, the collusion, the corruption, the self-serving leaders, and the hijacking of religion. And as a former Vice President, she knows all the players in this chess game called Afghanistan. With stories that are at times poignant, at times terrifying, inspiring as well as disheartening, Sima provides an unparalleled view of Afghanistan’s past and its present. 2024, 324 pp. Questions contact: John Katz carkatz59@gmail.com

May 4: Cultural Values / Intelligence
Discussion leader: Lacey Armstrong & Martha Bergsten

May 18: What do faith and hope look like in your life?
What do you have faith in and what do you hope for? Maybe you have faith in the fundamental goodness of others and that gives you hope for the future. Or maybe to the contrary, you’ve lost faith and as a result aren’t feeling very hopeful these days. Join us for an open discussion about what faith and hope look like in our lives.

The more helpers the sooner we get done! 9:00AM – 1:00PM.
We will be spreading mulch, string trimming, picking-up pine cones, raking away winter debris and more… Let’s have fun!
Please bring tools, especially wheel barrows, pitch forks or rakes.
*Stay whatever length of time you can spare.
*Sign-up sheet is on the “committee board” in the social hall or just show -up!

Office hours for the week of April 21:
Monday – CLOSED
Tuesday – 8:30 – 2:30
Wednesday – 8:30 – 2:30
Thursday – 8:30 – 2:30
Friday – 8:30 – 2:30

The Carlisle Area Religious Council and Congregation Beth Tikvah will sponsor a Holocaust Remembrance Service on April 22 at 7 PM at First Lutheran Church located at 100 E. High Street, Carlisle. The speaker will be Rachel Smithers and musical interludes will be performed by members of the West Shore Symphony and the Carlisle Musical Arts Club. There will be light refreshments following the service. Please share the attached flyer with all details of the event with your congregations, family and friends.

We are taking nominations for the unsung hero award. If you have a person in mind who has stood out as someone who has gone above and beyond for UUCV, please submit their name and a list of why you feel they deserve to be considered. You can submit your information to any board member or to Pam in the office pam@uucv.net Please submit your names by Sunday, April 27. Your nominee cannot be a current board member or committee chair.

We will be getting our Sanctuary carpet cleaned. Please take note of the dates below that the Sanctuary will be unavailable.
*Cleaning date – Monday April 28
Moving items out of the room – After service Sunday April 27
Return items to sanctuary – As of Morning of Thursday May 1st.

We are recruiting for the 2025 UUCV lawn mowing team. The more volunteers we have…the fewer turns we have to take. UUCV provides the self propelled mowers. If you can spare some time, please sign up to help keep our lawn looking beautiful. Remember the old saying – the grass is always greener when it’s mowed by a UUCVer! If interested, please sign up in the social hall. The sign-up sheet will be hanging on the bulletin board under building & grounds. Or contact Becca Grinnell rebecca.l.grinnell@gmail.com

Volunteers are needed for UUCVs various landscape beds for the growing season. Some beds just need weeding and pruning and others involve planting flowers. Our Adopt A Flower Bed program matches volunteers with maintaining one specific area. You can work when it best suits your schedule. Generally, this will be 30 minutes every 2 weeks. After clean-up in the Fall, you are done for the growing season. Join the landscaping team as an individual, with a buddy or as a family. *Our yard is UUCVs face to the community. Let’s do our best to make it a welcoming exterior! If interested, please sign up in the social hall. The sign-up sheet will be hanging on the bulletin board under building & grounds. Or contact Becca Grinnell @ rebecca.l.grinnell@gmail.com

Have you had a chance to enjoy the cozy couches in our newly remodeled social hall?! Join us after service in the social hall for refreshments and great conversation. Please consider donating to our coffee & tea fund – each Sunday we hope to recoup $15 in donations to cover our annual refreshments budget of $700. Please also lend your time by signing up to help brew coffee on a Sunday for social hour. The signup sheet is located near the coffee. Thank you for supporting our weekly grind! See you after service!

Have you joined Facebook’s “UUCV Community” group yet? It’s a great place to connect with other UUCV members! You’ll find out what other UUCVers are up to, what activities are happening at the church, and you can even post there if you’d like to get in touch with others for anything from card games to hobbies. It’s a private group for anyone who attends UUCV. There are also short “Getting to know your fellow UUCVers” posts that shine a light on community members. Just go on Facebook and do a search for “UUCV Community” and it should pop up!

Check out UUCV Announcements on our website www.uucv.org under NEWS or https://uucv.org/about/news/announcements-2-2/