Justice is what love looks like in public.

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SOCIAL JUSTICE TEAM (SJT)

NOTE our new 6:30PM meeting time:  

• We hope this new time encourages participation by those in the workforce or with young children.   
• We have a mix of on-site or  Zoom meetings planned.

Our next SJT monthly meeting will be September 3 at 6:30 PM via ZOOM

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.  Your inputs are welcome.  Contact any team member AND join the team to help carry out your suggestions.

Contact Charlotte Corrigan for the Agenda, minutes and meeting LINK and current schedule 

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

SEPTEMBER OUTREACH COLLECTION:   Democracy in Action initiative funding

The UUA Side with Love/UU the Vote campaign has targeted eight states to help register voters, one of which is again North Carolina.  UUs across the nation are working for us – making calls, writing postcards and letters, and going door to door in populous areas. 

UUFH has committed to sending 3,000 postcards to NC voters. These have been divided into 100 kits/30 cards each. The cost for supplies is $24 per Kit – labels, colored pens, printing, stamps – all obviously not free.  We obtained $700 in grant support through UU Justice NC, but this covers only 30% of the total expenses. The remaining balance is $1360.  Any funds received above our costs will go to UU Justice NC for further work for Democracy in North Carolina. 

_{The Order of Service has instructions for donating: You can also submit a check with Democracy Outreach Collection in the memo line OR make your donation via the UUFH website DONATE button.}

SAVE THE DATES:  September 28 & 29:  Workshop, Services and Action Hour

Want more NEWS? 

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.

link to the current edition:  JW NEWS

This week’s highlights:

• September Outreach Collection:  Democracy in Action Funding
• Save the Date:  CLIMATE JUSTICE REVIVAL  September 28 – 29
• UU JUSTICE NC – News and Friday Action Hour, and more actions
• UU the Vote:  
  • UUFH Democracy in Action Plan updates
  • You Can Vote: on-line training sessions 
  • Updates – Phone-banking / letter writing
  • Postcards SIGNUP & KIT DISTRIBUTION
• UUSJ :  Voter Mobilization webinar , Keynote – Andrea Miller (September 10) 
• Pisgah Legal Services:  JUSTICE FORUM (October 10 – live and live-stream))
• Plus more:  PSS, Moms Demand Action,  Candidate information resources, ARE

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

BONUS:  

Sign up for the Weekly Friday Action Hour community listserv Email

Each email includes a promo of the week’s actions, the Zoom link, and the link to our Actions List (Google Doc) direct each week to your inbox.   Click here to sign up!

UU Justice NC’s Friday Action Hour, August 30th at 11:00 am – Childcare Funding.

This week we will hand write letters to Sen. Berger, Speaker Moore and our own State Representative & Senator – calling on them to allocate $300 million in this year’s state budget for Childcare Funding. We will also continue to contact our local elected officials about their use of ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds before the December 31st deadline. Review this week’s resources and actions on our Google Doc, and Join via this Zoom Link.

North Carolina UUA Climate Justice Pre-Revival Huddle with UUA’s Rachel MsLivy – 

Tuesday, September 3rd at 7:00pm. For Congregational Climate Justice Leaders who are participating in the UUA’s Climate Justice Revival – Reimagine Together From an Extractive Age to a New Era – September 28th – 29th. This is a great opportunity to prepare for the revival and build relationships among NC UU Climate Justice Leaders. Register Here

NC Healthcare Navigator Recruitment Session with Michael Plante. Thursday, September 19th at 7:00pm.

With Medicaid Expansion finally rolling out this past December, more North Carolinians than ever before qualify for affordable health insurance. As a volunteer Health Insurance Navigator, you can help make sure that the promise of universal access to healthcare is fulfilled in our state. Attend this informational session to hear about the difference Navigators make and to learn how you can get involved in this meaningful work. Register Here

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.  

This requires many hands – not just those of the SJ Team members.  We have 2 new SJT volunteers, Richard Lottenberg and Elizabeth Ritchie, who are working with guidance from Kitten Bulen to spearhead UUFH efforts for 2024. 

As Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, UU Justice NC,  reminded us:

“It is time to go deeper. For most of us, postcarding should only be the appetizer before the meal.  This year our moral legacy is on the line.  And if we can go further than postcarding, we have a moral responsibility to do so.” 

UUFH:  INTRODUCTION TO OUR UU THE VOTE PLAN FOR 2024

“UUFH Democracy in Action” 

Current UUFH Democracy in ACTION items: 

[1]  FRIDAY ACTION HOUR  – weekly at 11AM 

with Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, UU Justice NC

Join Action Hour via this Zoom. Link: NEW ZOOM LINK 

And if you can’t make it on Fridays, just check out our Action Hour Link:  Google Doc

This link permits viewing, at your convenience, the links & materials f

or the current and any previous 2024 sessions.

BONUS:  

Sign up for the Weekly Friday Action Hour community listserv Email

Each email includes a promo of the week’s actions, the Zoom link, and the link to our Actions List (Google Doc) direct each week to your inbox.   

Click here to sign up!

[2]  YOU CAN VOTE:  VOTER EMPOWERMENT TRAINING  sessions

See YCV website youcanvote.org  for additional sessions as they are scheduled.  

Training sessions online are scheduled for multiple dates.

Virtual Voter Empowerment Training

YCV’s 2024 Voter Empowerment Training is an hour-long virtual webinar designed to mobilize volunteers with how to educate and empower the community for upcoming elections. This comprehensive training educates participants in You Can Vote’s work and key messages, a thorough understanding of how to properly fill out a voter registration form, best practices and the voter ID rules for this year! This training is for those looking to learn more about You Can Vote, updated voting rules, best practices in voter registration, and those interested in volunteering with YCV!

NOTE:  the YCV website also includes materials on  why voting matters:

Lawmakers and local elected officials make decisions about education, climate and the environment, the economy, public safety, civil rights, reproductive rights, public health, housing, and more. 

To learn how local, state, and federal officials impact the issues you care about click here to download a printable versions.  Your county commissioner or school board member may impact your daily life more immediately than elected Federal officials.

[3]. 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 VoteForward.org.

AND…

Your SECOND chance to SIGN UP AND RECEIVE POSTCARD KITS is at Coffee Hour on SUNDAY, September 1.  

• Kits of 30 cards will also be available Sundays into September. Connect with a Democracy in Action team member  – R. Lottenberg,  E. Ritchie  or K. Bulen or SJT Chair, C. Corrigan. If coffee hours do not work for you, let a team member know and we’ll work something out if that’s more convenient.

We have signed up with UU Justice NC to do 3000 postcards for Reclaim Our Vote: UUJNC has now sent us materials such as voter name & address list text and “EARLY VOTING” information label text.  We have purchased the needed postcards, postcard postage stamps, Avery labels and colored pens and assembled them into 100 Kits of 30 cards each for distribution to you. 

NOTE:  We are also planning a POSTCARD PARTY for generating cards in a group setting for even more fun (date TBD).

HOW MANY WILL YOU DO:  30 or 60 or ??   Partner with a spouse or friend to lighten the task. Our assigned voters are  all in CARRABUS COUNTY, NC.  The key message is an emphasis on EARLY VOTING.

POSTCARD RETURN:  

The official mailing period is OCTOBER 1 through October 15  –  timed to target the EARLY VOTING period which is October 17 – November 2.  

Mailing early or late is a NO-NO!

• ANY completed postcards should be held until September 8 and following Sundays when we will collect your completed postcards in the UUFH Foyer. The UUFH Democracy in Action team will mail them during the designated period.

A special thank you to Claire Crook, Polly Crabtree and Regina Hutchison who helped the team assemble the kits AND then took home kits to complete.  

CANDIDATE INFORMATION RESOURCES

These non-partisan resources can help you learn more about the candidates and their positions.  Some also contain customized information for finding your polling place, checking your registration status, knowing what is on your ballot, and even provide information about upcoming candidate debates.  The first 2 are national while the last is NC specific. 

Vote411.org created and maintained by the League of Women Voters provides significant information on candidates. When candidate listings are live, this “Candidate Information” link will let you know.

Guides.Vote is a national nonpartisan organization that provides comparisons of candidates for many national and statewide races.  

Blueprint NC is a coalition that has launched this online guide for NC voters. When people put in their address, information for candidates on their ballot will appear. Information is available in Spanish as well.  Blueprint NC works towards inclusive and anti-racist democracy rooted in civic engagement through movement building and mobilization.