SJA News May 23, 2019

The next SJA meeting will be Sunday, June 2, following the service (about 11:20). Beacon members, friends and visitors are welcome. Snacks will be provided. Our special guest will be Walt Halaberda, a local teacher and Beacon member, who will give us his take on the education situation here in Flagstaff as well as his ideas about how SJA and Beacon might help our local educators, in the short-term as well as the long term.

The other agenda item will be last-minute planning for the community presentation by Sharon Kopina of Somos America, which will be Thursday, June 13, in the Parish Hall of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany on the corner of Elm and Beaver Streets. (Please see next item.)

 

On Thursday, June 13 at 6:30pm, Beacon Allies SJA and NAIC (Northern Arizona Interfaith Council) will co-sponsor a program about Somos America. Sharon Kopina, a Somos America leader will (1) share current developments at the border, and (2) explain how this humanitarian aid program helps asylum-seekers with travel food and diapers for multi-day bus trips from Phoenix to stay with sponsors across the country during their respective immigration processes.

A discussion will follow Sharon’s presentation.

Please see the attached flyer for information about parking and location of the entrance to the Epiphany Parish Hall.

 

If you donated to Somos America when we did a very successful collection last month, we certainly don’t expect you to do so again. However, if you missed that chance, you will have another opportunity at this June 13 gathering to contribute the specific items these immigrant mothers, fathers and young children need for their arduous journey. Items needed (and suggestions for local stores with the best bargains) are also listed on the flyer. This is a concrete way we can help these desperate asylum seekers.

 

We are very grateful to Epiphany for allowing us to use their Parish Hall for this event. (Beacon’s sanctuary is not available during the week for the next couple months due to construction of our long-planned-for building expansion.)

 

Roz Clark, SJA Journalist