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UU URBAN MINISTRY eNEWS
Uniting Communities, Transforming Lives
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A big thank you to all of the artists, neighbors, preservationists, and UUs who gave their time, hearts, and brain-power to help us envision a transformed Meetinghouse space. Updates to come!
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A note from our Executive Director and Senior Minister
Dear Friends,
This winter, bad news has rolled in like bands of snow and cold: we witness escalating division, exclusion and bias.
And friends like you help the UU Urban Ministry keep shoveling out and moving ahead.
As anti-immigrant attitudes grow louder, we continue welcoming survivors into our shelter and workforce development program no matter their status.
As headlines document educational inequality, we level the playing field in our afterschool program.
And as we face the living legacy of slavery and racism, we shine a light on that history through lectures, tours and partnerships to build bridges.
Much of this work is innovative -- and possible because you support new solutions to entrenched problems. Our pioneering workforce development program for survivors and our youth-led tours came to life because of our donors and volunteers believed in fresh possibilities. And now, these begin to grow and thrive.
As we await spring, we thank you for the hope you help to give in the midst of hard seasons.
In faith,
Mary Margaret
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Help us learn more about our community!
The UU Urban Ministry needs your help getting to know our neighborhood better!
Our Community Engagement Task Force is launching a survey of Roxbury organizations and neighbors, asking how to best serve this community through our cultural, historic and musical events.
We need your help!
If you would like to join our interviewing team, you are invited to attend a Community Engagement training breakfast at 10 am Saturday, March 16. Please RSVP to Rev.
Mary Margaret Earl at
[email protected]
.
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Bird's eye view of Dudley Square; photo from the Leslie Jones Collection
of the Digital Commonwealth
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Youth-led history tours -- and
you're invited!
As we approach spring, we are already getting ready for our April youth-led history tours -- and we hope you'll join us for one and bring a friend or group! You can sign up for a 45 minute walking tour
here
.
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Caring for ourselves and each other
in Believe in Success
The spring session of Believe in Success is well underway, and our cohort is actively resume writing and looking towards working on cover letters, learning about credit repair, and building self-confidence in the weeks to come. The group is evolving into a community of support, and staff are excited to watch them grow as they move through their semester.
As we hold out our hope for spring to arrive soon, our alumni are beginning to see their own hard work blossom into career success. After checking in with alumni from our most recent fall 2018 cohort, we are hearing great news that over half of our class is actively working or enrolled in a next step program! The others remain in contact with us and are working collaboratively with staff to secure their next step position.
To celebrate our alumni, current students, and Renewal House residents, we will be hosting a self-care day in April to provide our survivors with some love -- and some tools they can use to show themselves love.
If you are interested in supporting this event, please consider donating a "self-care" basket to raffle off to our event attendees. These could be yoga-themed, cosmetics-themed, full of good books, candles, or chocolate -- or something else! Feel free to be creative and, in donating items, share what self care means to you.
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Bringing Domestic Violence awareness into the Massachusetts State House -- and the world
Our domestic violence services staff have been taking the show on the road and joining with collaborators from across the state to demand an end to intimate partner violence.
We were proud to take part in this year's White Ribbon Day at the State House. #WRD2019 was an inspiring, community-centered experience featuring remarks from leaders including Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and Jane Doe Inc.'s Executive Director Debra Robbins who spoke on Massachusetts' efforts to end gender-based violence. The White Ribbon Day Campaign is a reminder of the strength we hold when we come together to do this work. Learn more about the movement and add your voice by taking the pledge here.
We also had the privilege of spending a worship service getting to know
The Sanctuary Boston
, a spiritual community grounded in Unitarian Universalist values for those who haven't found community in more religious settings. A big thank you to these friends for inviting us to share more about our programs for survivors and for their support in ending violence.
And we joined forces with members from our statewide coalition, Jane Doe Inc, for a legislative briefing on the needs of programs and survivors across the Commonwealth. This was a great opportunity for legislators -- especially freshman representatives and senators -- to learn more about domestic violence programs and rape crisis centers in their communities. We are especially grateful to the panelists from our sibling organizations who highlighted the stories of survivors they have worked with who faced additional barriers to safety and healing because of their race, language, sexual orientation, immigration status, gender, and other identities.
Are you interested in learning more about our domestic violence programs and how you can get involved? You're part of our world and we want to come to you! Email us at [email protected].
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In addition to this wonderful fundraiser, Holland & Knight's Boston office supports us through an annual day of service. Here's the crew from their 2018 9/11 Day of Service.
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Holland & Knight brings healing garden into focus
For the second year in a row, we have the honor of being named as the recipient of the
Holland & Knight Associates' Fundraiser, and we are so grateful!
This year, H&K's associates inspired their colleagues to raise a total of $9,323 to support the construction of a healing garden on our campus. With support from H&K and other friends, an area of our green will become a quiet, contemplative, and nurturing space for healing and reflection for the survivors of our domestic violence programs and our community at large.
Thank you, H&K, for bringing us closer to our goal of making this healing space a reality
! W
e can't wait for the snow to melt so we can put our planning into action.
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Upcoming UUUM Connections Events
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All events sponsored by the UUUM emphasize the interconnectedness of all people and the capacity of a community to come together to build a more just world. We hope you'll join us for an upcoming event -- either on our campus or out in the world!
March
- March 17, 3 pm at the UUUM: Boston Symphony Orchestra presents its Community Chamber Concert in the First Church in Roxbury. Come early to hear the youth string ensemble of Project STEP and stay afterwards for a reception. Tickets are free, but please RSVP to the BSO.
April
- April 3, 4 pm at Boston City Hall: We are proud to join The New Democracy Coalition's annual reading of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail again this year. Come be part of this beloved community (as a reader or spectator).
- April 14, 3 pm at the UUUM. Join us for this rescheduled date for The Ties That Bind. $10 donation to Opera unMet at the door. You won't want to miss this event, described as "a different kind of MLK celebration". Under the direction of UUUM board member Marshall Hughes, the ensemble presents a thought-provoking look at social justice and civil morality through words, song, music and interactive response. This year, we honor Sam Cornish, Howard L Resnikoff, Elizabeth Donaldson and Joanne Lowry as great leaders in social and civic justice.
- April 20, 10:30 am at the Museum of African American History: Byron Rushing will share the history of the black community's movement from Beacon Hill to Roxbury. Stay for lunch on site, catered by Haley House Bakery Cafe. Details here.
May
- May 11, 7 pm at Arlington Street Church: Alumnae from Boston Conservatory at Berklee School of Music present Jake Heggie's To Hell and Back. Stay for a talk-back with the singers and UUUM domestic violence advocates. $20 for adults, $10 for students; proceeds to benefit the UUUM's domestic violence programs.
- May 14, 6 pm at the UUUM: We Who Believe in Freedom Community Supper and Reading, facilitated by Mimi Jones. Series made possible with support from Mass Humanities.
- May 16, 6 pm at the UUUM: Save the Date for the UUUM Annual Meeting. More details (including a link to RSVP) to follow. Questions? Email us at [email protected].
- May 19, 3 pm at the UUUM: Join us for an out-of-tune organ concert and reception as we bid adieu (for now) to our Hook & Hastings organ so it can be fully restored off-site. RSVP to [email protected].
Summer
- July 13, August 10, September 14, 1-5 pm on the UUUM Green: The Makanda Project jazz concert and family-friendly fair.
Visit our
News and Events
page for more information about upcoming and past events. Do you have an event you'd like included in our eNewsletter? Submissions are due to Greta Hagen by the 8th of the month (
[email protected]
).
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Other Events You Won't Want to Miss
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The UUUM is proud to be part of the Roxbury neighborhood and the UU community. We encourage our UU and other friends to invest in, support, and learn about the rich cultural offerings and social justice work of our Roxbury neighbors.
Take time to explore the events, businesses, theater, museums and restaurants within Roxbury and throughout the neighborhoods of Boston that you might not already be familiar with.
Below are a few ways to make a difference.
Have an event you'd like us to feature? Email Greta at
[email protected].
Support Haley House
As you might have heard, our friends at Haley House have suspended cafe operations until further notice while they review and renew their business concept (more
here). Please join us in supporting this important neighborhood landmark by:
- Placing a catering order or wholesale bakery order here to help them continue their catering operations and employ catering staff.
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The UU Urban Ministry in the World:
Upcoming Preach Dates and Congregational Visits
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We would love to bring the energy and vision of the UU Urban Ministry to you!
If you would like to schedule
Rev. Mary Margaret Earl
to preach at your congregation or meet with one of your congregational committees, please be in touch with her directly or with Annie Stubbs at
[email protected]
.
And we hope you'll say hello when we visit you in your spiritual home! We can't wait to meet you or see you again.
Currently Scheduled Upcoming Dates:
March
- March 10: Rev. Mary Margaret Earl at First Parish in Needham
- March 17: Rev. Mary Margaret Earl at First Church in Chestnut Hill
- March 31: Rev. Mary Margaret Earl at Winchester Unitarian Society
April
- April 7: Rev. Mary Margaret Earl at Old Ship Church in Hingham
- April 14: Rev. Mary Margaret Earl at Theodore Parker
- April 28: Rev. Mary Margaret Earl at First Parish Duxbury
May
- May 19: Rev. Mary Margaret Earl at First Church and Parish in Dedham
- May 26: Rev. Mary Margaret Earl at First Parish in Waltham
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Support these programs and more at UUUM:
click here.
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UU Urban Ministry | 10 Putnam Street, Roxbury, MA 02119
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