Speaker: Kristen Hayden-West

A Safe Barn and a Brave Barn

How do we create a fellowship that is both a space of belonging where people feel comfortable expressing themselves without judgment, while at the same time, encouraging challenging conversations and a diversity of thought? Kristen Hayden-West will host a discussion where we explore what it means for our fellowship to be both a safe and a brave environment.
Kristen Hayden-West is a member of the Mt. Mansfield Unitarian Fellowship where she serves on the Membership and Sunday Service committees. Beyond her work as a Curriculum Designer for the State of Vermont, and her side hustle flipping thrifted items on eBay, she enjoys being active outside and getting together with friends and her two adult children.

Taking Action Through Volunteering

As our fellowship continues the exploration this year of the 4th UU Principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning, two of our members will offer separate reflections on the intersection of this principle with the decision to serve as volunteers for various organizations including MMUUF.

Kelly McCutcheon Adams has been a member of MMUUF for the past eight years and currently serves as the Vice President and as the chair of the Welcoming and Membership Committee. She is a Senior Director at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston and she and her family live in Essex Junction. She currently holds many different volunteer positions which have varying degrees of connection to her own search for truth and meaning.

Kristen Hayden-West joined MMUUF 2 years ago, in part because of the strong connection between the UU philosophy and volunteer engagement.  As a lifelong volunteer and the as the former director of Community Friend Mentoring program at Howard Center, she has a range of professional and personal experience with community service.  She is a Certified Volunteer Administrator and has taught workshops on the topic, as well as having trained and coached hundreds of volunteers. Her current community service activities include mentoring and participation on not-for-profit committees.  Kristen lives in Richmond with her husband, and works for the State of Vermont.