January Faith In Action Committee Meeting Minutes and Action Points

By OCUUC posted Sunday, January 22, 2012, 9:03 pm

Faith In Action met today to discuss items for the next few weeks.

Within OCUUC, AIDS Team Ministry can use a few new drivers. Contact Mary Lundholm (presidentocuuc dot org) to volunteer. Our program continues to meet the needs of the neediest here in Orange County living with AIDS.

Also, the 42-42-42 program, which will begin March 11th and culminate on Earth Day, April 22, involves the following:

Getting 42 or more people at OCUUC to commit, for a period of 42 days leading up to the 42nd Earth Day, to taking action of their choice with respect to food ethics.

Please contact Maureen McConaghy if you would like to participate.

Outside of OCUUC, we need your help on a number of items:

#1:

Our church voted to support SB 810, the California Universal Health Care Act.

The bill has now passed out of an important State Senate committee and may come to a vote in the full State Senate as early as Wednesday the 25th. Some State Senators, including Lou Correa of Santa Ana, are key Senators who’s support we need in order to pass SB 810. Their names and numbers are listed below. Please call on Monday or Tuesday to let them know you support this bill. These are direct numbers to their offices in Sacramento.

Senator Lou Correa (Orange County/Santa Ana area)
Phone: (916) 651-4034

Senator Ed Hernandez (Los Angeles/West Covina area)
Phone: (916) 651-4024

Senator Michael Rubio (Fresno/Bakersfield area)
Phone: (916) 651-4016

Senator Juan Vargas (San Diego area)
Phone: (916) 651-4040

Senator Ron Calderon (Los Angeles/Montebello area)
Phone: (916) 651-4030

#2:

The SAFE California Act

is a ballot initiative that replaces California’s death penalty with life without the possibility of parole. In order to qualify for the November 2012 ballot, we need to gather signatures. Click here to sign the petition to get this on the ballot. We will also have petitions on the Faith In Action table for the next three weeks.

#3:On January 15, more than 20 people from four UU congregations in the Orange County, CA area attended a workshop and training withGrassroots Leadership.

UUs from Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Fullerton, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach, and Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church in Costa Mesa joined those from Tapestry, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Mission Viejo, CA.

Donna Red Wing, Executive Director of Grassroots Leadership, and Bob Libal, senior organizer, guided attendees in developing a plan to implement a visitation program at James A. Musick immigration detention center in Irvine, CA — the first of its kind in southern California. Participants also heard from Jose de Jesus Penaflor, an ex-detainee who talked about his life before, during, and after detention. He was bonded out by a fund created at First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles.

If you are interested in this issue, please contact Birdie Reed immediately. Over the next 6 weeks, plans will be in the works to organize efforts throughout all UU Congregations in Orange County. A meeting will be held on February 26 at a site to be determined. We will keep you posted on the location of that meeting as the date gets closer.

#4:

On January 19th, AB 1148

passed the CA Assembly Appropriations Committee with a 12 – 5 vote in favor. The California Clean Money Campaign needs help making phone calls to mobilize their constituents to ask for them to support AB 1148. PLEASE COME HELP make phone calls into strategic assembly districts. Click here to register and to get details on their next phone banking event.

#5:

We all enjoy eating out. Unfortunately, the workers

who cook, prepare, and serve our food suffer from poverty wages, no benefits like paid sick days, and little or no chance to move up to better positions. When the people who serve us food can’t afford to pay the rent or take a day off when they’re sick, our dining experience suffers. The newly released Restaurant Opportunities Center’s National Diners’ Guide 2012 provides information on the wage, benefits, and promotion practices of the 150 most popular restaurants in America. The Guide lists responsible restaurants where you can eat knowing that your server can afford to pay the rent and your cook isn’t working while sick.

Click here to download a copy of this year’s guide.

For the latest information on these issues, visit us at the Faith In Action Table after both services.

How do you help others? How can OCUUC help you help others? We can help by working together!