Building Global Partnerships To Enrich Women's Lives

Thanks To You the Members for Helping ICUUW to Reach Its Goals!

Written By: Rev. Carol Huston
Published: Saturday, January 14, 2012

Over $11,000 has been raised so far in the Fall Campaign! This is over twice as much as we raised last year, which was four times more than we had done in our first year.
The ICUUW Development Task Force members thanks you! Rev. Carol Huston, Chair, Arlene Johnson, Barbara Kres Beach, Laura Nagel, Karen LaFrance, Fundraising Consultant, and special thanks to the UU Funding Panel for their Technical Assistance Grant.
Since sending out our letter for the Fall Campaign we have received many contributions for which we are most grateful. It has allowed us to sponsor women from all of the UU congregations in the Philippines to attend our International Gathering there. It has also made it possible for us to have our first face-to-face board meeting with our new international board members which we will also do in the Philippines. We have also been able to provide a scholarship to seminary student Kat Kowalski (see the profile article in this issue of the newsletter), and to bring equipment to the community medical program in Banaybanay on Negros Island, which we will visit as part of our educational tour there next month.
We are still raising funds for Transylvanian and American women to attend the Second International Convocation of Unitarian Universalist Women to be held in Romania in 2012. This is a groundbreaking project for our Transylvanian sisters. ICUUW wants to assist Transylvanian women and make it possible for your women and women UU ministers from the USA to attend. We have a special scholarship fund for SICUUW with over $1,000 raised to date (in addition to the $11,000). When you donate, you may specify this fund in particular.
This January ICUUW, in partnership with the UU Church of Annapolis, MD and two locally based organizations in the Philippines, will engage 25-30 women from Doldol and Malingin, rural communities on Negros Island, in a process to address a critical issue for women:  how they can support themselves and their families in poor rural villages. A series of interactive “idea shops,” will be designed to expand women’s horizons. Included will be a range of livelihood opportunities that offer high financial returns and opportunities for creativity, self-expression and spiritual growth.
We will share the results through the Empowering Women and their Families Handbook and documentary film. Lessons learned through this pilot project can be adapted to benefit the economic and social well-being of women in other countries.
We will also create a Diary Essays Collection of contributions from Filipina and US women who will participate. We will document how this project transforms the lives of UU women globally and strengthens relationships across national borders. This essay collection will be shared among UU organizations interested in learning about the transformative power of engaging in international social justice projects.
We ask you to join us in this important work. You gift can help transform the lives of so many women who desperately need to increase their skills and livelihood possibilities.
Please mail your check to ICUUW, 5202 Crawford St Unit 19, Houston TX 77004
or you may pay online at www.icuuw.com   (Phone:  713-524-5608). You may direct your donation specifically to the SICUUW Scholarship fund, by adding a note in the memo line.
Your contribution will go to ICUUW which is operating under the 501 c 3 organization guidelines. Such donations are deductible in the USA for tax purposes to the extent allowed under IRS rules. 10% of all donations will be used for administrative costs.