Social Justice News:

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Justice is what love looks like in public.

Lunch & Learn with LWV :  July 23

Data Counts: What We Know (and don’t know) About WNC Voters

Christopher A. Cooper, Robert Lee Madison Distinguished Professor and Director of the Haire Institute for Public Policy at Western Carolina University, will share demographic information about WNC voters. There’s much we know including that—even with the most accurate data— polls are often wrong. Program begins at noon; feel free to bring your lunch, we will provide beverages and some sweets.
Time: 11:30 AM      Location: NOTE CHANGED LOCATION: First Congregational Church, 1735 Fifth Ave. W. Hendersonville, NC

SOCIAL JUSTICE TEAM (SJT)

The SOCIAL JUSTICE TEAM is a self-selecting group open to all UUFH Members and Friends.  We welcome all active participants.  Whether your social justice interests are one or many, you can contribute to our SJT efforts. 

Our meetings are typically held  on the FIRST TUESDAY of the Month.  Beginning with the August 6 meeting, we will have our meetings at 6:30 to 8 pm and alternate a mix of Zoom and in-person meetings.  We hope this will enable greater member participation; contact Charlotte Corrigan for the Agenda, minutes and meeting details.

GS2030 (Green Sanctuary Renewal) is included in our meetings per the Fellowship’s approval of our UUFH Congregational Project for 2023-2024

Join Social Justice Team (SJT)

We meet the first Tuesday of each month from 6:30 -8pm.

All are welcome to attend. These meetings are your chance to provide input and contribute to our UUFH Justice efforts.  To participate, please e-mail Charlotte Corrigan for the agenda, minutes, and Zoom link.

“Youth vs. Gov” 

A movie showing from Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL):  Saturday, July 20, 3pm in  Fellowship Hall.  

The documentary film “Youth vs. Gov” is the story of America’s youth taking on the world’s most powerful government.  

In 2015, twenty one young plaintiffs, ages 8 to 19, filed the lawsuit Juliana vs. United States, asserting a willful violation of their constitutional rights in creating our climate crisis.  

If they’re successful, they’ll not only make history, but they will also change the future.

Want more NEWS? 

UUFH jUUstice WORKERS NEWS is on hiatus during July

If you’re not following the UUFH jUUstice WORKERS NEWS, you’re missing out on events
and actions that support our UU values.
Contact Charlotte Corrigan to join the email list.

NOTE:  UUFH jUUstice WORKERS NEWS is on hiatus until August.

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UUFH has a strong history of involvement in the UU the Vote Campaigns in 2020 and 2022.  This requires many hands – not just those of the SJ Team. members.  

Richard Lottenberg and Elizabeth Ritchie, are working with guidance from Kitten Bulen to spearhead UUFH efforts for 2024. 

“UUFH Democracy in Action” 

Handouts were distributed in May

UUFH Democracy in Action — July 2024

We launched our UUFH Democracy in Action plan in May.  Our goal is 60 actions each month. For the month of June we completed 45 actions by 21 people.

We need each of you to complete at least ONE one-hour action in the next month.

As Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, Executive Director, UU Justice NC, reminded us: “It is time to go deeper. This year our moral legacy is on the line. And if we can go further than postcarding, we have a moral responsibility to do together what we cannot do alone.”

Here are 3 ways you can do that.  PLEASE CHOOSE 1.

  1. Attend the You Can Vote online training. 

More than training to register voters, this excellent and easy one-hour online webinar is designed to educate and empower the community on updated voting rules, how to properly fill out a voter registration form, best practices, and review the voter ID rules. You can access this training by going to www.youcanvote.org. The dates for the upcoming training are:

  • July 16, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET
  • July 30, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET
  • August 8, 6:00 – 7:00 PM ET
  • August 11, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
  1. Attend the Friday Action Hour 

This weekly gathering occurs each Friday at 11 AM with Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, Executive Director, UU Justice NC, and UU members across NC. 

Each meeting includes a review of key national and local issues and current NC legislative actions. Guest speakers discuss challenges to effective actions. During the last 20 minutes we advocate by phone calling and/or emailing elected officials speaking out on concerning issues. You can access this training by going to the zoom link (same every week) provided in the weekly UUFH Eblast. 

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87452791684

  1. You can write letters with Vote Forward to encourage voters to register and vote. 

Writing personalized, handwritten letters to voters is a proven and effective way to help increase voter turnout and strengthen our democracy. You can write letters right now from your home. Letter writing is a great way to turn anxiety into action! You can access this action by going to https://votefwd.org/

Our UUFH work is prophetic but not partisan and is rooted in our values through advocating and participating in the electoral process in ways that create more equity and affirms the worth and dignity of all people.  Whatever actions speak to your heart and spirit, we invite you to participate alongside thousands of Unitarian Universalists who will be working together.   Our plan is to connect with each other and experience the collective JOY of making a difference in our local community, in the state of North Carolina and in our country; it is the moral imperative of this time.

ONE more thing before you move on…

UU JUSTICE NC 

Subscribe to receive the monthly newsletter & action alerts in your inbox at UUJusticeNC.org   DONATE to UU Justice NC via this link: You Can Donate Here! 

FRIDAY ACTION HOUR 

Every Friday at 11:00 UUs from across the state gather to recap the past week and take action on the issues impacting our state and country.  In the coming month, we’ll be focusing on the upcoming municipal elections and will also keep the pressure on our elected officials to better promote the HOPE program.  And we always have good music to help us feel the justice movement in our bones! 

Join via this Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/91029655107

If you can’t make it on Fridays, you can still take action at any time – just check out our UU Justice NC – Friday Action Hour 2024  to view the materials for the current and previous sessions

SIGN UP MAKES IT EASY to receive the weekly update in your inbox automatically. Click Here to Sign Up!   Receive a listserv email with all the details prior to Friday’s Action Hour.

UU Justice NC’s Friday Action Hour — Friday July 19, 11:00am 

This week, we will hold space to reflect on the political violence that occurred this weekend in Pennsylvania.  And on this week when we could really use a win, Rebecca Cerese from the NC Justice Center will also join us to celebrate a huge milestone in Medicaid Expansion enrollment, and talk about a new groundbreaking state initiative to relieve medical debt for two million North Carolinians. Review this week’s Actions & Resources on our Google Doc, and Join via this Zoom Link.

Call to Action – Send Message to NC Hospital CEOs about Medical Debt! 

This month, the Governor’s Office and the NC Department of Health and Human Services announced a groundbreaking, win-win initiative to relieve medical debt for two million North Carolinians, cap interest rates on medical debt, provide generous discounts on hospital prices to families with certain incomes, automatically enroll people into charity care, and prohibit selling debt to collectors.  

This plan can only move forward if hospitals agree to participate.  By choosing to participate, hospitals could boost their bottom line by drawing down federal dollars while simultaneously protecting patients from medical debt. 

Use this NC Justice Center tool to urge hospital CEOs to help North Carolinians with Medical Debt!