Social Justice Updates

 

Upcoming Events and Announcements

Sunday, February 5, 2023: Social Justice Committee meeting: 12:30 on Zoom and in person in the church library. All are welcome to join us.

Sunday, February 12, 2023: MainSpring House lunch making: join in for this intergenerational project during Coffee Hour (11:30) as we assemble 90 brown bag lunches for the guests of MainSpring House in Brockton. Each month we send lunches to the shelter, and we need your help to put them together.

Updates

Our January 2023 Brown Envelope collections will support World Central Kitchen (www.wck.org), with a focus on their efforts to feel those suffering in Ukraine.

December Brown Envelope donations totaling $964 went to support the UU Urban Ministry (uuum.org), a social justice organization based in Roxbury, at the First Church Roxbury Meetinghouse.

During our single Christmas Eve service this year, all donations totaling $377 were given to support the work of Father Bills & MainSpring House, offering shelter and resources to the homeless communities of Brockton and Quincy. The SJC voted to round up this amount to $400 from our Shopping For Justice grocery card fund.

The November Brown Envelope donations totaling $903 went to support Youth On Fire , a program of AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, a drop-in center for homeless and street-involved youth, ages 14-24, located in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA. Since opening its doors in 2000, over 3,000 youth have benefitted from YOF programs.  In the last two years, the number of clients served has doubled, while funding has decreased. Your support for their important work will be greatly appreciated.

Food Pantry Donations:  Our ongoing special collection for the Sharon/Stoughton Food Pantry (and now including the Community Food Pantry managed by the Congregational Church of Sharon), plus 4 other local pantries in adjacent towns, has raised over $58,000 in the 2 ½ years since the economic impact of Covid began to take hold. As the pandemic evolves, the needs at our local food pantries continue, and they are grateful for our support. Donations by check to the church are converted to Shopping for Justice grocery cards (and that means that we can increase your donation by the 5% discount that we get from the stores, equaling more than a $2,680 boost to date), which the pantries then distribute to their guests. And we of course continue to accept canned and other staple food items in the collection bins at church: kid snacks, canned soups and ready-to-eat cereal are especially requested. As we endure the 3rd year of the Covid pandemic and related economic uncertainty, this ongoing effort by our community is making a real difference in the lives of our neighbors. Thank you for your generosity! 

For social justice updates between June 2021-September 2022), see past issues of The Chalice. 

May 2021

25th Annual Mother’s Day Walk for Peace – Supporting the Work of the Louis D. Brown Institute for Peace
This year, we walk virtually all through the month of May. We donate online at   https://lbdpeace.z2systems.com/uusharon2021
and we give generously through our Brown Envelopes collection.  
 
Why We Walk –  1st UU Principle – The Inherent Worth and Dignity of Every Person    “Thanks to your support, financially and emotionally, all of our services, training and
advocacy work has continued  and we were also able to grow as
an organization. We believe that inner healing allows us to do the work of transferring
knowledge, equipping others to in:luence advocacy and engage in activism that builds
the foundation to transform the way society responds to homicide.”  The Louis D. Brown Institute for Peace
The work of the Louis D. Brown Institute of Peace is founded upon these principles.  
 
About the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute
 
Mission – To serve as a center of Healing, Teaching and Learning for families and communities impacted by murder, trauma, grief and loss
Belief – Families impacted by murder deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion, regardless of the circumstances
Vision – To create and sustain an environment where all families can lie in peace and all people are valued.
Principles – Love, Unity, Faith Hope, Courage, Justice and Forgiveness
Model for Peace – grounded in the Center for Disease Control’s social-ecological framework that interventions are needed at multiple levels in order to interrupt cycles of violence. The LDBP’s framework starts with families and radiates out tocommunities and society.

Transforming Society’s Response to Homicide through:                                                                                           Services: That are consistent and compassionate for families of murdered loved ones and families of incarcerated loved ones to prevent cycles of retaliatory violence.

Training: That instills the value of peace and equips Institutional stakeholders to respond equitably and effectively to families dealing with murder, trauma, grief and loss.

Advocacy: That promotes dignity and compassion for all families impacted by murder.

 
 
 
 
 
Update on Indigenous Peoples Day efforts in Sharon (and statewide):
There was a good amount of community support for Indigenous Peoples Day at the 4/22/21 DEIC meeting. Given that it is too late to change the holiday name through a vote at town meeting in May, the DEIC had to decide whether they wanted to advise the Select Board on changing Columbus Day to Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day this year. The DEIC unanimously decided against advising the Select Board to do this for 2021 given the inherent harm involved in celebrating both holidays. The DEIC then unanimously decided to advise the Select Board to (1) issue a resolution for October 11, 2021 that would solely recognize Indigenous Peoples Day and (2) to advise the Select Board to sponsor an article for the next town meeting (in either November of 2021 for a Special Town Meeting if one is held or in May of 2022 at the next Annual Town Meeting) to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. 
 
Action Steps: The Select Board has a meeting next Tuesday 4/27 and we are hoping to get a large number of emails to the Select Board by Tuesday at 9am expressing support for the Select Board to issue a resolution replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day for 2021 and for the Select Board to sponsor an article for the town meeting replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day permanently.
 
Please find a few resources below if you would like more information about Indigenous Peoples Day and organizing efforts across the state.
 

 

The Other King: The Radical Call to Genuine Equality, a MLK Day program sponsored by the Anti-Racism Working Group: if you missed this provocative event, view the program here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CWSAVTZXF5GbQh7w75b3KO1j7ymjtnaU?usp=sharing

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EATING TO SAVE THE PLANET

INTRODUCTION: This excerpt from the book Drawdown, explains why it’s necessary to change our eating habits if we are committed to addressing global warming and saving our planet.

Plant-rich diets reduce emissions and also tend to be healthier, leading to lower rates of chronic disease. According to a 2016 study, business-as-usual emissions could be reduced by as much as 70 percent through adopting a vegan diet and 63 percent for a vegetarian diet, which includes cheese, milk, and eggs. $1 trillion in annual health-care costs and lost productivity would be saved.

As Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh has said, making the transition to a plant-based diet may be the most effective way an individual can stop climate change.

For more information, check out the Project Drawdown website: https://drawdown.org/solutions/plant-rich-diets

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY RECIPES

Cinnamon Buns to make ahead of time

Reubens start ahead of time but oh so worth it. I use caramelized red cabbage and onions instead of sauerkraut

Guacamole Salad (not exactly in season but quick and easy)

Magic Squares to satisfy a sweet tooth

Blueberry Scones with our without the glaze

Black Bean Tacos vegan sour cream is available in most grocery stores now or make your own

Easy Vegan Lunches you can make in 15 minutes or less

Moroccan Stew easy, yummy and satisfying