All members & friends are welcome to join the efforts of the Social Justice Outreach Team
SOCIAL JUSTICE & ALLIES FOR RACIAL EQUITY TEAM MEETINGS
We meet on the first TUESDAY of the month 1:00 to 2:30pm. via ZOOM
Our next meeting is TUES, April 5, 2022
All are welcome to attend; these meetings are your chance to provide input and contribute to our UUFH justice efforts. Contact Charlotte Corrigan for more information – i.e., agenda, prior minutes, Zoom link – if you would like to participate.
ARE updates and news can be sent to Charlotte Corrigan for inclusion in emails, eBlasts and Justice Worker News.
Want more JUSTICE NEWS? UUFH JUSTICE WORKER NEWS Contact Charlotte Corrigan to join the email list.
2022-2023 CONGREGATIONAL PROJECT
The deadline for proposal submission has passed – watch for an announcement of a new
Congregational Project Proposal to be adopted by member vote at our 2022 Annual Meeting
UUFH WORKSHOPS
“OUR PLACE IN THE WEB OF LIFE”
This multipart series from the UUA continues through April 3.
“GIVE LIGHT: SPIRITUAL SUPPORT for CLIMATE ACTIVISM”
The Web of Life series culminates with our workshop from Rev. Fred Small on April 9.
Watch for REGISTRATION information in the coming weeks.
Rev. Small will also lead our(UUFH) service on April 10.
For more information about Rev. Small, see his website: revfredsmall.com
OUTREACH COLLECTION for DREAM SCHOLARSHIPS
Once again the members of UUFH have given generously to this our 10-year anniversary collection.
Proceeds as of Februawry 28 were $3,983.00 This exceeds last year’s collection of $3,322.00 by a substantial amount.
THANK YOU for encouraging and supporting DACA Dreamers who continue their education beyond high school.
Feed the Kids Coalition — Resumption of “normal” meal service
The FTK Board and Team leaders met last week to plan for again serving plated “hot meals” instead of handing out bagged sub sandwich meals to Boys & Girls Club kids. COVID has had a not-so-great impact on all our teams.
The target date for resuming served meals is late April. Members of the 3 congregations in Team #3 -Trinity, Unitarian Fellowship of Hendersonville, and Agudas Israel – are invited to serve with the cooking team or the serving team – whichever they prefer. Delivery help is also needed (some lifting required).
For each team, planning needs include revisiting and updating past volunteer lists, recruiting new volunteers, reviewing/revising menus and ingredients, and, in some cases, finding new leaders or using substitute kitchens. At Team #3, the team leaders are still able to lead, and our food prep kitchen at Trinity Presbyterian Church is expected to be available soon for our use.
We plan to serve the same meal – do-it-yourself tacos – which are much loved by the kids. Cooking this meal is mostly a “dispense and assemble the makings” process requiring a small sub-team on Thursdays. A serving team of about 12 people is needed on Fridays to plate and serve the meals to the kids.
Past volunteers have been contacted by e-mail, but NEW VOLUNTEERS for cooking, delivery, and/or serving are welcome and should contact Charlotte Corrigan. This is a scheduled event occurring about 8 times per year in rotation with other FTK teams.
We all look forward to seeing those delightful kids at the Boys & Girls Club and their smiling faces too! Contact Charlotte Corrigan if you like to join FTK Team #3.
Migrant Project Action – DRIVE Through Collection.
Saturday, March 19, 2-5 pm – UUFH Parking Lot
This year, Agudas Israel and UUFH will host a joint drive-through event for you to drop off items to be given to migrant worker coming to our community to labor in fields, warehouses, and orchards putting food on our tables.
The trucks begin to rumble in filled with migrant workers carrying their meager possessions in trash bags. The men who come alone without their families are often lonely and depressed. They work long hours six days a week with no time for relaxation. Up before dawn and home at dark with only Sunday to shop for food and do laundry. This leaves little personal time. Most have no transportation to get to grocery stores or laundromats. They often crave the ability to just go to a park or play soccer or shop for necessities.
Gift bags don’t seem like much, but just knowing there are people who care and appreciate them is huge! Receiving a gift bag is like Christmas. These bags show that there are people in this community that care about them and appreciate their work.
The items to be collected this year are:
toothbrushes & toothpaste. bar soaps, razors, Neosporin ointment, ball caps & bandanas (Sherman’s on Main Street in Hendersonville is ordering basic, reasonably-priced ball caps along with nice cotton large bandanas), and laundry soap & laundry softener.
Any monetary donations can be mailed to: True Ridge 110 Edney Street, Suite A Hendersonville, N. C, 28792 You must designate “For Migrant Workers” on the memo portion of the check Contact Ann Backer for additional information.
UU Justice NC
Subscribe to UUJMNC to receive the monthly newsletter and action alerts at www.uuforwardtogether.org
DONATE to UU Justice NC HERE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION
from Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, Executive Director UU Justice NC
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 Keeping the pressure on our elected officials to better promote the HOPE program. We always have good music to help us feel the justice movement in our bones! Join us via this Zoom link. If you can’t make it on Fridays, you can still take action at any time – just check our Weekly action list.
SIGN-UP MAKES IT EASY: to receive weekly updates automatically. Click Here to Sign Up!
MORE Opportunities for Action
Per UPDATES from Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, Executive Director, UU Justice NC:
CLIMATE JUSTICE Friday Action Hour – March 4, 11:00 am
Following this week’s State of the Union Address, we’ll join a national movement calling on President Biden to Build Back Fossil Free.
This means banning new federal fossil fuel leasing and drilling, stopping fossil fuel projects/ exports, and declaring a climate emergency to advance good jobs and distributed, renewable energy. In partnership with GreenFaith we’ll also fight the Formosa Plastics petrochemical plant in Louisiana.
Join via this Zoom link and sign up for the Weekly Friday Action Hour ListServ e-mail here.
UKRAINE
Our hearts are heavy this week as we continue to witness the Russian invasion of Ukraine. UU Justice NC wanted to share two statements from our UU leadership about this unfolding situation:
“We Demand An End to the Bloodshed” UU Service Committee Responds to Vladimir Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine – Putin’s aggression will certainly lead to human rights violations. Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, UUSC President and CEO.
(At the bottom of the statement are links to various ways to help the people of Ukraine.)
POSTCARDS UPDATE:
A new postcard campaign is about to begin, and UUFH has made a commitment with UU Justice NC to complete 40 kits for 1000 postcards to encourage voter registration in Union County, NC (southeast of Charlotte). These kits of 25 postcards each will be shipped the week of February 28-March 5.
SIGN UP FOR YOUR KITS:
Contact Charlotte Corrigan to sign up for one or more kits. Stamps but not pens will be provided. Signees will be notified when the kits arrive regarding pick up/distribution options.
CLIMATE JUSTICE CONGREGATIONAL PROJECT
In the coming months, we’ll add a new emphasis on the 8th principle and offer 3 climate justice workshops. As you can see from our coming events, Racial Justice and Climate Justice are inseparably linked.
The proposed 8th Principle states:
“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
Events specific to the 8th principle are coming soon, including a special service on May 1st. We’re waiting for the date to announce an 8th principle virtual program from UU Justice NC for NC congregations across the state.
For more information about the 8th Principle, see this UUA site
The site is organized by responses to these key questions: What is the origin?
Why now? Why single out racism? What is beloved community?” What does it mean to be accountable?
Other resources can be found on the UUA website and in the UUFH Justice Workers NEWS
REV. FRED SMALL WORKSHOP
Don’t miss our workshop from Rev. Fred Small, “GIVE LIGHT: SPIRITUAL SUPPORT for CLIMATE ACTIVISM”, on April 9, 10:00 am-12:45 pm
“As we come to understand the gravity of climate disruption, it’s easy to become disheartened. How to maintain equanimity and compassion for ourselves and others while sustaining effective activism? In this interactive workshop, welcoming all faith traditions and spiritual orientations, Rev. Fred Small will invite us into guided meditation, reflection, conversation, and song, fortifying our spirits and deepening our resolve in the struggle for climate justice.”
Watch for REGISTRATION information – to be announced soon.
Spaces are limited so you’ll want to sign up right away. We are allocating some spaces to attendees from the community and to other UU congregations in NC.
Rev. Small will also lead our service on April 10.
For more information about Rev. Small, see his website: revfredsmall.com
VOTING RIGHTS: It’s Time to Modernize the Electoral Count Act
Since the failed Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act vote, there’s been an effort to overhaul the Electoral Count Act (ECA). The move has attracted bipartisan collaboration among at least 15 senators, according to New York Times reporting.
What remains to be seen is will it address any of the substantive voting dysfunction and inequity that the John R. Lewis Act (H.R. 4) sought to address?
Urge Senators to closely examine what elements from that bill can be included in the new ECA effort.
Please join in strongly underscoring that the right to vote is fundamental to our lives as U.S. citizens and voting should be easy for everyone. Gerrymandering and dark money corrupt our democracy and need to be eliminated. We must have legislation at the federal level to ensure that all 50 states are following a fair and unbiased election process. They must contend with these issues as they look at ECA.
Send a letter to your Senators with this Action Alert |
 |
The more that we work together, the greater impact we have.