Board Member Biographies – Meet Your Leaders!

Did you know that our community is led by an all-volunteer Board of Trustees that meets monthly? Anyone is welcome to attend our meetings and learn how UUCPA is governed. In an effort to make the Board more accessible to the entire community, we will feature one Board member each month in our weekly update and on our website. 

This month, Lisa Helmonds, our Membership & Growth Portfolio holder, is featured. 

  1.  Why did you join UUCPA? 

I originally joined to give my family a spiritual home. I was raised in the Catholic faith, but I left when I was a teenager because it did not answer my many questions with logical answers, and I saw so much hypocrisy.  I also had an unfortunate run in with Born Again Christians in college and decided I would not attend any church. As most of you  know, having children changes and challenges you in many ways. I found UUCPA online and decided to give it a try. That was over 20 years ago and I ended up finding so much more for me here to help me make a positive impact.  

  1. What made you join the Board?

I wanted to participate in the governance of the church to learn how other churches are managed.  This is my second time on the Board and I have found it very rewarding.  I have also participated in many activities and various committees over the years that have helped me grow outside of my comfort zone.   

  1. What is your portfolio area?

Currently, my portfolio is Membership and Growth.  It’s important to make sure our current members are cared for and I enjoy welcoming new people to share in our spiritual journey.

  1. What is something you would say to the congregation?

We have a special spiritual home and it’s more important than ever to be in community with people who want to act for justice and provide comfort in difficult times.  Since we are self-governing, it takes all of us to help in any way we can.  If you are not an active member or friend, please contact us to see how you can use your talents to contribute to our community in any way you can. 

  1. What’s one way you hope to see UUCPA fulfilling its mission in the coming years?

We have many effective and much needed programs at UUCPA and we can support them only if we maintain our campus and plan for the future. I hope to see the renovation to our campus that will allow for more community activities to take place at our church.  You can help us move into the next decade by doing your share to keep UUCPA a strong, vibrant community for the next generation.Our next meeting is Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 7:00pm. You can attend by emailing hfrahn@stblaw.com and asking for the Zoom link.