Social Action Project-Homelessness

You are invited! On January 29th   after the service, we will have an all-congregation party to assemble snack packs   and hygiene kits for homeless people. We will also include encouraging words written on a Mission Peak card so people know we care about them. On each Sunday prior to the 29th, we will have a box for people to drop off donations.    Some of the items include: thick socks, sanitary pads, lip balm, tissues, gloves, granola bars, breakfast bars, fruit or pudding cups. Click on http://mpuuc.org/s/DonationList.pdf  to get the complete list. Monetary donations are also accepted. Please help MPPUUC make a difference in the lives of people who live in our community.

 

 

Mission Peak UU January Monthly Board Meeting

 

 

Mission Peak UU's  2016 Courageous Love Award nomination period opens this week. Does someone in the Tri-Cities area (Fremont, Union City, Newark) or Milpitas come to mind? Is there someone who has inspired a local movement for love? Is there an organization or individual who has faced oppression, discrimination, and prejudice with grace and inspired determination? If you know someone who fits the description, please send information about them to [email protected] . The deadline for nominations is January 16, 2017, and the award will be presented at our service the morning of February 12, 2017. The goal is to recognize love's power to challenge exclusion, oppression and violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, race, religion, or any other identity.

Here are some ideas for people or organizations you might consider nominating:

* Local legislator who has sponsored legislation such as anti-bullying bills, domestic partner benefits, voting rights for convicted felons, driver's licenses or in-state tuition for undocumented individuals, etc. Anything that lifts up communities who have faced discrimination and marginalization.

* Community leader who has vocally supported religious freedom and racial justice.

* Local public librarian or parent who has fought censorship in schools.

* Head of a local interfaith coalition, immigrant rights, or LGBTQ advocacy organization that promotes respect, inclusion, and compassion daily.

* Members of the Gay-Straight Alliance at a local high school.

* Educator, administrator, or guidance counselor who has worked to alleviate bullying.

* Clergy member or lay leader who has exemplified faith in action.

* Spokesperson for the local Muslim community who has faced anti-Muslim attitudes with compassion for the ignorance of others and a commitment to building community.

* Other religious communities and congregations that have been targeted with hate crimes.

* Individuals who have committed acts of civil disobedience so they could elevate the importance of a social justice issue.

* Local community center, museum, or gallery that faced criticism for showcasing a thought- provoking exhibit.

* Students who have risked deportation to advocate for the DREAM Act, and those who have stood in strong solidarity with them.

* Communities of color on campus or locally that have dealt with vandalism or hate speech.

* University or college president, professor, or administrator who has spoken up for the DREAM Act.

* Military chaplains or members of the military that have spoken out for greater inclusivity.

* Individuals who actively and passionately engage in registering people to vote, poll watching, and ensuring the protection of voting rights for People of Color.

* Ordinary person who has used their extraordinary power to shine the light on injustice or faced great personal risk to fight for a cause they believe in.

 

GUEST AT YOUR TABLE

 

On Sunday, January 8th, we will be having our monthly Share the Plate collection. On that Sunday, we will be collecting our Guest at Your Table boxes and envelopes.  These funds go towards supporting the annual UUSC collection that we hold. Please give what you can.

 

This year's program theme is Defying Hate, based on the recent release of the Ken Burns documentary about UUSC founders Martha and Waitstill Sharp, Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War (on PBS). The Sharps defied hate by helping Jews and dissidents escape Nazi Germany using brave, creative methods, many of which could have caused them to be imprisoned, tortured, or worse. To find out more about this program, and to see videos and read stories of hope, go to Welcome to Guest at Your Table - Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

 

UUSC's MISSION 

 

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), a 76-year-old human rights organization grounded in Unitarian Universalist values, works to advance human rights in three intersecting areas:

• They advance Economic Justice by supporting workers collaboratives, advocating for safe working conditions and a living wage, and working to protect and formalize the rights of workers in the informal economy (e.g. street vendors).
• Their Environmental Justice work focuses on promoting access to clean, affordable water and on mitigating the impact of the global climate crisis on poor, rural communities that have contributed little toward the climate change impacting their livelihoods.
• They protect Rights at Risk, especially in times of humanitarian crises and natural disasters, during which populations already experiencing rights violations are especially vulnerable. 
   

All donations qualify for UUSC memberships. Donations of $40 or more qualify for active membership. And contributions of $125 or more are eligible to be matched dollar for dollar by the Shelter Rock congregation in Manhasset, NY.

 

Introduction to Showing Up for Racial Justice

 

SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice), Bay Area chapter, is part of a national network of groups and individuals organizing white people for racial justice. There are over 150 chapters and affiliates nationwide. Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for  justice with passion and accountability.  For more info, go to www.surjbayarea.org

 

There will be an introduction to the Bay Area chapter of SURJ on January 11, 2017, 7 pm - 9 pm, with a location in Oakland TBD.  These meetings have been sold out due to the high level of interest in getting involved.  We'd like to send a team from MPUUC.  If you are interested in joining us, please contact Natalie Campbell or Rev. Barbara Meyers. 

 

 

 

Community Office Hours

 

Mission Peak UU 

Calendar of Upcoming Events