Over the summer, we offer combined E-Newsletters, so this edition covers all there is to know from UTO in June and July. You will receive your next edition in mid-August for August and September. That edition will include webinars for September as well as the November Gratitude Challenge.

In June and July, we will offer a series of webinars, each one session long, that are educational, fun. Due to heightened security on Zoom, you will need to register for each webinar you are interested in attending in order to receive the unique login information for each.

Overview of Summer Webinars

Thursday, June 25, 12 noon-1 p.m. Eastern time
Dimensions of Culture: Exploring Social Spectrums and the Communication Gap
with the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg

Thursday, July 16, 12 noon-1 p.m. Eastern time
Making a “Quilted” No-Sew Ornament
with the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg

Tuesday, July 21, 6 p.m. Eastern time
Grant Writing Tips and Tricks
with the Rev. Canon Heather Melton, UTO Staff Officer

June Webinar: Dimensions of Culture: Exploring Social Spectrums and the Communication Gap
Thursday, June 25, 12 noon-1 p.m. Eastern time

This webinar will discuss culture and explore various cultural dimensions such as high and low contexts, individualism and collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance. This workshop will also discuss the communication gap, as well as the gold versus platinum rule. Attendees will gain an understanding of various aspects of culture that can help us to be more effective when working across cultures and to gain self-awareness and understanding as well.

Register in advance for Dimensions of Culture:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMtc-mrqj8qGdTuYxdOQ6ShvZzVNSbJ46fU
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

July Webinar: Making a “Quilted” No-Sew Ornament (see photo above)
Thursday, July 16, 12 noon-1 p.m. Eastern time

In this webinar, we will learn to make a quilted no-sew ornament. Attendees will be taken through the steps to make the ornament. These ornaments make great gifts and provide you with something to do during all your Zoom meetings or while watching TV. Technical assistance will be provided during our time together. Please come with the supplies needed, if you’d like to create one during our time together. (Once you register, you will receive an email with the supply list.) Folks with arthritis or who have limited manual dexterity may find it helpful to do this activity with a partner.

Register in advance for Making a “Quilted” No-Sew Ornament:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEtcuCvpjwjHNbxtK6eQu4PEzKispgw2n98
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting, and then about two weeks prior to the meeting, you will receive the supply list. If you need the supply list earlier, please email Heather at The Rev. Canon Heather Melton.

Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe (Sicangu Nation). She is the staff officer for racial reconciliation for The Episcopal Church. She is a priest in the Diocese of South Dakota, where she grew up and calls home.

From an academic perspective, Shaneequa has a Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and a Master of Public Health from the University of Minnesota. Prior to priesthood, she worked as an epidemiologist and served Indian Country in the Great Lakes region for over a decade.

From a cultural/spiritual perspective, Shaneequa believes that we are all related (“mitakuye oyasin”) and that the Gospel calls us to be “good relatives” to one another. Having grown up on the Rosebud reservation, she has experienced and witnessed the devastating effects of historical/generational trauma, colonization, and racism. As a winktè (Lakota two-spirit), she is called to be a healer and move our communities in the direction of positive change, in the direction of reconciliation, toward living in right-relationship with one another. She strives to live out her calling through her work, our Church, her art, and her life.

July Webinar: Grant Writing Tips and Tricks

Join Heather Melton for a one-hour overview of some best practices when working on a grant application. While these tips definitely apply to the UTO Grant writing process, they also can be used when applying for grant funding from other sources. Heather will stick around afterwards and answer any UTO-specific questions you might have.

Register in advance for Grant Writing Tips and Tricks:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0qc-qhrT8rG93lbBXh6BAbs7S4i-sgpXw2
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The Rev. Canon Heather L. Melton is the staff officer for the United Thank Offering. Heather has served in this position for seven years and is grateful to work alongside the UTO Board and staff in helping to promote gratitude and generosity through participation in UTO. She holds an MA in Religion and Psychology from the Graduate Theological Union and an MDiv from Church Divinity School of the Pacific, in addition to her BS in Environmental Sciences from Kent State University. She is currently finishing up the certification process for The Daring Way. She lives with her husband and twin daughters in Farmington, New Mexico, where she enjoys running and hiking.