Earlier this spring, UUC congregants met with representatives from Hand in Hand , a national organization advocating for domestic workers, to learn how to protect the rights of house cleaners, nannies, home care workers and others they might employ. We also learned that many domestic workers are immigrants facing additional stress and threats in their lives. The workshop was sponsored by UUC's Social Justice Steering Committee. If you hire a domestic worker in Seattle (and soon, in Washington state more generally), you may be a legal “employer” and have an obligation to: Pay minimum wage, sick and safe time, and overtime pay Provide rest and meal breaks Allow workers to keep their personal and identifying documents Create a workplace safe from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation Provide a notice of rights (not mandatory, but supportive!) Seattle has had a domestic workers ordinance since 2019. The state Legislature recently passed a bill that will take effect in 2027. Under the new Washington state law , employers will also need to have a written contract with employees who work more than four hours a month. But this is just the beginning. If you’re ready to create a safer workplace, you can find a more complete guide and Washington-specific resource list to support building trust, developing workplace accommodations that make sense for your employee, and thinking through the types of concrete support that you can offer them. This may be especially helpful for immigrant workers. There are over 100,000 domestic workers in Washington state and just as many employers. Hand in Hand is inviting people to host kitchen table conversations to share their experiences as an employer with their neighbors and friends to help ensure that all of Washington’s domestic workers have full access to their rights. If you are interested in hosting one, please reach out to Erica at erica@domesticemployers.org .

The number from our UUC community involved with Homelessness Ministries has grown to about 200, with engagement spread across the following. Direct service , like rolling up your shirt sleeves to do something. Think Lake City Partners Sack Lunch Team, Teen Feed Meal Team and more. Advocacy - During the legislative session, and other times throughout the year, folks have responded to requests to advocate for city, county, state and even national issues. Using your voice can influence funding initiatives, push legislation through, and advance systemic change. Education - Attending community meetings and training sessions, and sometimes, bringing speakers to UUC like Gregg Colburn. Maybe it's learning more about ways that UUC can share it's space to benefit those who are unhoused. Fundraising - Supporting efforts to combat and prevent homelessness in the community and support agencies that serve our unhoused neighbors. Year-end summary of our community's work during 2025-26 Direct Service Prepared and served 18 dinners at Teen Feed, feeding 85-100 teens for a total of over 1,600 meals for the year. Prepared and delivered sack lunches to feed 40 Lake City Partners (LCP) clients twice a month, for a total of 960 individuals lunches provided this year. Prepared and served 3 dinners at the LCP Winter Shelter Hosted Wednesday night potluck dinners for Tent City 3 when UUC hosted for the second time in 2025 Assisted Tent City with moves in July 2025 and again in May 2026 Prepared and delivered 60 lunches on Tent City Moving Day in July 2025 Organized Drive to collect blankets, winter coats, tents and more to benefit both Teen Feed, and other unhoused individuals, last winter. Coming of Age youth & mentors created centerpiece arrangements to decorate the Teen Feed dinner tables May 2026 Faith in Action – Created 100 personal hygiene/first aid kits for Teen Feed, with several UUC youth involved in the planning Invitation for UUC small groups to consider hosting a Teen Feed meal during holiday and summer months when there may be gaps in the schedule. The Men’s Group prepared and served dinner in early January, and Youngish will prepare and serve a meal in a few weeks. Advocacy Sent out regular advocacy alerts during 2025-26, especially during the legislative session. Some from UUC attended the Faith Action Network (FAN) Advocacy Day in Olympia. Several from UUC attended a King County Regional Homelessness Authority/Seattle City meeting to advocate with SHARE/WHEEL that Tent City 3 and Tent City 4 be allowed to continue at respective sites on public lands during Fall 2025. Several others sent emails and made calls to Mayor Harrell and Seattle City Council members. Educational Hosted Gregg Colburn talk, “Homelessness is a Housing Problem.” Several from UUC attended the Faith Shelter Summits (October 2025 and April 2026). Several have joined the monthly meetings of the Faith Action Network (FAN) Housing & Homelessness Work Group Met with representatives of Faith Land Initiative and other agencies to explore other ideas to impact homelessness such as serving as a Housing Assistance Point, being a center for the Point-in-Time Count, hosting a safe parking lot and serving as a location for an extreme weather shelter. Group leaders attended the Affordable Housing Week 2026 events Fundraising Hosted Second Sunday plates to benefit Teen Feed and Lake City Partners. Shared information about The Oaks 5 th Birthday Go-Fund-Me effort to raise funds for essential building renovations. With more joining this work over the past year, there is potential to do even more. Some ideas include expanding programs that involve families, teens and young adults; expanding our partnerships with more organizations in the community; and getting more involved in advocacy efforts organized by the Faith Action Network (FAN). Maybe you have more ideas you'd like to help launch, or join one of the existing efforts. If you enjoy gardening, consider getting involved with the new Community Garden project to benefit Teen Feed meal teams. Click here to learn about the June 20 garden work party . Questions, ideas or want to get involved? Contact Judy Oerkvitz or Pam Smith Mentz .  (Click below to enlarge photos)

Meet the Artist - Sunday, June 28, 10:30 a.m. in the UUC chapel

Saturday, June 27, 1:00 p.m. in the UUC chapel

Tuesday, June 23, 5–7 p.m. in Knatvold