All members & friends are welcome to join the efforts of the Social Justice Outreach Team
The next Social Justice Outreach Team meeting is Wednesday, April 7 at 1:00 pm. All are welcome to attend; contact Charlotte Corrigan for more information and the virtual link if you would like to participate.
UUJMNC: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION
Action of the Week –
Call the North Carolina Utilities Commission (919-733-0829) and tell them to reject Duke Energy’s 15-Year Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) in favor of a plan that puts clean energy and climate justice at the forefront. Click here for talking points. And to learn more about Duke Energy’s Plan, and the upcoming Public Hearing on March 16th Watch this Presentation. Hold Duke Energy Accountable for their Integrated Resource Plan. Call NC Utilities Commission Today! (919) 733-0829
There’s much that we can do before the March 16th Public Hearing: Check out https://dukesenergyplan.org; Watch Interfaith Power and Lights Training in preparation for the upcoming public hearing on March 16th. Watch Presentation; Sign & Share our NC Interfaith Power and Light resolution to Duke Energy asking that they set a carbon dioxide emissions reduction goal for the year 2030. Sign Petition; and Sign & Share Duke Energy Plan Petition
IMMIGRATION WEBINAR
Join UUSJ’s Immigration Action Team on Wednesday, March 24 from 7:30-9 pm ET for their IMMIGRATION WEBINAR. They’ll be discussing the history of U.S. Immigration policy and the current state of immigration reform. Register here.
FRIDAY ACTION HOUR
Join UU Forward Together every Friday at 11:00am for Friday Action Hour. Gather in community to recap the week and take action on issues impacting our state and country. Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/91029655107
Dream Scholarship Outreach Collection
Our Dream Scholarship Outreach Collection for 2021, now through March 19. The Dream Scholarship Fund supports the college dreams of DACA students with a maximum scholarship of $2500/year towards tuition and fees.
You can donate one of two ways now through March 19:
1). through the UUFH website donation link (“Outreach Fund”)
2). by mailed check (UUFH, 409 E Patterson St, Hendersonville, NC 28739). Please designate “Outreach Collection” or “Dream Scholarship” in the memo line of your check so your donation can be credited correctly.
Your generosity will be greatly appreciated by SJOT, UUFH and most of all by the Scholarship recipients. Dream Scholarships mean more to our scholars now than ever before as they face additional financial hardships and disruptions due to COVID-19.
Migrant Worker Gift Bags
“If you ate today, thank a migrant worker.”
Soon many migrant workers will arrive here in Henderson County. They will be coming in trucks and vans, weary from previous work and the long trip, carrying their possessions in a plastic bag. They will have to immediately search for housing, knowing many landlords will refuse to rent to them. And when they find a place to rent, they will be relegated to inadequate housing.
At this point, receiving a small gift with a welcome card showing they are not looked upon with contempt or dismissed is enough to put a smile on their weary faces. The welcome cards with the names of individual senders are as important as the gifts of items of necessity. They will know that many of us welcome them and appreciate their hard work.
Weather and Covid permitting, it would be wonderful if local youth groups could gather outside, wearing masks and social distancing, to pack the gift bags. If this would not work, as an alternative each individual could pack one or two bags and bring them to a drop-off location. To save the environment, cloth drawstring bags would be preferred. Sewers could make the bags out of cloth scraps, hand towels or old cotton or synthetic shirts with shoestrings as the draw- strings. Otherwise, plastic or paper bags could be used.
Needed items to include are toothbrushes, toothpaste, wrapped bar of soap, bandanna, apple or orange, protein bar or breakfast bar, and card with first name of sender.
**** There will be a covered tote on the UU Office porch
from March 29 thru April 26 for donations
(This is an example of what we need in our gift bags. The cloth bag needs to be at least 11″x15″ finished)
If we start now, we should be ready when the workers arrive in late April and early May. We generally have about 200 workers in the first wave of arrivals. Thank you to those of you willing to be a part of this project!
For more information contact Anne Backer, Heart of Hendersonville Immigration Task Force and member UUFH Social Justice Outreach Team (acbacker@nullcopper.net or 828 697 0641).