Caring and Wellness
Lay Minister: Kathy Birnbaum

Lay Pastoral Care Team
Chairman: Donna Brewer and Sandy Myles
Contact: 24-hour a day warm line: 703-281-0341
Trained and supervised by the ministers and professional lay leaders, the Pastoral Care Team assists the ministers in caring for those experiencing times of challenge, transition, and celebration.  We join with those who may be suffering significant loss or change, and who may be feeling powerless.  We are a caring presence and maintain a covenant of respect and confidentiality.  We do not provide psychotherapy, but refer to professional care when needed.  We offer supportive visitation on the telephone, in the home and hospital, at church, during acute episodes and during convalescence.  We help provide information for families about end of life arrangements and hospice care.

Caring Committee
Contact: Nancy Turaj and Mary Paxton
Providing practical care during times of need--food, transportation, baby sitting, etc., the Caring Committee also helps organize memorial and funeral services and provides information for referral to community-wide services.

Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna (http:\\www.scov.org)
Contact: (703) 281-0583 to request services or to volunteer
An interfaith ministry to support the intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being of members of the community who are 50 and older, promoting their independence and ability to contribute.  UUCF, one of fourteen sponsoring congregations, has pledged financial and volunteer support.  For residents of Oakton and Vienna the Shepherd’s Center offers grocery delivery, taxi service to medical appointments, simple home repairs, telephone visitors, and financial and parish nurse consulting programs.
Adventures in Learning, a collection of classes and discussion groups, is held on Thursdays at UUCF. Open house to register for the spring session is Thursday, April 3. The spring session runs from April 10 to June 5. See their website for details.

Parent Support Group
Next Meetings: Sunday, April 27, 7:00-9:00pm
Program Building
Contact: Carrie Grabo, vandergrabo@msn.com
Are you the parent of a child with special or unusual needs? Need some support? Please consider attending the next gathering of parents facing similar challenges. We’re keeping the definition of "special and unusual needs" as open as possible - we welcome parents of children with disabilities; acute or chronic medical conditions; mental/emotional illness; some combination of the above; or anything else that parents feel profoundly concerned or stressed about. Your child (or children) may or may not be physically young. Please contact Carrie Grabo if you have questions.

Women’s Discussion/Support Group
Mondays, 7:30-9:00 pm
at the church
Contact: Penny Jackson
This group of single and married women meets to enjoy each others’ company and conversation, to be a continuing and caring presence in each other’s lives.  Spontaneous conversational topics span public and private issues.  The group is currently full, but this changes from time to time.

Men’s Support Group
Mondays, 7:45-9:15 pm
at the church
Contact: Henry Zoller
A group of men that meets for the goal of creating a safe space to be ourselves and discuss issues we face as men.  Each man may determine his own issues and what feedback, if any, he wishes from the group.  Members are expected to have a high commitment and attend on a regular basis.  We are not a therapy group, treatment counselors, nor do we do crisis intervention.  The group is currently full, but this changes from time to time.

Memorial Grove Committee
Contact: Jim Freehof
Stewards of UUCF’s Memorial Grove, a place of natural beauty for times of quiet reflection, the committee assists families who want to inter a loved one’s ashes and place a commemorative nameplate in the Sanctuary.  On one Sunday in May, the committee sponsors a short memorial service to remember departed family members and friends.  Committee members maintain the Grove’s natural beauty—pruning, watering, mulching, clearing brush, raking leaves, and maintaining the paths.