All members & friends are welcome to join the efforts of the Social Justice Outreach Team
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville invites you to attend the workshop GIVE LIGHT: SPIRITUAL SUPPORT for CLIMATE ACTIVISM with Rev. Fred Small Saturday, April 9th — 10:00 AM – 12:45 PM — UUFH Sanctuary
In Rev. Small’s words, “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. Small will invite us “into guided meditation, reflection, conversation, and song, fortifying our spirits and deepening our resolve in the struggle for climate justice.” His workshop is “not about climate science, adaptation or mitigation measures, or political strategies, … it’s about how to engage the climate crisis while sustaining our spirits.”
Known worldwide as a religious climate activist, Rev. Small has been an environmental lawyer, a UU Minister of Music, and is now a UUA Minister for Climate Justice at Arlington St. Church in Boston and Policy Director at Interfaith Power & Light. He has gone to jail for, written songs about, and preached to many of the need for environmental action. His workshops and services have been called inspirational and transformative. They are intended to fortify our spirits and deepen our resolve. For further information, see his website: revfredsmall.com.
REGISTRATION: Contact Charlotte Corrigan Space is Limited – Reserve Soon 10:00 AM Check In — Break at 11:45 AM – Drinks and Snacks provided
CDC Covid Guidelines to be followed
SOCIAL JUSTICE & ALLIES FOR RACIAL EQUITY TEAM MEETINGS
We meet on the first TUESDAY of the month 1:00 to 2:30pm. via ZOOM
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.
UU Justice NC
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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 11:00am 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:
UKRAINE
Our hearts are heavy 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.)
DEMOCRACY NC VOTE PROTECTOR TRAINING – THURSDAY, APRIL 7 AT 6:00PM
Democracy North Carolina’s nonpartisan Voter Protection program works to ensure that every voter can successfully cast their ballot. Our volunteers are the “eyes and ears on the ground” at voting sites across NC. If you are interested in becoming a Vote Protector for the 2022 spring primary (deployed on the last day of Early Voting – Saturday, May 14, and on Election Day – Tuesday, May 17, you can Register for this week’s training here!
NATIONAL UU THE VOTE 2022 LAUNCH EVENT – SUNDAY, APRIL 10 AT 4:00PM
Join President Susan Frederick-Gray, UU leaders, and partners to learn how you can show up for our UU values in the critical midterm elections. This joyful and inspiring event will include analysis of the electoral landscape this year, information about states and ballot issues UU the Vote will be focusing on, and plenty of music, laughter, and joy! Register Here.
ELECTION INFORMATION:
IMPORTANT PRIMARY DATES:
April 22 ~ Voter registration deadline for Primary
April 28 ~ One-stop early voting begins for Primary (includes same day voter registration and early voting)
May 14 ~ One-stop early voting ends for Primary
May 17 ~ Primary election (NO same day registration and voting!)
NON-PARTISAN VOTER INFORMATION RESOURCES:
Youcanvote.org, a non-partisan voter empowerment and education group and a UU Justice NC partner has an in-depth voter guide, You Can Vote- voter guide, that contains important information, such as key dates, polling locations, and more, PLUS direct links to official forms.
The website, vote411.org, the informational Voter Guide provided by the League of Women Voters, has non-partisan information on national, state, and local candidates, as well as aids to See What’s On Your Ballot, Check Your Voter Registration, Find Your Polling Place, Discover Upcoming Debates In Your Area, and more.
Information regarding registration to vote, absentee ballots, early voting, precinct/district locations, polling places, is also found at the websites of the NC State BOE and your county Board of Elections. Printable Forms are also available on these sites.
CLIMATE JUSTICE CONGREGATIONAL PROJECT
A new Outreach Collection for CLIMATE JUSTICE begins on Sunday, April 10, and ends on Sunday, May 1.
The Collection proceeds will be split between Mountain True; its affiliate, Creation Care Alliance; and a new group to UUFH, the Climate Reality Project.
These 3 groups have a strong CLIMATE JUSTICE focus throughout their local and global efforts.
The April 10 Collection Plate is dedicated to this Outreach Collection as will be designated donations through May 1.
Be sure to specify “Climate Justice Outreach” on your check. Donations may also be made on the UUFH website “Outreach Fund” choice.
MOUNTAIN TRUE champions the environment in the Southern Blue Ridge/WNC by empowering residents to engage in community planning, policy and project advocacy, and on-the-ground projects. Its affiliate, CREATION CARE ALLIANCE OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA (CCAWNC), is a network of people of faith and congregations who have united around a moral and spiritual call to preserve the integrity, beauty, and health of God’s creation.
THE CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT has as its mission to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every sector of society. The group recruits, trains, and mobilizes people worldwide to become powerful activists to push for aggressive climate action and high-level policies that accelerate a just transition to clean energy.
MAY 1 — A SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE ON THE 8TH PRINCIPLE
Helen Bishop will speak on the 8th Principle at this important service. In addition, a DISCUSSION SESSION, your opportunity to speak or ask questions, follows the service.
RESOURCES for the 8th Principle of Unitarian Universalism
Visit this UUA site: 8thprinciplorg
The section 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?
The Fall 2021 UU World contains several articles of interest, including Our Faith Calls Us to Antiracist Work – by Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, our UUA President https://www.uuworld.org/articles/antiracist-faith
2021 Statement of Conscience “Undoing white Supremacy: A Call to Prophetic Action” – adopted at the 2021 General Assembly:
FEED THE KIDS
Feed the Kids – a community effort to provide a nutritious meal to the Boys & Girls Club kids each Friday afternoon – will resume plated, served meals beginning May 6.
Current dates assigned to us (Team #3) are May 27, June 24, and July 22.
This follows all too many COVID months when the Club was closed. An Interim Plan was launched upon reopening of the Club, and bagged lunches featuring whole-wheat low-fat sub sandwiches were distributed by Club staff.
We have a total of 21 listed Servers between UUFH & Agudas Israel; about 5 are new to FTK. Cook/Delivery team of ~12 is mostly volunteers from Trinity plus a few from AI & UUFH.
For more details about the program, meal service, and joining the team in any role, please contact Charlotte Corrigan. We will again be serving our Chicken Tacos and seeing the smiling faces of the girls and boys as they pick up their meal.
Single-use plastics clog up Western North Carolina’s rivers and streams and break down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. Once in waterways, these microplastics are consumed by aquatic life forms, which are then ingested by the larger organisms that eat them, including humans. The bioaccumulation of these plastics and the additives used to make them can be toxic to both wildlife and people—not to mention the fact that single-use plastics contribute significantly to our reliance on fossil fuels and therefore climate crisis. Acting on plastic pollution is a clear way to care for creation, and together we know that we can make a difference. Check out the new Plastic Free WNC website to learn more about how you and your community can be a part of advocating to put a stop to single-use plastic, and take action below. |
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LWVHC Program:
CLIMATE CHANGE, RESILIENCY AND CONSERVING CAROLINA
Wednesday, April 20, 5:00PM, via ZOOM
The speaker will be attorney Amos Dawson, who has been practicing environmental law in North and South Carolina for the last 47 years. Amos is a former assistant attorney general of the Environmental Protection Section of the North Carolina Department of Justice; served as the first staff attorney to the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission; and served as a mediator in State and Federal courts.
Register HERE in advance to attend this event. After registration you will receive an e-mail with a link to attend the program.
The more that we work together, the greater impact we have.