Schouler Park

PEACE CAIRN (and vigil) for the Ukraine: Sun, Mar 13 @ 1pm in Schouler Park.

Plus: 2 local Fryeburg Academy students set up fundraising campaign and site with additional resources. Details in email. Also: Donate, pray, stay informed, and advocate! Many ways to get involved.

Sunday, March 13th 1:00 PM Schouler Park North Conway, NH

The Peace Cairn “Let there be peace on earth…”          In Ireland there is a tradition known as the “Peace Cairn”.  Stones, in this view, symbolize ancient weapons and the Peace Cairn is a heaping pile of stones laid down to stop war.  Each stone is balanced against other stones that represents the balance necessary for peace to exist.  Officially, the Peace Cairn is designated as ‘laying down primitive weapons – – turning them into building blocks for a better future.”          On Sunday, March 13th at 1:00 p.m. people are asked to bring stones to Schouler Park in North Conway to build a Peace Cairn.  You may write a one-word, or a few-words of prayer, (if you choose), to help build a balanced heap of stones.  It is part of the Prayer Vigil the “Clergy of the Eastern Slope” are organizing to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  (Please feel free to wear clothing or scarfs of yellow and blue if you desire) … There is no dress code, we are just looking for kind souls to offer prayers for peace.          Whatever your prayers are for those who live in fear, for refugees who wander, for families fractured and frayed, for the innocent to survive, for diplomats to build trust, for peacemakers on all sides, come to Schouler Park, add your prayers to ours, and help build the Peace Cairn.Vigil will include Prayer, Music, and the building of a Peace Cairn

United Church of Christ/UCC with its GLOBAL PARTNERS

The United Church of Christ is issuing an appeal for the people of Ukraine and will be working with global partners to assist vulnerable communities within that country. (more info: https://www.ucc.org/ucc-issues-appeal-for-ukraine-calls-on-u-s-to-provide-humanitarian-aid/)

What you can do through the UCC and its partners:

• DONATE: Donate to the UCC Ukraine relief effort here.
• READ & LEARN: Access daily updates from Ukraine. Global Ministries will be posting daily updates provided by the Reformed Church of Hungary here.
• PRAY: Access the UCC officers’ call to prayer here.
• ADVOCATE:  Action alert directed to current administration for direct forms of assistance in this crisis: https://p2a.co/OKUfu7z

The appeal joins an earlier call to prayer issued by the UCC’s executive officers and an invitation from Global Ministries to pray with the worldwide interfaith community. The national ministries are also encouraging people to call on the Biden administration to offer Ukrainians more humanitarian assistance, both in the U.S. and abroad.

• Interfaith call to prayer issued by the UCC’s executive officers and an invitation from Global Ministries to pray with the worldwide interfaith community.
• The UCC, through Global H.O.P.E. and Global Ministries, will be collaborating with ACT Alliance and the Reformed Church of Hungary (RCH) to bring aid to Ukraine. RCH is responding to the situation in the war-torn country through its agency, Hungarian Reformed Church Aid. That group has been offering humanitarian assistance since Russian troops first attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24. It’s working with elderly and other vulnerable communities inside the country who have not been able to leave, including immigrants and migrant populations who are experiencing difficulties crossing into other European countries. HRCA is also working with refugees who are leaving the country. 
• Gifts to the UCC Ukraine Emergency Appeal will provide shelter, food and other care to war refugees and internally displaced people. It also will help refugees and asylum seekers from African, Middle Eastern and other countries who had sought refuge in Ukraine and now are twice displaced, as well as other citizens of more than 125 countries living in Ukraine. Donate here.
• The UCC’s advocacy office in Washington, D.C., is encouraging people through this action alert to: providing significant humanitarian assistance, both in terms of financial support and operational personnel, rebuild a robust, well-resourced refugee program that can effectively process refugees from a variety of regions across the globe, including Ukraine, designate Ukraine for Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to protect Ukrainians already in the U.S., grant Special Student Relief (SSR) to allow eligible students from Ukraine to remain in the U.S.

SOME PATHS to HELP

NEW: Fryeburg Academy students set up website to make donations toward resources for Ukraine. Anna Bondar, 17, a junior at the school, and Daryna Serediuk, 18, a senior are both from western Ukraine. One thing they did was to create online “Help Ukraine Now” posters with built-in QR codes that direct people to a website where people can donate to causes like the Armed Forces of Ukraine as well as humanitarian causes or buy Ukrainian Army themed merchandise. The link is linktr.ee/help_ukraine_global.

Full article in Conway Daily Sun: https://www.conwaydailysun.com/news/local/fryeburg-academy-students-from-ukraine-holding-fundraisers/article_62101efc-9e5e-11ec-8837-7b4d619c6fb6.html

Recommended by other congregation friends and members. Note: These are suggestions about how you might contribute to the relief effort, should this be something you feel you’d like to do. We are not prioritizing any one agency or group. Here are several organizations with excellent reputations for supporting refugees or assisting with on-the-ground relief work:

• CHURCH WORLD SERVICES: To donate and read re their relief plans: https://cwsglobal.org/appeals/ukraine-crisis-response-fund/
• CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES: To donate: https://support.crs.org/ukraine
• UNICEF:  news article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/unicefusa/2022/03/01/flight-from-ukraine-unicef-to-support-refugees-at-blue-dot-hubs/?sh=63c6358066fd to donate:  https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/unicef-children-crossfire-ukraine-crisis/39542?form=FUNKBHMZQDQ&utm_content=Ukraine3&ms=cpc_dig_2021_Ukraine3_20210801_google_Ukraine3_delve_None&initialms=cpc_dig_2020_Ukraine3_20210801_google_Ukraine3_delve_None&gclid=Cj0KCQiA64GRBhCZARIsAHOLriKsyjCehi82P0mWobm91adSN-Zw47LI7YAxKHwsUzAS_KM5ZK6Xh2YaAuqiEALw_wcB
• UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees):  news article:  https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing/2022/3/621deda74/unhcr-mobilizing-aid-forcibly-displaced-ukraine-neighbouring-countries.htmlTo donate: https://give.unrefugees.org/170101ukr_mainpg_p_3000/?SF_onetime=7011K0000022eIEQAY&SF_monthly=7011K0000022eIXQAY&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQiA64GRBhCZARIsAHOLriK76GAj-x0rHOrVn84Yr7koUGvIFkBnxMSSS6_plXPaJPSGOaCQhjMaAhV1EALw_wcB
• INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE To donate:  https://help.rescue.org/donate/ukraine-acq?ms=gs_ppc_fy22_ukraine_mmus_feb&initialms=gs_ppc_fy22_ukraine_mmus_feb&gclid=Cj0KCQiA64GRBhCZARIsAHOLriJfSjkMJE80-ooqFbaveEIkwiWkLud
• WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN (chef Jose Andres) News article:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/03/01/jose-andres-delivers-flour-ukraine/To donate:  https://wck.org/

PRAYER CONCERN & PERSONAL SITUATIONS

If people have prayer concerns or specific situations to bring to our community’s attention, we will continue to share such information. We will trust that all such recommendations are authentic.

Caution: We remind donors that such personal fundraising initiatives are not monitored or supervised, so it is best if you have a direct connection (or at least know and trust the person making the request) if you are moved to support these personalized campaigns. Sadly, even in the midst of crisis, people will also try to use this as a chance to scam others for money.

Kimberli Jo Lewis’ Family: Additionally, this is about a friend and neighbor of a member of our congregation. Sue Carrigan brought to our attention to a specific Ukrainian family’s plight and the Go Fund Me page set up to assist them (they are family to a neighbor in NH): https://gofund.me/8b517a9f.

Updates:

• “Update is the family is in a shelter near me in Prague, my apartment is too small for 2 adults and 2 children. We supply most to them but the 7 year old is traumatize with entire situation , so is Grandma who is same age as many of our friends. All had to flee their home, each had one bag.  It is nothing we can think about other than our for 100 years many of our families did the same.  We appreciate the support as there is a long way ahead of them.”
• I spent 2 hours yesterday at the embassy, we are doing everything we can.  Thank you, everything helps.  We have some people in RI reaching out to the state department.”
• … I just traveled to to pick up Lena’s Mom, Sister and 2 children 7 and 19 months.  They are now with me, and we are trying to get them to US and … despite what is on TV, they can not get to the US because the 19 month baby has no visa. I hate to ask you this but in your friend group if you know anyone who would give 25 USD it will help us.  Personally, it has costed me until now 5000, to get them this far, and to start a new life once we get them in is horrible.  If you in your church group know anyone 10 dollars helps I would appreciate it. I am so tired and so stressed, I remember when you did fundraiser after the accident , I get it now … I have now done 1 intensive week to get them out, I attach the story, anyone who can give 10 dollars we would appreciate, it is not to reimburse me, it is for the next step once we get through the US BS,
  Please read the story of my best friend, a devoted Catholic who gave his live for 1 week to save my family.  Please say him in your prayers, he got them to me without one ounce of selfishness the story I need to tell you in person.  I called him for advice and he said no advice “action.”