Health Safety Measures

The health and safety of our members and attendees is a top priority for United Women in Faith. We all want to meet in person, and experience the special gift of sharing time together for our Annual Celebration. To do that, we will continue to lean into doing no harm, and making efforts to keep everyone safe. With that in mind, the following health safety measures will be in place for our Annual Celebration. Please confirm below that you will follow our health safety measures:

• Mask wearing will be by personal choice for participants while inside buildings. Appropriate social distancing will be encouraged.
• Participants agree that they will stay home if they have any symptoms of illness, have tested positive, or have a known recent exposure to COVID or other illness.

Program Highlights:

Location:  St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 52 16th Avenue NW, Hickory, NC 28601. The best exit to use from Interstate 40 is exit 125 for Lenoir Rhyne Boulevard. 

Keynote Speaker:  Emily Jones, National UWFaith Executive for Racial Justice

Annual Celebration Schedule: (Approximate)

• Saturday, September 6
  • 9:00am – Registration opens
  • 10:00am – Program begins
  • Worship and praise God through beautiful music led by Hunter Jamison and Makayla Astalos
  • Engage in inspiring Social Action Workshops.
  • Celebrate our Districts’ 2025 Accomplishments.
  • Elect our 2027 Officers.
  • Honor the recipient of our 2026 Program Book—announced at the event.
  • Enjoy rich fellowship with your UWFaith Sisters—reconnect with long-lasting friends and meet new ones.

Keynote Speaker:  Emily Jones
Executive for Racial Justice for United Women in Faith

Emily Jones is the executive for racial justice at United Women in Faith. She leads United Women in Faith’s campaign to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. Prior to her current position, Emily served as the director and lead organizer for the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty. She has also worked as a program manager for an education non-profit and as a lay associate pastor for discipleship at a new church plant in Chicago, IL. She began her career as a labor organizer with the healthcare employees’ union in Connecticut.

Hands On Mission – Annual Celebration 2026:

• Our Hands-On Mission Opportunity for the 2026 Annual Celebration will be:  Menstrual Hygiene Kits for UMCOR & Gift to Mission Cards.

• UMCOR/CWS Menstrual Hygiene Kits – We will have a place at registration at St. Luke’s for you to drop off your kits and your shipping money ($2.00 per kit)

  UMCOR Menstrual Hygiene Kits provide essential feminine hygiene products to individuals in the U.S. and globally who lack access to them due to disasters, poverty, or displacement. These kits promote dignity, health, and education by preventing infections, fostering confidence, and allowing girls to attend school during their periods.

  Menstrual Hygiene Kit Value: $24.00 per kit

  Menstrual Hygiene Kit Materials – Click here to download PDF of full instructions

  • One one-gallon size re-sealable bag
  • Two 2oz bottle hand sanitizer
  • Three 4-gallon bathroom trash bags
  • One travel pack of wet ones
  • 10 Tampons (5 regular and 5 super absorbency)
    • Unscented
  • 10 Sanitary Napkins
    • Unscented
    • Long super ultra-thin
  • Bath-size soap (3 oz. bar or larger)
    • No Ivory or Jergen’s soap
    • Do not remove from packaging.
  • One pack of flushable wipes (42 count)
    • Unscented
  • Six laundry detergent sheets
    • Laundry detergent sheets should be placed inside of a small plastic storage bag prior to being added to the kit.

  Assembly Instructions

  • Start with a one-gallon resealable bag.
  • Place one pack of the flushable wipes and wet ones in the bag.
  • Place three 4-gallon bathroom trash bags and the 10 sanitary napkins in the bag.
  • Then, add the smaller items in the plastic bag, remove air, and seal.

  Important Notes

  • All items must be new.
  • Do not wash any of the items as they will no longer be considered new.
  • Do not include any personal notes, money, or additional materials in the kits.
  • Contents of kits or the containers of kits should not be imprinted with cartoon characters, advertisements, religious, patriotic, military or camouflage symbols.

  Packing Instructions

  • Please send a single check to the Sager Brown Depot or the affiliate warehouse that will receive your donation of menstrual hygiene kits.
  • The check amount should cover the total number of kits times $2.00 for the cost of shipping.
  • Do not place check inside the box of menstrual hygiene kits. Please mail under a separate cover. On the memo line, indicate that the funds are a donation to cover costs associated with relief supply kits.Last updated January 2026
• Gift to Mission Cards – A Gift to Mission card honors someone in her or his name with an undesignated Gift to Mission of at least $5.00. Gift to Mission is one of the five channels of Mission Giving. Mission Giving supports the total program of mission carried out by United Women in Faith. With your gift, you honor someone, and you make a difference in the lives of women, children, and youth…around the world. Gift to Mission cards will be available in the registration room during Annual Meeting. [More information about Gift to Mission Cards] Celebrate someone special, brighten someone’s day, say thank you…send a Gift to Mission card!
• Gift in Memory Cards – A Gift in Memory honors the memory of a much-loved family member or friend by making possible additional mission work in the United States and around the world. Gift in Memory cards represent a gift of a minimum of $5.00. The cards can be obtained for free, so that they are readily available when needed. [More about Gift in Memory]

UMCOR Menstrual Hygiene Kit Assembly from Global Ministries on Vimeo.