The presenter at the Unitarian Church’s virtual service on Sunday, November 1, 2020, will be Alec Gerwitz, now of New York City. He will share stories of the transformative lessons of living with and learning from people with intellectual disabilities that he experienced while a Fulbright Research Scholar.

Alec Gerwitz will be the guest speaker for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown’s virtual Sunday service Nov. 1.

His subject will be “Sharing Life with People with Disabilities.”

As a Fulbright Research Scholar at the University of Toronto, Gerwitz conducted participatory research at L’Arche Daybreak, an interfaith community for people with intellectual disabilities. While living and working as a caretaker there, he wrote about his experience. He will share stories of the transformative lessons he learned that can benefit all of us.

With a degree in religious studies from Princeton University, Gerwitz studies the future of community. At Princeton, he created a values-based community for nonreligious young people called Workshop No. 1, which grew to over 100 members and was profiled in the Daily Princetonian and Inside Higher Ed.

Now living in New York City, Gerwitz is currently at work on a book about what adults with disabilities can teach young people about maturity.

Because of COVID-19 limitations, at this time all UUCJ Sunday services are virtual instead of at its 1255 Prendergast Ave. location. Anyone is welcome to participate by emailing UUJamestown@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link for the 10:30 a.m. service. The link goes out on Saturday afternoon, but you can request to join until the start of the service on Sunday.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown is a progressive, liberal religious community serving Warren County, Pa., and the southern tier of western New York. The UUCJ’s mission is to promote and provide a community where diverse people of all ages may explore the meaning of existence, give expression to liberal religious values, and work for a just, sustainable society.

For more information, visit jamestownuu.org or on their Facebook page, facebook.com/jamestownuu.