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

Dec. 1, 2009. Changing the Way We Do Social Justice

Present:  Alice Sutton (chair), Don Rollins (interim minister), members Abby Fowler, Teretha Fowler, PK Weiss, Launa Blackburn and  Ed Wilde, and guest Jinx Jenkins

We briefly discussed December issues at the end of the meeting:
*Launa and P.K. are coordinating Christmas at Park Hills for particular children who need gifts.  P.K. is looking for volunteers for lunch duty on Dec. 11th so teachers can enjoy a holiday lunch.  She has sent this notice to the Happenings.   Anyone can volunteer for this, whether or not they have previously been at Park Hills.
*We are assisting Merike Tamm in her Book Fair, Dec. 6th, which will include books for Park Hills students. 
 *Dec. 17th  Thursday Eve SPIHN (Spartanburg Interfaith Hospitality Network) dinner is coming up at Fernwood Baptist Church.   Our committee members will provide the dinner this time for 3 mothers and their 8 children between 2 and 10 years old: Alice (chili), Abby (bread, salad), Launa (dessert) and also Jinx (fruit salad) (did I miss someone?).    We can meet at our church at 5:00 with our dishes, and Alice will deliver them to Fernwood Baptist.  We don’t need to bring drinks.  Launa and her brother will be overnight hosts, so Launa can bring her dessert direct to Fernwood Baptist.  We will look for another covenant group or small group for the next dinner, in February.
*We voted unanimously to recommend to the Board that 100% of the Christmas Eve collection go to Total Ministries to support their many programs.  Alice will send an email to Karen Mitchell asking her to bring this to the Board’s attention (done). 
*The second Sunday in January, ShareThePlate will be collected for Park Hills School. 
*In early January, we will survey the congregation with ideas for ShareThePlate for Feb-April only, with a handout in the bulletin as well as the Happenings and Unison.  (Launa, this should be very easy because the congregation is already familiar with the concept.)   Beginning in May, we will be implementing the new plan, which may, or may not, include ShareThePlate.   

We have a To Do List:  we each need to give some thought to the 3 local issues and 3 global issues (discussed in workshop) and email initial ideas to Alice  (Ed has already sent his--Thanks, Ed!)

Workshop Topic:  Changing the Way We Do Social Justice
*We voted again unanimously to adopt this new model for Social Concerns. 
Here is most of Don’s outline with my notes on what we talked about as we went through it.
PROPOSED “GARDINER” MODEL  /Don Rollins December 2009
“A summary of the model Don encountered several years ago, as part of a UUA-sponsored, social justice program. (tweaked here and there)

The primary goals are:
1. To engage the greater congregation in designing, delivering and assessing its justice programming.
2. To give direction and focus to the committee(s) charged to lead the congregation in its justice ministries.
3. To better utilize justice resources – human, financial or otherwise.
4. To allow for, but minimize, any additional areas of emphasis related to justice work.

The Model:

1. Justice work is divided into two broad categories: Local and Global.
 Local issues are those that have to do with the immediate area, and may or may not involve partnership with an agency or another congregation. Examples: food pantries; soup kitchens; shelters; Habitat for Humanity.
Currently, almost everything we are doing at UUSC is on the local level

Global issues are those that involve the congregation in efforts that are outside its “parish”.  
            Examples: slave trafficking; women and children affected by war; climate change; Amnesty International.

2. The Committee identifies three possible issues for each of the two categories (six, total), complete with a short plan for each issue. Plans should include estimated necessary resources and responsibilities.

3. An educational plan is designed and implemented at least six weeks in advance of the next Annual Meeting (or otherwise duly called congregational meeting), describing the new model, any related bylaw amendment proposals, six identified issues and plans for each.
NOTES:   the social concerns committee decides on three issues in each group and spends several months educating the congregation in these issues.   This can be done with 10:00 classes in depth, perhaps two issues at each, also with info in happenings, unison, bulletin, and on Social Concerns bulletin board.   We also discussed the need to change our committee name to Social Justice committee, in keeping with including the global perspective.   This can also be presented on and voted on at the Annual Meeting or earlier called meeting, at this point projected for ~April (maybe).   This educational process helps get more people involved in the issues on different levels.  

4. Committee members attend 2010 Annual Meeting (or other duly called meeting) prepared to present and explain the new model.

5. The congregation votes, in accordance with the legal processes, to make any necessary bylaw changes.   NOTES:   only a majority of members present is needed for approval.

6. The congregation votes to identify two areas of focus, one, local and the other, global.
NOTES:  This includes presenting a BUDGET needed for each proposal, which would be included in the proposal, so the congregation votes on the budget. 
The same issue can be chosen for both local and global.    We had some discussion over the length of each campaign, one year vs. two years, whether one year was enough time, vs. the excitement value of a new issue every year.   We will think about this and revisit it at our January meeting.    Committee members will also brainstorm about possible issues and email their ideas to Alice.  

7. The Committee begins it work, complete with means of assessment and progress reports. 
NOTES: The selection of new issues is a good time for new committee members to join.   If work is not completed within the 12 months, the committee may continue somewhat beyond that point, but reports to the church as appropriate through the year and at the conclusion of the year.    There could be a spin-off subcommittee for the issue. 

8. The Committee, beginning in April of that church year, prepares the justice proposal for the congregation’s new justice plan.  
 NOTES:  The Social Justice committee would, again, choose 3 issues for global and 3 issues for local, educate the congregation, and present for a vote at the Annual Meeting in spring 2011. 

Remember Special Workshop!

Social Concerns Meeting Tuesday Dec. 1, 7:00 pm

Interim minister Don Rollins will lead a special workshop on a new model for Social Justice activities in a congregation, a model with the power to increase congregational involvement and commitment to issues.   Please attend if you are a committee member or interested in being a committee member.

Part 3, Blood Bank Policy

As I left the Piedmont Blood Center on Main Street, I enjoyed that self-satisfied, yes, even smug feeling that I had done my civic duty!  I dropped into the Center at my convenience and, in less than an hour, was in and out.   I think everyone who can safely give blood, should.   It saves lives and for most people, it’s an easy way to help others.   
The Food and Drug Adminsitration (FDA) blood donation policy denies gay and bisexual men this opportunity to help others and contribute to the common good.    If medical science hadn’t advanced since the 1980’s, this would be a necessary ban, along with similar bans against Haitians and Africans and, in Washington DC, all African American women (this group now has a frighteningly high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS).  Of these, only people from a few African countries are banned from donating.  Of course, medical science has advanced since then.  In fact, 

The Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (HIVMA)
The American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
America’s Blood Centers (ABC)
and the American Red Cross (ARC)
have all been calling for the ban’s revision since 1997—that’s 12 years!

In March 2006, the FDA held a workshop on this issue.  Dr. Steven Kleinman, Senior Medical Advisor for the American Red Cross, stated then that “current duplicate testing using NAT and serologic methods allow detection of HIV- infected donors between 10 and 21 days after exposure. .. It does not appear rational to broadly differentiate sexual transmission via male-to-male sexual activity from that via heterosexual activity on scientific grounds...  To many, this differentiation is unfair and discriminatory.”    Yet, the FDA, ignored the recommendations of all four professional groups and took no action to revise the ban.
So, why is there a ban against gay men donating blood?
 What do you think?

Part 2. FDA Policy on Blood Bank Donors exclusions is outdated

What organizations in the US are most knowledgeable and concerned about preventing HIV/AIDS?  The Medicine Association (HIVMA) of the Infectious Diseases Society of America would be at the top of the list.  It  represents over 2,600 physicians, scientists and other health care professionals who practice on the frontline of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
HIVMA explains that all blood donations today are tested with the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAT) for HIV.  The NAT detects HIV beginning 11 days after a person has contracted it.   In 2004 HIVMA stated that “the accuracy and reliability of the NAT …call for significant revisions to the current donor screening guidelines. It is discriminatory and unnecessary to continue to exclude any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 from donating blood.”
 HIVMA recommends that the blood donor screening procedures be revised to ask all potential donors to exclude themselves if they have recently engaged in unprotected sex with a partner of unknown HIV status or used a syringe not prescribed by a physician to take drugs or steroids.   To err on the side of caution, HIVMA states, “recently” might be defined as the previous six months.  … Why is the ban still in place?  More next week …     *HIVMA’s full statement at  http://www.hivma.org/Content.aspx?id=2788

Social Concerns Meeting Tuesday Dec. 1, 7:00

Interim minister Don Rollins will lead a special workshop on a new model for Social Justice activities in a congregation, a model with the power to increase congregational involvement and commitment to issues.   Please attend if you are a committee member or interested in being a committee member.

FDA Blood Donation Policy Information

The Social Concerns committee will be submitting a weekly paragraph to the bulletin & happenings to educate the congregation on this topic.   Here is No. 1:
Did you know that well over 10% of men are banned for life from donating blood?   In the 1980’s, when HIV/AIDs first became a problem, the FDA banned Haitians, intravenous drug users, and men who had had sex with another man from donating blood.   However, the ability to detect HIV in blood donations has become very good.  In 1990, Haitians protested their blanket exclusion from blood donations as racism, and Haitians were taken off this list.  However, all men who have had sex with another man (even once) since 1977 are still banned for life from donating blood.  Is that necessary for the safety of our blood supply?   Since 1997, AABB (the American Association of Blood Banks) has advocated that this lifetime ban should be lifted.    For more info, see  http://www.aabb.org/Content/Members_Area/Members_Area_Regulatory/Donor_Suitability/bpacdefernat030906.htm                 …Why is the ban still in place?  More next week …