Social Justice Work at UUCD
Become Involved in Current and Recurring Social Justice Work
Recent Social Justice Projects
The Larger Unitarian Universalist Community
Become Involved in Current and Recurring Social Justice Work
The UUCD Mission is “To welcome each and all, cultivating the spirit, and serving others in our quest for justice,” and one way we achieve that is through social justice work. You can join us in this by reading about the many opportunities at UUCD and contacting the church office to find out how to become involved with the ones which speak to your desire to make a positive difference. There are more opportunities all the time, so make sure to check out our newsletter and weekly bulletin as well.
office@uudavis.org
(530) 753-2581 x100
Adopt-a-Social Worker pairs faith communities with social workers to provide a personal and financial support in meeting the needs of children and families in the Yolo County Child Welfare System. Contact Julie Saylor to join our monthly luncheon with our social worker or to receive e-mail updates.
The Caring Network – Contact Kathy Olson to be added to the list of people who answer the call when UUCD Members and Friends find themselves in need. Volunteers make individual visits, calls, send cards, make meals, offer transportation, and more.
The UU Campus Ministry Group is a liberal, diverse, and inclusive group of students committed to sharing, exploring, and developing our unique spiritual paths and social justice concerns in community with fellow students. We gather for liberating social justice actions and public service projects. We are active in the liberal religious interfaith community at UC Davis. We work on special projects for local and international aid organizations (from Davis Community Meals to Hope Walks, which helps children affected by AIDS/HIV). Interested college students can join us by contacting the church office.
Community Involvement Committee (CIC) functions to foster justice through service to others throughout the geographic region in which congregants live and work. It is part of the shared ministry within the church and works to create a wide range of community service opportunities for adults and children to participate in as UUs. Our current projects include working with Adopt a Social Worker, Davis Community Meals, http://daviswiki.org/Davis_Community_Meals and Progress Ranch, progressranch.org To join contact Julie Saylor.
Daroc-Davis Transylvanian Partner Church Committee – There is a Covenant between our church and the Daroc Congregation of Transylvania, Romania through the UU Partner Church Council, uupcc.org. Transylvania is one of the earliest sites of Unitarianism and these congregations are struggling to survive. We raised funds to pay off the mortgage of the Daroc Meeting House. Members of our congregation have gone to Transylvania to participate in UU heritage tours and outreach activities, including teaching English. We annually engage with the Balacz scholar, a Transylvanian minister studying at Starr King School for the Ministry, Berkeley. To learn about our partner congregation, Transylvanian Unitarianism, and to plan specific activities, please contact Peg Swain.
Davis Community Meals, http://daviswiki.org/Davis_Community_Meals (DCM) provides low-income and homeless individuals and families with housing, food, and human services to help them rebuild their lives. Over 45 UUs from our church volunteer at DCM – gathering food from participating local grocery stores, cooking food each Tuesday at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. UUCD officially sponsors DCM on the second Tuesday of each month. The dining hall is prepared at 4pm, the serving line forms at 5:30pm. Contact Corinne Cooke to volunteer for a second Tuesday. UUCD also has an Annual Winter Glove Drive for DMC clients in which gloves for adults are gathered and distributed on the second Tuesday in December.
Green Sanctuary – The UU Ministry for the Earth, uuministryforearth.org has certified the UU Church of Davis as an official Green Sanctuary. As such we attempt to integrate environmental awareness, sustainable practices, and work for environmental justice into our worship, Religious Exploration, and more. The G.S. Committee meets the 2nd Tuesday evening of each month in the church library. We are looking for projects that incorporate our values, enrich our spiritual life, involve people of all ages, are fun, and move us as people and as a church toward a sustainable future. We welcome anyone who has an interest in working on earth ministry or has ideas for projects to contact Judy Moores.
Interfaith: Celebration of Abraham – Ongoing programs with other Davis houses of worship who also come from a Jewish, Christian or Muslim tradition.
Marriage Equality – As a certified Welcoming Congregation, UUCD supports legal marriage between committed couples, regardless of gender. We support the work of the UU Legislative Ministry of California Action Network, www.uulmcaaction.org/index.html in supporting Marriage Equality.
Peace & Justice Committee – Our purpose is to promote educational opportunities for UUs and the wider Davis community to educate ourselves about critical issues of peace and justice – and then to take action. We sponsor educational speakers, films, demonstrations, publicity, and support other peace groups. We meet on the 2nd Sunday of the month in the Library after Sunday services. All are welcome. Coordinator: Marilu Carter
Progress Ranch, progressranch.org: two group foster homes in Davis that house six boys (age 7 – 12 years old) each, provides a safe secure environment that helps integrate needy boys into the community. Help by serving as a mentor, participating in creative projects and field trips, or working on a quilt created for one of the boys. Contact: Bob Bates
Children’s Religious Exploration Quarterly Social Justice Projects – Each quarter the Children’s Religious Exploration (Sunday School) spends a day making bag lunches for the clients of a local service group, pet toys for an animal shelter, raising money for a local non-profit through a sport or read-a-thon, or in some way serving the local community.
STEAC, www.steac.org: Short Term Emergency Aid Committee provides immediate, short-term assistance with basic necessities to Yolo County families and individuals with income below the poverty level. Services provided include assistance with housing and utilities, clothing and furniture, food, holiday baskets, etc. Church members volunteer for various services and UUCD has annual fundraisers, food drives, and clothing drives to benefit STEAC. Contact: Kathy Tucker
Special Collections, As a part of practicing generosity beyond our church grounds, our collection on every third Sunday of the month is donated to a non-profit chosen by the Stewardship and Generosity Committee. Beneficiaries since September of 2006 include: Adopt a Social Worker, Association Sunday (UUA), Cal Aggie (CA) House (at UC Davis), Community Involvement Committee (benefiting church members’ work with selected local non-profits), DAROC–UUPCC (Transylvanian Sister Church), Davis Bridge Educational Foundation, Davis Community Meals, Grace in Action (services for homeless clients in Davis), Malawi Children's Village (for AIDS orphans in Africa), Multifaith Living Community at CA House, Northern California Children’s Therapy Center, Progress Ranch, The Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center, Solar Cookers International, STEAC, Suicide Preventionof Yolo County, and Yolo Community Care Continuum (YCCC).
Spirited Worship Collection – The money collected at every 10:15am all ages Sunday service is sent to a non-profit chosen by the families who attend that service. Recipient for 2006 was the Malawi Children’s Village, malawichildrensvillage.com (for AIDS orphans in Africa), for 2007 was Puentes de Amistad, puentesdeamistad.org (benefiting the people of Mochlovia Rojas in Mexico), and this year the collection will benefit PAWS, pawsweb.org
UNIQUE Youth Group is here to provide support, social justice experience, and religious education for teens. Together we practice being UUs in the world, learn about social justice, build relationships, and participate in worship. We meet 2 Sundays a month after the second service. At our meetings we worship, converse, talk about activism, and explore our religion. We try to take a trip every year in which we learn about social justice, such as our trip through Alabama and Georgia to visit historical sites from the civil rights movement. Our group is open to all high school aged youth: teens in grades 9-12. To join please contact Youth Leader, Leonie Pickett, or just show-up!
Recent Social Justice Projects
Here is a sampling of recent social justice projects.
Hurricane Relief Social Justice Trips: After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Members of UUCD helped make care packages and several UU Service Committee, uusc.org trips were made to Biloxi, Mississippi to help rebuild.
Mexico Social Justice Trips: A group from UUCD traveled with Puentes de Amistad to Maclovio Rojas in Mexico to help with building a school room and part of a medical clinic. We are scheduling two more Puentes de Amistad trips for volunteers to help in Maclovio Rojas. Tentatively, Nov. 2-9, 2008 and April 4-11, 2009 (spring vacation). Contact Sarah Keith. Details in the July/August UUniverse Newsletter!
The Larger Unitarian Universalist Community
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, uusc.org
Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, California (UULMCA), uulmca.org/main.html
UU Legislative Ministry of California Action Network, uulmcaaction.org/index.html