The Social Justice Committee is back in full swing.  deer Sullivan is our Chair person, Nancy Roberts is Secretary (back up-Carol Chichetto), Gisele Gauthier is Treasurer, Katharine Farnham is our Food Certificate Coordinator and Al Glastetter is our Correspondence person.

Many thanks to those of you in the community who provided Social Justice Programs this summer.  Nancy Phillips, Humanists, the SJC and Denominational Affairs, thanks for organizing the afternoon with Cliff DuRand.  This was such a special addition in the Cape Cod week long Immigrant Celebration. Thanks to Margaret and Rob Rice Moir and Dianne Ashley for developing a new task force called 'Peace Presence'.  Thanks to Chuck Madansky and deer for offering their annual End Torture Now Service and to Kathy Budreski for sharing a slide show of her work in Haiti and the St. Rock community with the congregation.

The Grant Application Process is open again and the due date for applications is November 10.  You can pick up an application in the church office, on the bulletin board in the Parish Hall, or email me and I'll send you one.  Remember, it is solely the Food Certificate Program that funds the grants.  Please support this and buy certificates! As most of you know it costs you nothing and it's so easy.  You can purchase them after church, both the 9:00 and 11:00 services on Sunday mornings.

The Fall BCD Conference is right here at home, at FPB.  Among other wonderful things there will be a panel on Ethical Eating.  I have been invited to be one of the panelists and will be sharing how this relates to Social Justice.  I hope many of us will find our way to the conference that day, it is like a local General Assembly--a great way to get inspired and feel the power of this justice organization!

Last year the Social Justice Committee worked hard creating healthy systems and process, I am really looking forward to the year ahead.  I invite each of you to make a connection with the committee this year.  Please let us know what you are passionate about regarding social justice, let us know how you would like to support the social justice work of the church or what kind of support you and your project may need.

Our monthly meetings are the fourth Tuesday of each month, at 7:00 in the Winslow House.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  If there is anything you'd like to share with the committee or have us consider, please email a week ahead of time and I will put it on the agenda.

Deep peace,
deer Sullivan, Chair
deersplace@yahoo.com

Social Justice Committee would like to extend an invitation to the congregation to use the Zion Union Heritage Museum passes.  The passes are kept in a folder in the SJC cubby in the church office.  (Two passes available)  You are allowed up to 6 guests on any one visit. Valid through May 2010.   Sign up sheet in the folder on the desk.

508-896-0017

UU Service Committee (UUSC)  (Coffee project)

When our congregation participates in the UUSC Coffee Project, we join about 500 Unitarian Universalist congregations across the country enjoying more than just great coffee, tea and cocoa.  We are also putting our faith into action by making responsible economic choices that promote the human rights of thousands of small farmers and their families around the world.

Through the UUSC Coffee Project, farmers earn a fair price for their products, have access to affordable credit and gain a long-term trading partner they can trust, a fair trade company called Equal Exchange.  In addition, a small portion of the proceeds of the sales returns to UUSC to support human rights work in the coffee-growing regions.

Fair Trade allows small farmers to compete in a just economic system, an alternative to the current international system of trade that is inherently unjust to small producers in developing countries.  By making the choice to purchase and promote fairly traded products, you can live out your UU values "to respect the interdependent web of all existence" as well as "to affirm the inherent human dignity" and to practice "justice, equity and compassion in human relations."

 

Letter from the Social Justice Committee

I recently read a quote from Alice Roosevelt Longsworth (daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and outspoken observer of the political scene).  It read, "I have a simple philosophy:  Fill what's empty.  Empty what's full.  Scratch where it itches."  When I read it I immediately thought of the work we do in the Social Justice Committee of First Parish. 

Our meetings revolve around these three simple items.  Let's fill what's empty (get more money into the social justice bank), empty what's full (give out money to social justice projects) and scratch where it itches (advocate for the dignity, respect, human rights and freedom of all).

If you are involved in the work of SJC you already know that this quote can also be interpreted as filling our need to help the community, giving our talents and resources to the community and scratching that endless itch to do more.  If you haven't yet become involved with the work of SJC, consider joining us and see what I mean.

You may already have an idea - it could be just a spark, it could be a full detailed plan - but I would wager that most of you do have an idea; an idea of how you would like to do the work of social justice.  There are a few ways SJC can assist you in transforming your vision to reality.  The first is through involvement with the process and groups that are in place today as part of SJC (anti-oppression, political justice, economic justice, education, environmental and animal justice).  The second is through forming your own group under SJC.  The third is through requesting funding from SJC to assist you with your social justice project.

The first two are easy - come to our meetings.   We always meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month in The Parish Room.  Our meetings are open and we welcome all to join us.  If you just can't come to a meeting without a personal invitation, see me or e-mail and I'll personally invite you.  But get to the meeting and join us.

The third is almost as simple.  Depending on the amount of your request it could be as easy as getting on the next meeting's agenda, or it could be as easy as filling out a simple grant application (six questions).  Grant applications are received and considered bi-annually through March 15^th and November 15^th.  If you would like to explore either of these options or have any other questions please contact me via e-mail correspondence to kdlarkowski@yahoo.com or drop a note in the SJC mailbox at the church office.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kitty