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

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?