Burnie Davis, Board Vice-President Bev Ryan and Sandy Brooks
Once a year the board presents our highest honor, the Connie Cheetham Award for Exceptional Service, to recognize a member (or members) of the congregation for extraordinary service and work in one or more areas of the life of the congregation over a period of many years. Connie Cheetham was the wife of our third minister who returned to Charlottesville after her husband’s death and became the leader of the Women’s Alliance, fundraiser extraordinaire, our first pastoral visitor, hostess at coffee hour and so much more. She was the first recipient of this award created to honor her long service to this church. It recognizes selfless service to our community.
This year the board chose to present this award to Burnie Davis and Sandy Brooks recognizing their extraordinary service and unwavering dedication to the life of the congregation since becoming members in 2004.
Nomination Letter
In the bustling tapestry of our congregational family, there are those who quietly weave acts of kindness and caring, helping to shape us into that beloved community we strive to be. Among these are Burnie Davis and Sandy Brooks, two individuals who humbly prefer not to draw attention to themselves, but whose steadfast dedication and selfless contributions have left an indelible mark on our congregation and the broader community.
Their quiet yet impactful presence has been felt across many facets of our community life. Burnie’s commitment to service is evident in his multifaceted involvement. Through our Afghan Refugee Welcome Project, he has played a crucial role as a mentor, providing guidance, support and friendship. In particular, his efforts were instrumental in helping the Ghaznavi family secure their first vehicle, a generous donation from the now-deceased Pat Millman. When cooks are unable to deliver meals for our CareNet program, Burnie steps in to ensure that the meals reach the individuals in our church community who are in need. His past membership on the Finance Committee and his role as an IMPACT and Food Pantry team member have been helpful in shaping the financial and social causes of our congregation.
Sandy’s tireless dedication is equally commendable. Her current role on the Stewardship Steering Committee reflects her ongoing commitment to the betterment of our community by helping to explore, educate, and put in place sound stewardship policies. In her role as the co-chair of CareNet, Sandy quickly handles incoming referrals for individuals requiring assistance. She mobilizes the congregation’s dedicated group of CareNet volunteers to provide meals to those who are temporarily in need. Sandy also has personally cooked numerous meals to fill in any gaps and, alongside her stalwart navigator and partner, Burnie, they have delivered those meals to countless members of our congregation. The act of providing home-cooked meals during troubled times is the ultimate expression of compassion and love.
Sandy has actively participated on a number of committees, including the Policy Review Team, the Connie Cheetham Selection Committee, the History Committee Archive team, the Aesthetics Committee, the Personnel Committee, as well as being the go-to editor for members writing on behalf of the congregation. Perhaps one of Sandy’s most meaningful gifts was her participation in the Ministerial Fellowship credentialing processes of our own Rev. Alex McGee, a testament to her unwavering dedication to the betterment of not only our congregation, but its individual members.
Sandy and Burnie were members of a Covenant group that met for many, many years. Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, they persisted in their gatherings, initially helping to form a “Circle of 8” through phone calls and eventually transitioning back to in-person meetings. In Sandy’s own words “Covenant Groups take that energy and use it for its members’ soul enrichment, active learning, social support, and meaningful friendships, which in turn provides group members with vitality, enthusiasm, and commitment that flows back to the church. Being a Covenant Group member has been a highlight of my membership at UUCville.”
No doubt that energy, has spurred Burnie and Sandy into dedicating numerous hours to driving congregation members and friends to medical appointments and dropping by to visit those who are homebound, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to helping those in need. Their selfless acts of kindness have undoubtedly made a significant impact on the lives of those they have assisted.
Recently, Sandy’s initiative in conceiving “Words of Thanks” a congregation book of dinner graces aimed at fostering community bonds and raising funds for the church exemplifies her unwavering dedication. Her meticulous approach, from drafting a project proposal to assembling a team, soliciting contributions, helping to handcraft the two-volume set of books and selling the books, showcases her exemplary leadership and organizational skills.
Together, Burnie and Sandy have also been instrumental in maintaining the physical beauty of our campus through their active participation in the Garden and Grounds Committee and adopting and maintaining a garden spot. Together they collected plants from friends to add to the church gardens. This involved going to friend’s houses, digging up ferns and bulbs, and replanting them at the grounds. Their countless hours of labor have helped transformed our grounds into the serene and picturesque haven we all enjoy.
Their commitment extends beyond the congregation, as evidenced by their involvement in UUCville’s Soup Kitchen, where they have selflessly help to provided meals, paid for out of their own pocket, every 6th Sunday or so, to 40+ individuals. This is Love in Action and an embodiment of the spirit of compassion and altruism.
In 2021 when Charlottesville received over 300 immigrants from Afghanistan, Sandy collaborated with Elizabeth Breeden to address a community need seen by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) by supplying sewing machines to Afghan families in Charlottesville. While Afghan men and children would accept donated clothes, the women would not. They were from a culture that sewed their own, traditional clothing. A request for sewing machines was made and the initiative gained significant traction and was in the news resulting in individuals beyond our church community contributing machines to support the cause. This endeavor encompassed thorough testing over 100 machines, repairing some of them, and subsequently delivering them to Afghan families, including one instance where a school also received a machine, and occasional requests through International Neighbors are still received.
Furthermore, their invaluable contributions for several years to our Pledge Drives (everybody’s favorite committee), their active involvement in the annual yard sales and service auctions, and their unwavering support during various church functions (setting up, bring food and cleaning up) exemplify their staunch commitment to our community.
In their quiet, unassuming manner, Burnie and Sandy have dedicated their lives to the service of others, leaving an enduring legacy of kindness, selflessness, compassion, humor and friendship. Their contributions have undoubtedly touched many lives, and we should be profoundly grateful for the immeasurable impact they have had on our congregation.
