Social Justice Blog
Social Justice is our way of life, our credo, and the title of this blog. It is maintained by the Faith In Action Council of Orange Coast UU Church. To learn more, contact us at fia
ocuuc
org (fiaocuucorg) .
BIG SUNDAY!
Big Sunday will be held at OCUUC on Saturday, May 14.
It’s time to get ready. We will have 150 people come to us for projects and directions to projects in the area that need help. Check out our page on Big Sunday’s website.
I need help from people to man our stations as well as pass out T-shirts and water. Here’s a short list of projects. They’ll collect books for the Early Literacy Program and toiletries to be packed in SOS tote bags. They’re also writing letters to soldiers and hosting some cool craft projects that will be donated to Free Arts for Abused Children. And if that weren’t enough, they’ll be make Big Sunday’s signature papier-mâché flowerpots and bring them to nearby shut-ins. Contact Mary Lundholm, Hub Captain at presidentocuucorg to volunteer to help host. or find a project that appeals to you at the Big Sunday website.
Bill Schulz at OCUUC – Tuesday, April 26, 7:30 pm!
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 26.
Bill Schulz, current President of the UU Service Committee, former Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, and former president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, will speak at OCUUC!
He’s got a great column called the President’s Corner over at the UUSC webpage. Let me give you a sample of his last three columns:
- Do Human Rights Have a Future?
- Revelations from the Revolution : Tough Lessons for Human Rights
- Human Rights in Decline? Look How Far We’ve Come
More details to come in the Blast and this page as we get closer to the event. But please mark your calendars now!
Responding to Anti-Islamic Hatred As An Interfaith Witness
INTERFAITH WITNESSES
Answering hate with love
In response to recent public demonstrations of anti-Islamic hatred, a number of local activists of all faiths have come together to show their support for Orange County’s Muslim community—and each other—by forming teams of “Interfaith Witnesses.”
Please join us on Wednesday, April 13 to learn how you can join us in this exiting interfaith effort. This planning meeting will be held to explain the concept and form geographical teams of Interfaith Witnesses. ALL people of ALL faiths, clergy and laity, are encouraged to attend:
Please note that we will not engage or confront harassers in any way at any time (you will be asked to commit to this before you participate at future events).
INTERFAITH WITNESSES
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
7:00 p.m.
At
Orange County Friends Meeting
2091 Business Center Drive, Suite 100
Irvine, California, 92612
For directions, please visit: http://www.orangecountyquakers.org/
For more information, or if you are interested in holding a similar organizational meeting in your area, call Vicki Tamoush: (714) 362-7676 or (714) 368-5100
Thanks from Melody Daigle
Melody Daigle, a friend of OCUUC, wants to say “Thanks so much to all those who responded so graciously to the immediate need of toiletries at SOS. Please continue to remember them when you have the little bottles of shampoo leftover from a trip or extra disposable razors you didn’t like, etc. Again, thank you so much. It’s an honor to share fellowship with such good people.”
April Recipient of Donations
Dr. Riba’s Health Club is currently operating at Hope Clinic, in Costa Mesa. The program focuses on the prevention and treatment of nutrition-related problems in children ages 0 –18 and their families. The program sees over 1,500 underserved families annually, targeting low-income areas in Orange County, where obesity and diabetes are serious concerns. The program works with individuals, provides health and nutrition information, operates the Fit Club Program in conjunction with Newport-Mesa Unified School District and, participates in Pretend City, which begins the process of helping children 0 – 5, to learn about health and nutrition. Childhood obesity and early onset type 2 diabetes are a local and national pandemic. For more information about DrRHC see Marilyn Giss or contact Rosario at (949) 379-9901.
There are many ways to help the overall quality of life right here in Orange County. For assistance in nominating a deserving cause, contact a Community Service Committee member, Naomi Blackwood, Kathleen McFarlin or Maurice Giss.
Second Harvest Coming to OCUUC – Saturday, June 4
Thanks to Marci Carey, we are scheduled on Saturday, June 4 to help with Second Harvest’s food distribution. As you may know, Second Harvest works to eliminate hunger here in Orange County. In partnership with over 470 member charities, the Food Bank helps feed more than 240,000 individuals each month. Those served include the working poor, children, seniors on fixed incomes, single parents, the disabled, the homeless and individuals experiencing medical emergencies or recent job layoffs. Second Harvest is working with Feeding the Hungry in West Fullerton, a ministry of the Orangethorpe United Methodist Church, to coordinate efforts with local churches. OCUUC is already on their honor roll!
Marci will be the lead on this project, and the Young Adults and Religious Education programs are assisting. Any questions, please contact us (fiaocuucorg) .
Faith In Action Council Meeting Minutes – Sunday, March 20
FIA met in Boag 2 on Sunday, March 20 at 12:45 pm.
I. OCUUC Committee Activities – Past and Upcoming
Share Our Selves needs our immediate help. They need toiletries, so size probably does not matter. We do know that they like the little bottles one gets in hotels, but I’m sure thy can figure out how to use larger sizes. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, shaving cream, deodorant and lotions would be great.
The Green Theology course started on Wednesday, March 16. We had 16 initial participants from as far away as Palomar UU church in Vista and Sherri Loveland from the Orange County Interfaith Coalition for the Environment. We had a successful potluck dinner prior to the meeting as well. Potlucks will be held from 5 to 7 PM on Wednesdays until April 20. The class runs from 7 to 9 PM on Wednesdays, along with one weekend course on Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30.
Mike Scott coordinated an event that was organized by Estancia High School’s ANSWER student group that was held at OCUUC on Saturday, March 12. Contact Mike to see how it went, or Mike can just hit reply to all to let us know.
A friendly reminder that the Spring Auction will take place Saturday, May 7 at 4 PM.
Big Sunday will take place over the weekend of May 14-15. Thousands of people from Southern California, of all ages and all backgrounds, work together at hundreds of nonprofits, schools and other agencies that need their help. OCUUC will serve as a hub location for Big Sunday on the 14th for Orange County. More details will come via email. (It’s the reason why we are cleaning out Gillan 1 right now).
Information about the UUA/UUSC Japan Relief Fund can be read here.
Circulo de Amigas now has a Facebook page, so that you may keep up with the latest.
UULM-California’s January/February newsletter can be found here.
II. Upcoming Events with Recognized Groups
Eva reports that Health Care for All – Orange County will meet at OCUUC this Wednesday, March 23, at 6:30 pm. This will make for a nice, busy Wednesday night of Social Justice!
Eva also reports that CARA (California Alliance of Retired Americans), amongst others, will participate in the Great American Write-In on Saturday, April 9, from 9:30 to 1:30 pm. It will be located at the Woodbridge Community Center in Irvine. For a copy of the flyer passed around at the meeting, click here. A unique and inspiring event, the Great American Write-In is an Orange County tradition. In early spring, this letter-writing jamboree motivates hundreds of citizens to take an active part in democracy by expressing their opinions to legislators and other leaders. Participants select their favorite issues after speaking with representatives from dozens of advocacy groups. Loyal letter-writers have fondly dubbed it “The Conscience of Orange County”.
Eva also reports that CARA will have a Free one-day training event on how to be an effective activist. It will be held on Wednesday, April 13, from 10 am – 3 pm at Teamsters Local 952, 140 S. Marks Way in Orange. There is also an opportunity to review your prescriptions and medications. To learn more, click here for the flyer.
Birdie and Charlie were not in attendance yesterday because they were in Los Angeles attending the passing of the torch at the ACLU – Southern California. The new Executive Director of ACLU-SC is Hector Villagra. The rumor was that Michael Moore showed up. Here’s their Facebook page as well.
III. The Council At A Critical Juncture
We discussed and drew some conclusions yesterday based on three important questions.
1. How do we help the members and, therefore, the congregation build just communities?
Mike’s concern, expressed to me by other Members, was that we are failing to maximize the leg of OCUUC’s mission – building just communities. Too often, the FIA meeting has turned into a forum for discussion instead of action. Every Member has got to ask themselves “How do I build just communities?” Then we, as FIA, help them act on it, get others involved, and spread the word.
We will need better communication. This is an ongoing issue within OCUUC – it’s why we are having a survey about it now. The Social Justice page of the website is an excellent way to get the word out. The new and improved OCUUC Calendar will have a part where people can click on to see events happening outside of OCUUC with our Recognized Organizations. Mike is aiming to have this up and running by next FIA meeting. (April 17).
Judith Stamper brought up an excellent idea. We need a method for Members to learn what other Members like. With some concerns to privacy, we can do this within OCUUC right now. We will announce in the Blast a call for your favorite Social Justice/Community Service group or project. (Mine is my work and involvement in the Orange County Renewable Energy Society, by the way). An online, password-protected spreadsheet might work to get this started. The 15 of us can get the conversation going.
Finally, we all have to do a better job with the FIA table, starting with the Chair. All of our Members are not online, therefore, the Reach and the FIA table are the best resources we have. Plus, it’s a nice way to coordinate and hand out donuts for those who sign petitions or do other good work.
2. What procedural changes do we have to make to ignite the passion of our Members?
Some third Sundays of the month will conflict with popular and/or necessary events. We found that out this past Sunday with CUUPS’s Ostara (another event that had a fully packed room, by the way). But as we move toward more Town Hall meetings with the change in minister, we will have to adapt as well. We will still have meetings on or around the third Sunday of the month, but subject to change. Not to worry, you will all be notified as soon as possible.
Like the Women’s Circle, we will have to start brown bagging it. For larger events, we might even do a catered lunch as we did with the FIA Election Forum last October.
We might have a Wednesday Night potluck FIA dinner as well, if it fits in the schedule, and if Wednesday potlucks prove to be popular in the next few weeks.
Please fill out the Communications Survey, when you can. What you choose as your preferred method of communications will be the way FIA sends information to you going forward.
3. Why does the Faith in Action Council even exist?
We exist because we care. We want to do more – always. But for Faith in Action to truly succeed, we have to better personalize and make meaningful how members really build just communities. This means we have to help build meaning in Member’s lives through service and justice.
Members also need to know that one person’s vision of service and justice might be quite different from another. FIA’s role will be not to pick which vision, plan, program, or event is more important than the other. That’s up to Members convincing each other. FIA will assist in helping Members get the word out, follow the Standing Rules. We will let our lights shine as positively as possible, too.
UUA President Peter Morales Releases Statement on Tragedy in Japan
March 14, 2011
As the news from Japan worsens, I send my heartfelt sympathies to all those struggling to cope with this terrible disaster.
As the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) president, I traveled to Japan last August to meet with our religious partners there. The warm hospitality offered to my wife, Phyllis, and me left us with a beautiful and lasting impression of their country and culture. My heart goes out to the people of Japan for what they are enduring now.
As soon as the UUA received word of the tragedies of Friday, March 11, we reached out to our religious partners in Japan: Rissho Kosei-kai, Tsubaki Grand Shrine, the Konko Church of Izuo, the Tokyo Dojin Church, and the Japan Chapter of the International Association for Religious Freedom. We have worked in close partnership with these outstanding organizations for many decades, and have been in contact with them since Friday. I can only imagine the overwhelming sadness and fear they are experiencing, even as they try to determine their next steps.
To this end, the UUA/Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) Japan Relief Fund has been established to support the recovery efforts of our religious partners in Japan, as they consider the specific efforts to take to support the work of recovery. I encourage anyone wishing to contribute to this crucial effort to read more about the UUA/UUSC Japan Relief Fund here.
For several months, the Rev. Eric Cherry, the UUA’s Director of International Resources, has had a trip to Japan scheduled for later this month. The situation on the ground is still extremely volatile, but as I write this, Eric intends to make the trip if at all possible. If he is able to make the journey, he will convey my sincere condolences and profound hope for swift recovery on behalf of the entire Unitarian Universalist Association.
We at the UUA will hold the country of Japan in our hearts, as we work to support them in their time of great need.
Sincerely,
Rev. Peter Morales
President, Unitarian Universalist Association
Faith In Action Meeting Next Sunday, March 20th
Faith in Action will meet next Sunday, March 20th, after second service.
The committee is at a critical juncture. We are faced with a number of questions that must be resolved. The following questions will be asked and answered:
1. How do we help the members and, therefore, the congregation build just communities?
2. What procedural changes do we have to make to ignite the passion of our Members?
3. Why does the Faith in Action Council even exist?
We look forward to seeing you then. UPDATE: We will meet in Boag 2.
Green Theology Course – All the Details
Our Green Theology course starts Wednesday, March 16 at 7 PM.
The course syllabus has been posted.
From the syllabus: This adult religious education course in ecological theology is designed to facilitate new habits of perceiving and analyzing our social and natural environments and to embolden the moral judgments and political acts to which liberal religious people are called in a time of environmental crisis.
The Classes (and potlucks!) will be held on March 16, 23, 30, and April 6, 13, 20. This course will also have a weekend seminar on April 29 and 30. Mark your calendars now! These dates are set!
Regarding the potlucks, all are invited that evening, whether you’re taking the course or not. Please bring a dish with enough servings to share. Drinks will be provided. The potluck will run from 5 PM to 6:45 PM and have no “formal” program, but we will discuss important social justice topics in UULM, UUSC, and throughout Orange County.
OCUUC is working to increase commitment to this faith tradition and to the congregation by creating a replicable adult education curriculum on the topic theology and ecology, “Green Theology.” Our goal will be to deepen theological understanding particularly as it relates to a current day issue for our society. This course will be more intensive than a “Building Your Own Theology” course, but not as rigorous as a class at a seminary.
The project will be under the direction of Dr. Michael Hogue, Professor at Meadville Lombard Theological School and the Reverend Doctor Karen Stoyanoff, minister at Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church, Costa Mesa, CA.
Contact Reverend Karen (ministerocuucorg) or Mike Harmanos (greenocuucorg) for details.
