My name is Brandon Ruud, and with my partner, Greg Nosan, we’ve been members of—and actively involved in—UUCC since 2022, when we moved back to the Cleveland area. While we have been Unitarians and members of UU churches for many years, UUCC seemed a natural fit when we relocated. It was during the summer of 2022, when we attended Geauga Pride and saw a full contingent of UUCC folks standing up for social justice, that we knew that we’d found our home. And it was this dedication and integrity that attracted us to Unitarian Universalism generally and to UUCC in particular.

Since joining, we have connected with so many wonderful people through small groups and are honored to be part of their spiritual journeys. And we’ve had the privilege to participate actively in several church committees and teams, including the Worship and Membership committees, the Greater Cleveland Congregations Core Team, and my personal favorite: greeting on Sunday mornings and seeing so many friends and smiling faces!

When the Building Our Tomorrows Campaign began, we were both instantly intrigued, but, like some others in the congregation, unable to participate in the forums. Once we were finally able to attend one of the discussions and presentations, we were totally inspired by the concepts for the church! To paraphrase one of the members at that session, it was dazzling to see a vision of the building that reflects our values and looks like us: accessible, open, community-centered, and welcoming. It was, in fact, the design’s emphasis on the congregation and community that we found so inspiring. 

When asked to be part of the Capital Campaign Steering Committee, I instantly said yes! And when another member of the steering committee asked to pay us a visit to our home, we also instantly said yes! It was a fantastic opportunity to not only chat with friends, but discuss and learn more about the proposed new building and the campaign. Over the next few months, members of the Steering Committee will be contacting you for a visit. I encourage you to just say yes!

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