Name Change to Social Justice AND LOTS MORE!

 Wow!  What a lot has happened in social justice this year!   And it made this UUCS annual meeting very exciting for me.   We asked everyone who had participated in two or more meetings of the social concerns committee to stand up, then asked all who had attended at least one of our education sessions on the social justice issues to stand, then asked those who had viewed the online powerpoints about the issues to stand-- and most people were standing!  The first vote at our annual meeting was to change our name to the Social Justice Committee, as a sign of our church's new, more activist mission statement.    This was approved overwhelmingly.
Next, we voted for the local issue to focus on this year.   Although the vote was close, we approved the Green Sanctuary Program.   This can involve every church member and friend in many ways.  Our knowledgeable minister and Chuck and Jack won't do the work for us-- but they will help us do it, and do it right!
Last, we voted, again, by a fairly slim margin, for the global issue, Appalachian Tragedy, Mountaintops & Miners.   This choice was geographically the closest of our three options, so it will be the easiest for church members to actually visit  (right, Amber?).    We are going to have an exciting year, with opportunities for every church member to learn and to participate in Social Justice Work!    If you count the exclamation marks, you can tell I'm excited-- hope you are, too! (one more)
Need more info right now?    See    
http://mrainey.freeservers.com/Family/SocialJustice.html

  ~Alice Sutton, chair, Social Justice committee
Oh, one last point-- next year, we'll be choosing new issues, so those that didn't win this year, may be options for next year.  

Learn All About Our Social Justice Issues!

At open meetings on Sunday April 24th and Sunday May 1st, we talked about the six social justice issues that the congregation will vote on May 16th.   If you missed our presentations, you can learn about them at this link:

http://mrainey.freeservers.com/Family/SocialJustice.html

Lots of great pictures --so check it out! 

Our New Social Justice Program

At the May Congregational Meeting, ALL CHURCH MEMBERS will vote on the 2010 ISSUES for our church.  We have six issues to present to you, and you need to choose the TWO best.   

Our new Social Justice model gives our church two issues/programs to focus on for the coming fiscal year, one local and one global.   We have narrowed down the many possibilities to three local and three global.   Now YOU have to choose the best one in each group:

Our Three Local Issues:
1) Homelessness
2)  Green Sanctuary (a UUA program)
3) Adult Education

Our Three Global Issues:  
1)  Gulf Coast Recovery (a UU Service Committee campaign)
2)  Appalachian Poverty, Ecological destruction, and Opportunities for Recovery
3)  Haiti (a UU Service Committee focus).  

Sunday, April 25th, 10:00 we will talk about the local issues
Sunday, May 2nd, 10:00, we’ll talk about the global issues.
As you learn about our six options, ask yourself these questions:  
1.  How does this issue/program relate to the church mission?
2.  How can this program provide for multiple interfaces between the church and agency, ways for the children and youth, as well as adults of differing interests and abilities, to be involved?
3. Do we have the resources to carry out the program?
4. How can this program help our church grow stronger and stand taller in Spartanburg and in the TJ District?


Park Hills & St. Luke’s Clinic:  We have a continuing project at Park Hills School, with a small but important group of volunteers working there. We have a commitment to make collections for Park Hills. We have a continuing small commitment to St. Luke’s Clinic, with a dedicated group of volunteers. We have no plans to change either of these, but we need new issues & avenues for our whole congregation.

SAMPLES OF OUR ISSUES & PROGRAMS

Local Issue Number 2:  Green Sanctuary (a UUA program)
What is it?   A comprehensive program –a journey—towards a more earth-aware and earth-caring lifestyle for our church community, bringing in everyone from the pagan to the tech-savvy.   Not just changing light bulbs (which is one small but worthwhile effort) but a UUA-developed program which encompasses both worship and action.    98 accredited churches and 118 in candidacy!  (summer 2009)

Honors our Seventh Principle (respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part), practice environmental stewardship, and become better stewards of the Earth.

1. How does this issue/program relate to the church mission?
Justice for people, animals, and the earth:  environmental problems like climate change affect poor people in the developing world and in developed countries more than they affect the middle class right now.   They affect animals, plants, and eco-systems; they destroy our earth.  
Religious leaders from most of the world’s faith traditions have claimed that these envronmental crises may be the greatest moral challenge facing humankind in the twenty-first century. 
2. How can this program provide for multiple interfaces between the church and agency, ways for the children and youth, as well as adults of differing interests and abilities, to be involved?
The first step is to form a Green Sanctuary Team.  The second is to conduct an environmental assessment.  This includes assessment of four focus areas:
      *Worship and Celebration, *Religious Education—adult and children's
    * Environmental Justice,     * Sustainable Living—grounds, parking lot, location,transportation, facilities, kitchen, food, recycling/reuseables, office and cleaning supplies, energy use, investment policies, congregation policies, congregation committees, etc.
Quotes:  “the children in our RE program not only took initiative in helping with the church grounds, but also reached out to help an elderly couple with their yard work”   First Unitarian Soc. Schenectady, NY
“the formation of a Green Team was the spark that set into motion a wide range of progressive environmental movements within the church”  UU Charleston, SC
“There is much more energy around making a difference.” UU Church, Fairfax, Oakton, VA

3. Do we have the resources to carry out the program?   We have many talented, able, and hard-working people.   Also, this program can be done one step at a time!
4. How can this program help our church grow stronger and stand taller in Spartanburg and in the TJ District?   “Our recognition as a Green Sanctuary enhances our ability to make positive contributions to our community.”  A UU church in Mass.
“We are forming partnerships with other churches and faiths.”  UU Church in Eugene, OR

Global Issue 3)  Haiti (a UU Service Committee focus).

1. How does this issue/program relate to the church mission?
Justice of any type is in short supply in Haiti.
2. How can this program provide for multiple interfaces between the church and agency, ways for the children and youth, as well as adults of differing interests and abilities, to be involved?   Global issues require different approaches than local, generally less “hands-on.”  There are two avenues of approach for us. 
First, UUSC has partnerships with three grassroots organizations there.  UUSC “provides assistance to our partners, and their experience and expertise, in turn, enrich UUSC, enhancing our ability to advocate for goals we share in common.”  We can get involved with UUSC efforts, including political lobbying.   
Second, we have a church member who, already, has been wanting to volunteer in Haiti, at a school for nurse-midwives.  Ruth Stanton would be a welcome volunteer teacher at a school for nurse-midwives.  Typically, volunteers bring with them a variety of needed supplies for the school, from medical supplies to simple infant layettes.   Church members could help gather these supplies (and even make some) for Ruth to take with her, and support her trip $$.
3. Do we have the resources to carry out the program?   Again, global issues are a little harder to figure out, but a “Haiti Team” would evaluate resources as they considered different activities.
4. How can this program help our church grow stronger and stand taller in Spartanburg and in the TJ
District?    Over the past several years, UUCS has concentrated our social concerns efforts on local issues.   We need to look beyond our city & our state. The earthquake in Haiti was such a tragedy that it demands a response from the world. Church members demonstrated that they wanted to respond with their contributions to our special Haiti collection. Our efforts here, esp. with Ruth’s personal contribution, can add excitement to our church.

February Social Concerns Decisions

Local Issues Chosen: :  
1) Homelessness;  2) Environment/Energy/Climate change; and  3) Adult Education. 

February 24th Social Concerns Meeting

Present:  Don Rollins, interim minister; Alice Sutton, chair; committee members Abby Fowler, Sally Hicks, Teretha Fowler, Jinx Jenkins; drop-ins David Stack, Rosemary Kramer, & Bobbie Schoss (great to have you); and speakers Jack Seitz, Katie Justice, and Danny Redden.

Don talked about the next steps for our new Social Justice model to help us as we select the issues to present to the church.  He gave us seven questions to ask during the process of selection, including whether the issue/program has the potential for multiple interfaces between church and agency (ability to involve church members of different ages, interests and abilities, etc).   He explained how the minister helps the church build a relationship with a partnered organization. 

Don’s entire Issue Selection Checklist will be posted on the Social Concerns blog.

What constitutes a church-sponsored program?  We discussed Don’s answer:
Access to internal publicity; permission to solicit on its behalf; transparent accounting of funds; clear benchmarks or goals for monitoring; and periodic reporting.   This kind of planning, ongoing evaluation and reporting to the minister, the Board, and the congregation both during the year and at the end of the year will be a challenge!  But it will also keep the congregation on track through the year.
 
We then heard from guest speakers about two local issues:
1.  Katie Justice, an Americorps Volunteer with The Faces of Homelessness Speakers' Bureau, and Danny Redden, asst. director at Divinity Care, the Spartanburg men’s shelter.

2.  Jack Seitz spoke on Climate change and Energy Conservation.  He explained the Cool Cities Initiative sponsored by the Sierra Club, and gave us great background information on this in Spartanburg.  Don told us a little about the Green Sanctuary program sponsored by the UUA.  He has been minister at two churches that undertook this program. “Participation in the Green Sanctuary Program provides a framework for congregations and congregants to proclaim and live out their commitment to the Earth.”  For more info, go to http://www.uua.org/leaders/environment/greensanctuary/index.shtml

We also discussed the place of Park Hills School in the church Social Justice program.  We plan to continue partnering with Park Hills School, being active with families in the neighborhood, and taking up collections for Park Hills students, etc.  We need to know what the scope of our volunteer activity is there at present, beyond the significant money and materials donations.  

Further group discussion centered on other local issues on our list, esp. dental health, teen pregnancy, and hunger.  It is hard to decide on only three issues when there are so many needs.  However, other issues will be selected in coming years.   A yearly change in focus will help us all be much more aware and active citizens of our community and of our world.

Finally, we selected our two remaining local issues:  Homelessness and Environment/Energy/Climate change, to go with our choice last month, Adult Education. 

We Chose Social Justice Issues!

January 27th Social Concerns Committee meeting notes:
Present:  Sally Hicks, Abby Fowler, Teretha Fowler, Ruth Stanton, Nancy Mandlove, Alice Sutton and William Worley

ShareThePlate Winners!  Ballots were available Jan. 17th to Jan. 27th, at two services and announced in The Happenings as available on the Social Concerns Table in the Fellowship Hall.  Fifty-seven members voted for the recipients.  Top choices were Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg (20), Safe Homes and Rape Crisis Coalition (15), St. Luke’s Clinic (15), and Animal Allies (14).  All others received ten or fewer votes.   So these four will be our recipients for Feb.-May.  We will Share The Plate on the second Sunday of  each month.    I will try to get a rep. from Healthy Smiles to  speak briefly Feb. 14th (DONE).

Sally said she first thought Social Concerns was about planning the social life of the church, and so was not interested.  Someone else had thought this, too.  We discussed this as one good reason to change name of committee, to help new members know what it is.   Also changing mission statement-- draft mission statement includes justice and uses stronger, activist language

Choosing Three Global Issues: 
Discussed UU service Committee and handed out info.   One of their campaigns is on Gulf Coast Advocacy.   We discussed why go global when there is so much need at home, why go international when there is so much need within this country.   Good points made on both perspectives.   Nancy, Ruth and Alice talked about the emotional impact of seeing, living in, and helping in a developing country.  The lasting difference in perspective energizes participants often for the rest of their lives.  Sally brought up the expense of traveling abroad.   We also talked about networking and planning, etc., to have a successful trip for church members.   In this discussion, we changed our focus from choosing three global issues to three national/international issues.   We had a consensus that we were not ready to present a plan involving international travel.  The topics we will present to the congregation are 1) Gulf Coast Recovery (a UU Service Committee campaign), 2) Appalachian Poverty, Ecological destruction (such as mountaintop mining), and Opportunities for Recovery, and 3) Haiti (a UU Service Committee focus).    In these areas, we will look at the whole picture, including rights for women, economic justice, and environmental recovery. 

Important Concern:  Several members have expressed concern that changes in Social Concerns will take away from our activities in Park Hills School/Neighborhood.   We discussed the need to address this.  We plan to continue partnering with Park Hills School and being active with families in the neighborhood, and with regular collections for Park Hills students, etc.  We also have a small but regular commitment to St. Luke’s Clinic and to the SPIHN (help for homeless) program, and to Total Ministries Food Barrel —we plan to continue these.  But we need ways for congregational members with other interests to get involved in different activities.  In particular, we need some offerings that appeal to a variety of youth—when my daughter was in high school and college, she didn’t want to babysit or be around little kids, but she jumped at the chance to get involved in an animal rescue NPO.  

Choosing Three Local Issues:  We discussed these, chose education and literacy for adults as one issue, and agreed to choose the additional two issues at the Feb. meeting.  
Present to the Congregation:  need time for three 10:00 sessions in March, April, and May.   
Next SPIHN dinner:  Thursday, Feb. 25th.

A New Year, New Opportunities

Two happenings for Social Concerns!    First, we're asking all UUCS members to vote on the next four ShareThePlate recipients.   Ballots are available on the table under the Social Concerns bulletin board and also will be handed out at two church services, today and next Sunday, Jan. 24th.   Proposed recipients include Hatcher Gardens, Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg, Madison's House, Animal Allies, Critter Connections, Bethlehem Center, Habitat for Humanity, New Day Clubhouse, Piedmont Care, SAFE, and St. Luke's Clinic.  Park Hills School is our January recipient.  Turn your ballot in after chuch or leave it on the Social Concerns table before 6:00 p.m. Jan. 27th.

Second, and very exciting:   We introduced the new Social Justice plan at the congregational meeting today! (read Dec. 1st post for details)  At this month's Social Concerns committee meeting, we'll choose three global issues and three local issues to present to the congregation between now and May.   In May, the congregation will vote on our proposals.   Possible global issues include:

Haiti:   Helping Women and girls in Haiti.  
Slave Labor: the oppression of women and girls
Environmental concerns
Help with skills to enable women and men to increase their income
Building schools for girls
Microloans for women
Hunger
The Death Penalty
Racism

We should have a lively discussion Jan. 27th!   Not on the committee?  You are welcome to come & participate!

GIVE BLOOD for the Holidays!

   Tuesday, my family went from calm to crisis.   My youngest cousin, mother of two boys aged 7 and 9, was admitted to the hospital with severe anemia, a hemoglobin of 6 gm and dropping!  Two surgeries later, she had received a total of eleven pints of blood, plus platelets, and a diagnosis of an aggressive cancer.  As I waited at home, I was thankful that I could donate blood and had given recently.   Ironically, her younger brother, praying in the hospital waiting room, couldn't help her by giving blood.    He is in a long term monogamous gay relationship, and according to the guidelines recommended by the Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks and the other professional groups most knowledgeable about the safety of our blood supply, he should be allowed to give blood.  However, the FDA has ignored advances in medical science and still discriminates against gay men in their blood donation policy.   For the benefit of all those who need blood, as well as my cousin Allan and all the other gay men who would like to give blood, think about making a stop at the Piedmont Blood Center on Main Street during your holiday shopping!   No apt needed, takes about an hour.   /Social Concerns chair, Alice Sutton