University Congregational UCC

Tent City 3 Returns to our Parking Lot C!

As approved by Church Council, UCUCC will be hosting Tent City 3 (TC3) in Parking Lot C from this May 26 through August 26. TC3 provides a safe, secure, and caring community for people experiencing homelessness.

History: Our church has a long history of supporting tent communities as part of our Love & Justice outreach efforts. Since 2008, we have hosted encampments nine times, with our last encampment ending in December 2024. This next hosting will be our seventh time we have been hosts to Tent City 3, in particular. Our hosting experience has been overwhelmingly positive over the years.

Parking: during the hosting, Lot C on 15th Ave NE will be closed for parking. On Sundays, parking in Lot A and Sortun Court will be prioritized for those with mobility issues or small children. Others are requested to please park in nearby lots. UW parking lots are your best bet, including the Central Place Garage (Red Square) and Lots N5 and N1 (NE 45th and 17th NE, Memorial Way).

Volunteers: please consider signing up to serve as a parking ambassador on Sundays during the hosting.

If you are interested in being a parking ambassador, have questions or want to help in another way, please contact Tim Croll.

We are grateful for our congregation’s continued support of hosting encampments, and we look forward to the day when housing is accessible and there is no longer a need for people to live in tents on parking lots.

Gathering Ground Community: Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk
Sunday, June 21, 7:00 – 9:10 pm, Richmond Beach Saltwater Park

Join a playful outdoor event celebrating the longest day of the year with an ancient practice to reflect and center. It’s our seventh annual Summer Solstice Labyrinth Walk on the beach! This family friendly event features multiple labyrinths to walk, a station for crafting your own finger labyrinth to take home, and a solstice bonfire (with marshmallows). The event will be open-house style: drop in when it works for you.

Labyrinths are a simple reflection form that allows the walker to journey inward to their truth, then outward into the world. They are a powerful tool to move through challenges and find intention, clarity, and joy. One traditional use of the labyrinth is as a tool of protection from difficult energies. In a challenging world, let’s connect with ourselves, with community, and with the natural world, and engage in creativity, joy, and contemplation.

*Gathering Ground provides community for people to make and share meaning, through observing earth holidays, deep sharing and listening, and growing together in relationship with the world around us. We are a q***r- and neurodivergent-friendly and justice-seeking group of many beliefs. Our shared identity is earth-centered and DIY making of meaning and fun.