Carbondale, Illinois, UUs support AIDS Hospice and Orphanage in Zambia

The Carbondale, Illinois, Unitarian Fellowship  has been involved in a joint partnership with Hospice of Southern Illinois in supporting Ranchhod Hospice and Orphan Care Program in Kabwe, Zambia. The partnership started after a member of the Carbondale fellowship visited Africa in 2002 on an AIDS seminar tour sponsored by The Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa. In June of 2003 the Carbondale Fellowship's involvement in the project became finalized and member involvement and financial commitment has been growing since that time.

Two Concerts/ Silent Auctions of African Art have been held which raised close to $13,000 for the program. Two fellowship yard sales have been held raising $6,000. Several fellowship members have donated boxes of yarn for the patients at the hospice and one member has sold pottery for the past three years contributing close to $12,000. Another member sold quilt raffle tickets raising $1000.

The congregation has also sponsored public events to educate the greater Carbondale interfaith community about global AIDS. In November 2003 the Carbondale Fellowship helped to sponsor a symposium at Southern Illinois University featuring Stephen Lewis, the United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

In May of 2005, the fellowship worked with the local AIDS consortium to hold a vigil for the annual International AIDS candlelight memorial.

Educational talks and videos have been presented at the fellowship and an educational bulletin board keeps members updated.

In the fall of 2005, the fellowship applied for a grant through the UU Women's Federation to build a permanent workshop for "The Busy Bees," an income generating group of women who meet at the hospice in Zambia. The grant was made and the building project is now complete, allowing the "Busy Bees" to expand their activities and generate more income.

The Carbondale Fellowship will recognize World AIDS Day at a Sunday service on December 3. After the service, a Congregational Meeting will be held to vote on whether the congregation should become a UU Global AIDS Coalition Red Ribbon Congregation.

For additional information on this congregation's work with global AIDS:

• 12/1/05 - UUA President and Congregations Mark Global AIDS Day with Witness and Action

UUA President and UU Congregations Prepare to Observe World AIDS Day

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