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STEPS TO SOCIAL JUSTICE
A Newsletter from the Unitarian Society of Germantown
October 2017
As members and friends of USG, we are committed to being compassionate agents for social justice. Each month we will focus on one of the many social justice paths that our members walk, as well as point to other paths that are being walked that month.
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This month's social justice theme is how UU's are working for justice globally. Two important vehicles are the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) and the UU United Nations Office (UU UNO).
This month's newsletter includes:
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Global Justice Sunday and Share the Plate - Oct. 15
Each month USG passes the plate for a charitable organization. This past year, Share the Plate has donated over $14,000 to local community and international organizations serving children, families, those without homes, without jobs, those returning from prison, and immigrants new to Philadelphia. The Share The Plate Task force welcomes suggestions from the congregation:
On Sunday, October 15, the Share The Plate recipient will be the
UU Service Committee Hurricane Relief. We will collect funds to aid victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
Social Justice Movie Night Monday, October 9, 7:00PM
The Social Justice Coordinating Committee presents
Harvest of Empire: The Untold Story of Latinos in America, at 7:00 PM in the Assembly Room. Based upon the groundbreaking book by award winning journalist and Democracy Now! Co-host Juan Gonzalez, Harvest of Empire takes an unflinching look at the role that U.S. economic and military interests played in triggering an unprecedented wave of migration that is transforming our nation's cultural and economic landscape. It provides a rare and powerful glimpse into the enormous sacrifices and rarely noted triumphs of our nation's growing Latino community.
CAMI (Coalition Against Mass Incarceration)
Monday, Oct 23rd, 7:00pm, Sullivan Chapel
Monthly planning meeting for activities to support the ending of mass incarceration.
Fall Reading Suggestions:
- Waking Up White - Debbie Irving
- Lies My Teacher Told Me - James Loewen
- Negroland - Margo Jefferson
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WELCOMING CONGREGATION (LGBTQIA) REFRESHER
As part of our 2017-18 Welcoming Congregation (LGBTQIA) Refresher, we have two events planned for October.
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OTHER SOCIAL JUSTICE PATHS
Fall Food Drive
In the spirit of the harvest season, we are
having a special Fall Food Drive in October and November to support two organizations. Please bring canned and non-perishable foods whenever you come to USG and leave them on the designated carts in the kitchen. Your donations will be shared between St. Vincent's Food Cupboard and the UU House Outreach Program, which provides support to older people in Northwest Philadelphia.
UU House Outreach - Navigating to a New Normal
Look around and you'll see someone with a chronic disease. You can't tell who it is but the CDC states that almost 25% of adults have two or more chronic diseases. The most common are heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Other disease with high rates include cancer, tooth cavities and arthritis and Alzheimer's.
*Every year nearly 1.5 million people receive a cancer diagnosis.
*More than 22% of adults have untreated tooth cavities which lead to oral diseases.
*23% of all adults have arthritis.
*5.4 million adults have some form of Alzheimer's disease.
Although some of these conditions occur more often in specific age groups, races or genders, anyone may receive a diagnosis for these diseases at any time.
Getting the diagnosis changes the person's life. Few people considered the impact these conditions have on their lifestyle, emotions and financial stability. Even fewer are prepared to navigate the social, financial and medical processes necessary for reestablishing their lives.
The staff at UUH Outreach can assist people in navigating the financial and service organizations that support healthcare systems. If you or someone you know who lives in northwest Philadelphia needs help, contact Erika at 215-843-5881 or outreach@uuhouse.org.
UU Greater Philly Social Justice Facebook Page
Newsletter Articles
Articles for November's social justice newsletter are due on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. Send them to Marilyn Dyson, marilyndyson@gmail.com.
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STAY CONNECTED:
USG's Social Justice Facebook Page: USG members are involved in a multitude of social justice projects. To view the latest activities and post new ones, join the
USG Social Justice Group on Facebook.
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