AuSable Inclusion Center November Newsletter

Hi friends!

Spooky season is giving way to the chill and coziness of November. Last month, we welcomed folks from as far away as Presque Isle for our first ever Halloween Film Festival, and the following week went on the road to go to the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes’ second diocesan convention in Saginaw, where we shared about the incredible growth of the hygiene closet since it was launched in February, along with upcoming workshop opportunities. It was a delight to gather with our diocesan community.

This month, we will be honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance, as we did last year, with prayer, but we will also be offering not one, but two opportunities to learn about this particularly marginalized community. On Tuesday, November 18th at 11 AM, we will hold the first of two “What’s the T?” workshops, this one via Zoom. Learn more and register here. For folks who prefer an in-person opportunity, we will run this same workshop on Friday, November 21st at 1 PM. This program runs about 2 hours and includes basic terminology, an overview of the transition process, and best practices for interacting in a kind and respectful manner with members of the trans community. There will be time set aside specifically for Q&A. Especially given the politicization of transgender people, their bodies, and their basic human rights and dignity, equipping yourself with this knowledge is incredibly important.

This month also marks the return of our Healing Service. Join us on Sunday, November 9th at 4:30 for prayer, music, and laying on of hands. Whatever you may be carrying that needs healing, we’re here to pray for you.

As the weather cools down and our communities face the hardships that come with winter, gathering in community and offering care only become more important. We recently expanded our website to feature one way we offer care: our hygiene closet. This program has grown dramatically from a handful of households to nearly 100 some months, between Open Access and Pop-Up days. The growth in the community we serve is driven largely by word-of-mouth, but it’s also undeniable that increased economic anxiety and the drying up of SNAP benefits on November 1st will likely drive increased traffic to the hygiene closet. Our new webpage for the hygiene closet lays out some ways you or your community can help support our efforts in caring for our neighbors. We’re here to do this work, and we can only do it because of the support we receive from folks near and far. Thank you, so much, for making this possible.

Cheers,
Deacon Beck Leclaire (he/him)
Ministry Developer, AuSable Inclusion Center

That’s all for now!