Dear Beacon:

I still remember receiving the simple white envelope with my great aunt’s scrawling handwriting. 

I (Rev. Emilie) had just received my acceptance to seminary, after working as a VISTA Volunteer for three years steadily paying off my college student loans. It was daunting to even consider applying for more loans in order to pay for seminary. Yet, I had no other alternative. 

That’s when the simple white envelope turned up. Inside was a check for $3,000 with a note: “Your grandmother told me about your dreams of seminary. I am delighted to invest in your education.” 

My great aunt was not alone. A month later the UU Congregation of Shelter Rock made a major investment in entering seminarians, significantly reducing our tuition costs. How? Well, a Shelter Rock member made a bequest to the congregation upon their death. It was an investment in the future of Unitarian Universalism. It became the Veatch Program. 

Beloved, who has made an intentional investment in you? Who has made an intentional investment in us? Our community? Our liberation? Our future? 

My great aunt and the Veatch Program changed the way I think about giving. Every contribution is an investment in relationship. Building, nurturing, and strengthening relationships ~ even with people you’ll never meet ~ because what you give ripples out. 

Dr. King challenged us to make investments in our relationships: “We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.” 

While the news shows us countless examples of our profit-oriented society, Beacon continues to remain rooted to our investment in people and our relationships. We are excited to share the good news from Beacon Hope & Equity Center, our new supporting organization dedicated to the establishment of equity* and the seeding of hope, that they received 501c3 status from the IRS, and can formally begin their work.  The Center’s primary goal is to dismantle racism. The collective focus at the Center is the decolonization of wealth**.  Beacon Hope and Equity Center will officially launch on April 30th.  Save the date!

The white envelope with the scrawling handwriting turned up every four years of my seminary education. Her investment in our relationship continues to ripple out with every contribution I make.

With a faith known as Love,

Dr. Tuli, Revs Robin and Emilie

Beacon’s Leadership Team

* 2nd Principle of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

** Decolonizing Wealth by Edgard Villanueva.