Welcome to Sanity Island: Where Every Pledge Becomes a Force Multiplier
In a world that often feels turbulent and unpredictable, where do you find your sense of calm? Where do you go when you need a port in the storm?
For the members of Tri-County Unitarian Universalists in Summerfield, Florida, the answer is simple: Sanity Island.
That’s the theme of TriUU’s 2026-2027 Annual Pledge Drive—”Welcome to Sanity Island”—and it captures something essential about what this congregation offers. TriUU is an oasis, a sanctuary for those seeking a break from the chaos of the world. It’s a place where you can breathe, where you can think, where you can be surrounded by people who share your values, even if they don’t share all your beliefs.
As one member put it during the pledge drive kickoff: “This is the total support of the church. This is everything we’ve got… this is what keeps our island floating in the insanity of the world.”
The Power of Coming Together
Here’s something remarkable about a congregation like TriUU: when individual members pool their resources, something almost magical happens. The Stewardship Team calls it a force multiplier—when individual efforts combine to achieve something far greater than any one person could accomplish alone.
Think about it. Your pledge, combined with your neighbor’s pledge, combined with the pledges of a hundred other members, creates something none of you could create by yourselves: a building to gather in, a minister to guide you, rooms for education and fellowship, systems for communication, opportunities for social justice work, and a community of like-minded people with shared principles for living.
That’s synergy. That’s the whole becoming greater than the sum of its parts.
The collective contributions to TriUU result in outcomes that exponentially magnify the effect—not just on the lives of members, but on the broader community. This congregation worships together, socializes together, educates together, has fun together, supports one another, and reaches out to those in need. None of that happens without the force multiplier of shared commitment.
Why They Came, Why They Stayed
The best way to understand what TriUU means is to hear from the people who call it home.
Nancy Smith found TriUU while visiting her college roommate in The Villages. She had been thinking about relocating, but before making the move, she wanted to know if she could find a spiritual home. She visited several times, and when she finally moved permanently, her decision was clear.
“This is my church home,” Nancy says. “This is my spiritual place.”
Now a member of the Stewardship Committee, Nancy works alongside committee chair Pat Felton to ensure the congregation has the resources to operate—and to dream. “We want to make sure we have enough money to pay all of our bills and to work on our dreams,” she explains. “We truly want to broaden our outreach to other individuals… hopefully we will be able to expand our community of individuals who are looking for their spiritual home.”
The stewardship team leader remembers exactly why she and her husband walked through TriUU’s doors nearly four years ago: “I needed a port in the storm.” After some difficult church experiences elsewhere, they were looking for a safe place. “We came, and it was safe from the first moment we walked in the door, and Andrea greeted us.” They were hooked. Today, she leads the stewardship team, works on hospitality, ushers, greets, leads services, and steps in wherever she’s needed.
Jolene Jocelyn Burke has been part of TriUU for thirteen years—and it all started with a tap on the shoulder. During her first Sunday, she was sitting in front of Nancy Solberg, whose husband was the choir director. Nancy heard Jolene sing and turned around: “You’d be good in our choir.”
Jolene said yes. Thirteen years later, she’s still singing.
“The choir is what got us coming to this church, because I love music,” Jolene says, “and then we found out that our beliefs were all the same. So it’s been a great fit for us.”
Honoring Jerry
Every island needs a mascot, and Sanity Island has Jerry—a parrot who stands watch over the pledge drive. But Jerry isn’t just a colorful bird. He’s named in honor of Jerry Slosser, a beloved member who left TriUU in July 2025 after many years of dedicated service.
Jerry Slosser was a Renaissance man in the truest sense. A teacher of math and computers, a coach of the chess club and “Battle of the Brains,” an actor, a folk dancer, a visual artist, a poet, and a memoirist. At TriUU, he served as Board President, helped craft the congregation’s mission statement, prepared the Operations Manual that still guides the church today, led Chalice Circle discussions, taught art classes, and served as a congregational historian.
His community remembers him as “bright, warm, and always had something important to say.” He enthusiastically and consistently supported TriUU with countless hours, amazing talent, and abundant treasure. He was a member of the Legacy Society, and memorial contributions were directed to the congregation he loved.
Jerry the parrot carries forward that spirit—watching over Sanity Island and all the seekers who find their way to its shores.
The Goal: $190,000
This year’s pledge goal is $190,000 for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2026. It’s the same goal as last year, which itself represented a $60,000 increase over the previous year.
When that ambitious goal was first proposed, the congregation honestly didn’t know if they could make it. But they did. By the end of last year’s pledge drive, TriUU reached 90% of the goal. By October, with new member pledges, they hit 100%.
This year, the congregation knows they can do it again. On kickoff Sunday—January 11, 2026—$8,000 in pledges came in before anyone even left the building. The Rainbow Pledge Meter began with a small purple center that day. With every pledge, it grows, adding colors as the congregation moves toward its goal.
Your pledges make it possible to maintain the building, hold weekly services, ensure funding for Reverend Kristina, and continue all the good work TriUU does inside and outside the community.
Your Invitation
Whether you’ve been part of TriUU for decades, for months, or not yet at all—Sanity Island welcomes you.
If you’re a member, pledge letters are available in the lobby, or you can pledge online at triuu.org/pledge-form under the Donate tab. Please give as generously as you are able. Think of the enormity of the bang for our buck in this congregation—and know that your contribution becomes part of something exponentially greater than any one of us could achieve alone.
If you’re someone who’s been searching for your spiritual home—a place of calm, reason, community, and shared values—maybe it’s time to visit. Come see what it feels like to find your port in the storm.
The force multiplier is waiting. Sanity Island is waiting.
Welcome.
Watch the pledge drive kickoff video: youtube.com/watch?v=kve-LUYfI_k
Learn more about Tri-County Unitarian Universalists at triuu.org