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Social Action Programs |
Our Mission
Our Social Action work is an expression of our Unitarian Universalist principles in action. We effectively address social justice issues at local, regional and global levels, raising awareness within the church community and inviting participation of all those who are able.
Come and Inspire Us
If there is a critical issue you feel strongly about, this is the place where you can get the support and encouragement to put your passion into action. For more information, contact the Social Action
Committee (see below).
Here are some of the things we do
– Direct Action –
Hands-on involvement in social action projects such as
- Habitat for Humanity
- Jericho Road Project
- Walk for Hunger
- Cooking at Harvard Square Homeless Shelter
- Reading Food Pantry
- Partnering with Unitarians in Transylvania
– Educational Forums –
Informing on topical issues such as
- Classism and economic justice
- Peacemaking
- Environmental issues
- Human trafficking
- Homelessness
– Advocacy and Witness –
Supporting issues such as
- Marriage Equality
- Darfur
- Economic Justice
- Environmental issues
– Second Offerings –
Providing financial support for organizations doing important work such as
Active Members of Social Action Committee
Denise Giangregorio, Co-Chair
Anne Mark, Co-Chair
Ann McClorey Fisher
Jennifer McAneny
Margaret Soli
Christine Thomas
If you'd like to become involved with us in some way, please visit our Get Involved! page
Meetings
Village Bank Update
The response to the April 13 Second Offering to found a microcredit bank in Haiti was simply amazing. The hope was to raise $2500—half of the cost of founding a bank through FINCA. But together, you donated $3607! Participants in the March 9 Hunger Banquet had already donated $201, for a total of $3808.
Our partners in this project, the Melrose UU Church, have also gone over their $2500 goal, with $3214 in hand so far and $400 more pledged. And hearing about the bank, the UU Church in Framingham decided to hold a Second Offering, which raised $1200. Including the Melrose pledges, $8622 has been donated—close to enough for two banks.
On behalf of the new village bank members in Haiti who will now have access to credit to start and grow businesses, thank you—women like Marie Deci Bien, who has said, “I have 4 children. For the last 10 years I have sold flour, sugar, bread, and oil from a roadside table. With my loan from FINCA, I was able to purchase goods wholesale. Now I have more profit, which allows me to feed and educate my children and save some money.” More updates will be along as we correspond with the folks at the Melrose Church and with FINCA.
“Welcoming Massachusetts” Pledge re Immigration
The UUA Office for Congregational Advocacy & Witness invites—urges—UUs to sign the Welcoming Massachusetts pledge at www.welcomingma.org. The pledge affirms Massachusetts as a Commonwealth that respects the dignity of all people, including immigrants.
The pledge states (in part), “A rhetorical war has dehumanized immigrants, while our broken immigration system leads to inequality and violates the very principles upon which our country was founded, creating much suffering among people, their families and our communities. The current anti-immigrant rhetoric fails to recognize the economic and cultural contributions that immigrants make to our Commonwealth along with the rich immigrant traditions of the past which have made Massachusetts what it is today.”
Welcoming MA plans to gather 100,000 signatures from individuals and 1,000 organizational endorsements by June 1st. Mass. legislators will be called upon to pledge “to make Massachusetts a welcoming state” and “to urge members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation and the Administration to enact real solutions to America's broken immigration system in the first 100 days of the 111th Congress.”
UU Statewide Forum on Immigrant Rights
Saturday May 10 – 11 AM TO 3 PM
The UUA and the UU Service Committee will host a UU Statewide Forum on Immigrant Rights with the Arlington Street Church (351 Boylston St., Boston)--now a New Sanctuary Congregation on May 10.
- Sharing of participants’ family immigration stories
Stories of people who came here from Central America
Showing of Detained (documentary about 2007 immigration raid in New Bedford) - What’s happening today?
- What are the economic policies driving immigration?
- What can we do?
- Learn about the Welcoming Massachusetts initiative, the New Sanctuary Movement, moratorium on [immigration] raids, immigration reform, and more.
RSVP to Audra Friend 
. Include the name of your congregation and your town or city and put Immigrant Rights Forum in the subject line.
2008 Minns Lectures: “UUs and Class: A Faith for a Few?”
Lectures by Rev. Mark W. Harris, Minister at First Parish of Watertown. The lectures are free.
Brahmin Culture for the Masses (Thursday, May 1, 7:00 p.m.)
This lecture will look at the alliance of business, Harvard College, Brahmin culture, and liberal religion. How did class determine our history and who became involved with the Unitarian movement? We will also look at a few people who wanted to spread the Unitarian faith to the masses in more evangelical styles, including Margaret Fuller’s brother, Arthur. (Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Ave., Cambridge)
Universalist Piety and a Classless Heaven (Tuesday, May 6, 7:00 p.m.)
This lecture will examine the Universalist faith and its appeal to a broader number of classes in society through its message of equality. If all are equal in heaven, then nobody is saved unless everybody is saved. (King's Chapel Parish House, 64 Beacon St., Boston)
The Science of Salvation (Wednesday, May 7, 7:00 p.m.)
This lecture will look at the relationship between liberal religion and the eugenics movement. Where did the birth control and euthanasia movements have their origins? (First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church St., Watertown)
(The final lecture, “A Faith for a Few?,” will be delivered at General Assembly this summer.)
UU Lobby Day Report
From UU Mass Action: “The Second Annual UU Lobby Day at the State House was a great success! Over 100 UUs gathered in the dome of the State House to raise our voices in song, learn[ed] how to lobby on issues and fanned out to visit our legislators on the issues of global warming and housing. This year we advocated for new funding for homeless prevention which was included this week in the House budget. Next stop the Senate. We are also working to expand funding for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program. Our second issue is passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act.” For more information, visit www.uumassaction.org/node/118. Mandy Neff from our congregation attended the Lobby Day
help support our re children
The RE children (grades pre-K through 5) are currently studying the 7 UU Principles as part of the annual Principles in Action program. The past two weeks, the children have learned about two exceptional programs that exemplify the UU Principles. Help support our RE students by considering making a donation to the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program or Pennies for Peace. We are requesting donations of worn athletic shoes (please no cleats or metal parts) and pennies. Clean out your house and your pockets to support two worthwhile causes. The Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program will recycle your old sneakers to create new play spaces for children around the world, and Pennies for Peace will use the pennies raised to buy school supplies and build schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Throughout the month of April, shoe collection boxes will be located on the Loring and Sawyer porches and will be in the Atrium on Sundays. Pennies for Peace jars will be located on the RE Table in the Atrium or can be given to one of our RE children.
