AUUF Podcasts

Helping our immigrants learn more about English reading and speech offers deep hospitality to the stranger. Discover the sacred journey toward literacy through the experience of those who are helping with this vital work. 

Polly Smith has served as Executive Director of the Alaska Literacy Program since 1999, working with learners of all ages, from preschool in family literacy programs to adults in college and the workforce. She’s the recipient of both the Administrator’s Award presented by the Alaska Adult Education Association and the AAEA’s John L. Hulbert Award for outstanding long-term contributions to adult learning. She has a Master’s Degree in Education/Learning Disabilities and currently serves on the board of the Coalition of Adult Basic Education, a national association representing 55,000 individuals involved in adult education. 

Rev. Shelley Page serves as the Interim Minister at the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. A graduate of Cornell University and Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, she also served congregations in Delaware, Michigan, and Utah. A Unitarian Universalist for over 35 years, her lay leadership roles include the founding mother of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua in New York. Her previous careers included marketing and communications management for business and not-for-profit organizations. The mother of two grown daughters, she originally hails from the Finger Lakes region of Western New York and has lived in states across the U.S.

Transitions in our lives present us with special opportunities for growth.  We'll explore personal transitions and the nature of transition in congregational life.  We'll also joyfully dedicate Religious Exploration teachers and bless our children and youth as they kick off their new year of learning. 

Rick Goodfellow and his wife Jan founded KLEF-FM, Anchorage’s classical music radio station, 30 years ago.  Ten years ago he began research for the Ghost Tour of Anchorage, a theatrical walking experience that forced him to confront what he considers uneasy facts about Alaska’s economy that contradict conventional wisdom about this being a land of prosperous opportunity.  Expect to hear his take on both the Anchorage economy and “Other Ghost Tours.” 

Rev. Shelley Page serves as the Interim Minister at the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. A graduate of Cornell University and Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, she also served congregations in Delaware, Michigan, and Utah. A Unitarian Universalist for over 35 years, her lay leadership roles include the founding mother of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua in New York. Her previous careers included marketing and communications management for business and not-for-profit organizations. The mother of two grown daughters, she originally hails from the Finger Lakes region of Western New York and has lived in states across the U.S.

Emily Anderson is the Alaska Director for the Wild Salmon Center and an attorney who specializes in natural resource law and policy. She has worked in Alaska for the last 14 years and has experience representing the diverse interests of Alaska Native communities, fishing groups, and individuals around the state.

Peter Caltagirone is the Regulatory & Legal Affairs Manager for the Alaska Oil & Gas Association. After graduating from Villanova University School of Law in 2009, he joined the international law firm, Cozen O’Connor. In 2016, he moved to Alaska and served as Assistant Attorney General representing the departments of Natural Resources and Revenue in oil and gas litigation, as well as other assignments.

Let's pause to celebrate Labor Day and its surprising Universalisthistory as we consider how to honor this important social justice holiday.

Note that this recording wasn't started until the sermon.

Rev. Shelley Page serves as the Interim Minister at the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. A graduate of Cornell University and Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, she also served congregations in Delaware, Michigan, and Utah. A Unitarian Universalist for over 35 years, her lay leadership roles include the founding mother of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua in New York. Her previous careers included marketing and communications management for business and not-for-profit organizations.

Come sing with us as we joyfully celebrate UU music with a hymn sing and some special performances of your favorites and some new tunes!

Neal Fried is the chief economist for the Alaska Department of Labor and the primary author of articles appearing in its monthly magazine Alaska Economic Trends. He’s served on both the Governor’s Oil and Gas Policy Task Force and the Anchorage Economic Development Committee. In 2011 Fried was the honored recipient of the Governor’s Denali Peak Performance Award. He journeyed to Alaska in 1973 to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he earned B.A. degrees in both History and Economics and has worked as an economist in Alaska for over 30 years.