As summer is coming to a close and fall will begin soon. We all are busy preparing for children returning to school, fall events such as yard sales, craft fairs and walk a thons. Ephesians 6: 6-8 “Do the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does.” The United Methodist Women continue to serve on supporting social actions issues that affect the lives of women, children and youth. This includes fighting to stop human trafficking, protecting those who are victims from domestic violence, helping the incarcerated return to society, helping immigrants seek legalization, supporting maternal–child health issues and protecting our environment. We have many exciting events coming up this year. Our fall meeting on Oct 17th will be reaching out to maternal – child health issues with our guest speakers being Mollie Vickery and Rev. Vanessa Wilson. Our ingathering will include Layette kits for UMCOR. Nov 14th will be our leadership training for District Officers with a GNJ Leadership team meeting will follow. The location is TBA. Also for 2016 we will be initiating a campaign to register voters. More information is to follow. In January our newest Leadership team members will be attending Leadership Development Day at Lake Junaluska, NC. We are planning a Spiritual Retreat for Feb. 20, 2016. Also our spring event will be working with families at Immigration detention centers. Then June 16-18, 2016 we will be meeting for the NEJ Quadrennial in Syracuse, NY, “A Fresh Wind Blowing”.

We have exciting times coming up for being United Methodist Women.

Let us all work together for women, children and youth.

Greetings! I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1 GNJUMW President

2 Create a FaceBook

Page

3 Capital District News

4 Fall Meeting 2015

5 Anti-Poverty Summit

7 Gateway South Fall

Meeting

8 Raritan Valley Fall

Gathering

9 Mission Fair

10 Gateway North Fall

Meeting

11 Hot Topics

12 Legacy Fund

13 Report from 2015 UMW

National Seminar

14 Social Action Items

15 Cape Atlantic Fall

Meeting

Fall, 2015

By: Marilyn Powell, GNJUMW President

Greater NJ UMW

Voices of Purpose

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Choose Company, Organization Icon

and then click on the down arrow and

choose “Non Profit Organization”. Name it – Like

Raritan Valley UMW and click “Get

Started.

Do you want a Facebook

page for your District?

It’s easy. Whoever is

going to be the

administrator of the

page, follow these simple

steps. Click where

indicated below and

choose “Create Page”.

Create a Facebook Page By Lorraine Shaw, Webmaster, ladyinsurance@att.net

Voices of Purpose Page 3

The Annual Meeting of the Capital District United Methodist Women will be held at the Allentown United Methodist Church, 53 Church Street in Allentown, NJ on Saturday morning, October 3rd , beginning at 9 A.M. with breakfast. Cost for the breakfast is $5 and preregistration is requested. (See Capital District newsletter which will be posted at gnjumw.org for more information.) Breakfast will be followed by the Annual Meeting, Communion and program. An ingathering of Layette kits for UMCOR will be received.

After filling out the information on each screen, your page will be created. Then you go to the “About” tab and fill in the rest of the information. If you didn’t have a logo or header to put on it during the set up, you can add here. Here is the Raritan Valley one I set up.

Capital District News

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2015 GNJUMW ANNUAL FALL MEETING

Saturday, October 17, 2015

GALILEE UMC, ENGLEWOOD, NJ

325 Genesee Ave, 07631

9:30am to 2pm

COST: $10

ABUNDANT HEALTH FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN

John 10:10 ...But I came to give life—life in all its fullness.[ICB]

Deaconess Mollie Vickery, Executive Secretary,

Children, Youth and Family Advocacy National UMW

Pastor Vanessa Wilson, JD, GNJ Conference chair of the

Commission on Religion and Race

Music with Grace Pugh-Hubbard

INGATHERING: LAYETTE KITS

LOVE GIFT OFFERING: MATERNAL HEALTH INITIATIVE

ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUESTED BY OCTOBER 10

CONTACT MARCIA ROEBUCK

PHONE: 973-763-6035 EMAIL: marciaroebuck @aol.com

See WWW.GNJUMW.ORG or FACEBOOK GROUP: GNJ United Methodist Women

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Gateway South District United Methodist Women

District Fall Meeting and Luncheon

Theme: Maternal and Child Health Saturday, October 10, 2015

9:00 am to 1:00 p.m. Kemble United Methodist Church

19 South Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ

Featuring

Choices of the Heart Cornerstone Center

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

Special Dance Presentation

Salem High School Fine Arts Department

Ingathering: Baby Items “We’re having a Baby Shower!”

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Raritan Valley United Methodist Women PRESENTS

MUSIC FOR WOMEN IN WORSHIP

LED BY MARK MILLER Saturday, October 3, 2015 - 9:30am to 1:00pm

New Dover United Methodist Church 687 New Dover Road Edison, New Jersey

All WOMEN, YOUTH, and FRIENDS are invited for a NEW FORMAT FALL CELEBRATION

9:30am: Registration 10:00am to 11:30am: Worship, communion and program led by Mark Miller, composer, teacher, and spiritual musician. Mr. Miller will speak about music and how it enhances our worship experience and nurtures our personal spirituality and growth. 11:30am: Election of New Officers for 2015 12:00 noon: A light luncheon will be served following the program

INGATHERING

We will be collecting items for UMCOR Layette Kits to present at the Annual Conference meeting on October 17th.

Items must be new and unwashed. Completed kits will also be accepted.

The following items are needed: 6 prefolded or plain cloth diapers, 2 undershirts or onesies, 2 infant size washcloths, 2 gowns or sleepers, 2 diaper pins with protective plastic closures, 1 sweater or jacket that opens from the front (hooded sweatshirts are acceptable), and 2 receiving blankets 28x28 inches or 32x32 inches. There is no cost to attend, however, we ask you to register and/or make babysitting arrangements by contacting Linda Cargo, cargoph@aol.com or 908-903-1834

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UNITED METHODIST WOMEN LEGACY FUND: 150 YEARS -

1869-2019

What is the Legacy Fund?

In 2019, the UMW will celebrate 150 years of mission, service and social

action. In anticipation of its anniversary, a Legacy Fund has been

established to ensure that the organization will continue to be viable in the

future for our granddaughters and great-granddaughters.

Why do we need a Legacy Fund?

As our 150th anniversary approaches we want to continue to stand strong in our legacy of personal

engagement with God that is deeply rooted in mission service, advocacy and interrelationships with

our sisters around the world. Our actions and service have changed lives today and are a part of the

legacy for more than 150 years in the future. We are called by God to serve the needs of the world and

to continue to take action on behalf of women, children and youth around the world.

How can we participate?

ALL UNITS ARE REQUESTED TO CONTRIBUTE AT LEAST $25.00 THAT WILL BE DONATED AT

THE NJ JURISDICTIONAL MEETING IN SYRACUSE IN JUNE 2016. THIS CONTRIBUTION IS DUE BY

APRIL 30, 2016

We can all participate by making an individual commitment to support the legacy fund by making a

donation in one or more of the following ways: 1) Pledge a minimum of $18.96 for the next five

years in addition to your regular pledge; 2) Include a gift to the Legacy Fund in your unit’s budget; 3)

Include the Legacy Fund in your will or estate plan; 4) Make a gift to the Legacy Fund in honor of a

deceased or living UMW; 5) Hold a fundraiser to support the legacy Fund; or 6) Any other creative

ways that you choose to participate.

Where should I send my donations?

All Legacy Fund donations should be collected through your local unit treasurer or the NJAC

Treasurer. Pledge cards are also available from the Legacy Coordinator or through the United

Methodist Women.org website. All contributions can also be sent by the treasurers to the following:

United Methodist Women - 3001147

475 Riverside Drive, 15th Floor-Finance

New York, NY 10115

Please note the project # 3001147 on the memo section of the check.

For any questions, please contact Legacy Coordinators: Esther Canty-Barnes -973-851-0922 and

ecanbesq@aol.com or Millie Gray.

Voices of Purpose Page 13

Report from 2015 UMW National Seminar -Grace Rapp Theme: Interrupting Indifference: Jesus, Justice and Joy

Making a difference with 202 United Methodist Women from the United States....all 50 states. The 5-day seminar on social justice topics was held at the Chicago Campus of the University of Illinois. We stayed at the dorms in the Student Center East and ate our meals college-style -cafeteria line. Why here? Why Chicago? There was a high correlation between the university and UMW's 13 principles of sustainability. Kudos to the organizers. 2016 begins a new quadrennial for United Methodist Women and the four foci of our social actions seminar. 1. Mass Incarceration; 2. Income Inequality; 3. Climate Justice; 4. Maternal/Child Health. Here's some information on each of the four topics. (Read the full report at http://www.gnjumw.org/ Social Action). Mass incarceration in the United States, according to the non-profit Sentencing Project, leads the world for incarcerating its citizens with nearly 2 million people currently in prisons or jails. This reflects a 500% increase in inmates over the past thirty years. A failed war on drugs, privatization of prisons thereby creating a for-profit environment joined with blatant inequalities in the criminal justice system along with brutal immigration policies have all contributed to this horrific trend. A panel discussion comprised of Bishop Sally Dyck (Episcopal Area, Northern Illinois Conference, UMC) discussed restorative justice in the context of faith commu. ities. Page May (We Charge Genocide/ Village Leadership Academy, Chicago, IL) charged up the conference with discussion about her grassroots organization and their on-the-ground efforts to bring about change and accountability for police brutality. Lissette Carstillo Vizcarra (Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America) informed us of the inhumane effects of our national immigration policies, specifically the incarceration of refugees/immigrants in detention centers. And, Dr. Iva Carruthers, (General Secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference) emphasized that those who are oppressed, criminalized and marginalized among us are worthy of our service, our compassion and our care. The panel moderator was Janis Roshevuel, National UMW Office. Over the next four years UMW will advocate for a criminal justice system that is accountable to all communities equitably. Work to reconcile and restore dignity and hope to those incarcerated. Take time to read The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and, Dear White America by Tim Wise. Income Inequality. The United States has seen a major shift in the concentration of income and wealth in recent decades, making life harder for the majority of its citizens. While real incomes for the top 1 percent have grown 185 percent over the past 35 years, incomes for the rest of the population have increased an average of only 13 percent. (unitedmethodistwomen.org). “Between 1979 and 2012, the top 5 percent of American families saw their real incomes increase 74.9 percent, according to Census data. Over the same period, the lowest-income fifth saw a decrease in real income of 12.1 percent. This sharply contrasts with the 1947-79 period, when all income groups saw similar income gains, with the lowest income group actually seeing the largest gains.” – For those of you who like charts see more at: http://inequality.org/income-inequality/#sthash. 6BLa2oKS.dpuf The numbers are staggering and the effects are not only predictable, but also devastating: millions have lost homes, pensions and jobs. In addition people have less economic security due to low wages, student debt, increased food and housing costs and health care expenses. GNJUMW will be facilitating workshops and seminars to advocate for public policy changes. Maternal & Child Health “About 289,000 women died in 2013 of complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Most of these deaths can be avoided as the necessary medical interventions exist and are well known. The key obstacle is pregnant women’s lack of access to quality care before, during and

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after childbirth.” 10 Facts on Maternal Health, World Health Organization: http://www.who.int Unnatural Causes: When the Bough Breaks a film seen at National Seminar, in which Dr. Richard David, neonatlogist, discussed his work at Chicago’s John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital (formerly Cook County Hospital). His findings are that stress is a contributing factor leading to higher incidences of premature birth, health and development issues, as well as maternal and fetal deaths Climate Justice The effects of climate change fall disproportionately on poor people around the world where the ravages of climate change their effect mortality and health. making climate justice about human rights and discrimination. To feel the reality of Climate Justice we had the oppor-tunity to role-play within a simulation about Appalachian Mountaintop Removal. At the conclusion of the activity we were informed that 1.) The scenarios was not fictional and 2.) Both state and federal representatives were benefitting from the coal companies, while the community received none. The simulation is a new resource from UMW National. And will be available on their web-site after updating. Two books were recommended: Moral Ground, Ethical Action for a Planet In Peril, Moore & Nelson, Editors and Finding Higher Ground, Adaption in the Age of Warming, by Amy Seidl. As United Methodist Women, we are called to bring structural changes to our communities, our nation and our world. We are called to be activists for justice on behalf of women, children and youth. We are called to address inequities where we live. We are called to educate and advocate for social change. Make a difference!

Facebook users: Like this page: GNJ United Methodist Women

Social Action Items

Take Action

Meet your Congressional representatives in your district or contact them through the

Congressional switchboard (202-224-3121). Urge them to support the following bills.

WIC Act (H.R. 2660) expands the number of children who can receive WIC benefits by raising the age limit from 5 to 6.[1] The bill remains in the

House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Ask your

representatives to urge Chairman John Kline to move the bill out of

committee and back to the floor for a vote.

Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 2015 (H.R. 2715/S. 1539) gives children who receive free or pay-reduced school lunches Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards to use to get food during the summer.[2] The bill

remains in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Ask your

representatives to urge Chairman John Kline to move the bill out of

committee and back to the floor for a vote. Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015 (H.R. 1462/S.799) helps combat

prenatal opioid abuse and neonatal abstinence syndrome (symptoms of withdrawal in a newborn).[3]

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Learn More

Explore Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap tool and see how hunger

affects your community.

http://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2013/overall

Read the USDA’s article, “The Importance of Nutrition in Pregnancy for

Lifelong Health.” http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=20977

Read the WIC program factsheet. http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/wic/WIC-Fact-Sheet.pdf

[1] H.R. 2660, 114th Cong. (2015).

[2] H.R. 2715 & S.1539, 114th Cong. (2015).

[3] [3] H.R. 1462 & S.799, 114th Cong. (2015).

Watch this online. Continue the conversation about Human Trafficking. Educate,

participate, and advocate.

http://www.cnn.com/videos/intl_tv-shows/2015/07/28/freedom-project-

children-for-sale.cnn

Follow-up to "Save the Bees".

(The honey bee is NJ official state insect.) http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20150801_Three_new_laws_aim_to_protect_beekeeping_in_New_Jersey.html

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