Justice and Outreach Council
Monthly Digest
March 2022
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Welcome to the Justice and Outreach Council (JOC)'s monthly newsletter.
A place to find all the happenings of this active ministry at Trinity.
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Land Acknowledgement
The JOC committee devised this Land Acknowledgment statement to be read before meetings at Trinity and during services.
We honor and acknowledge the Chumash people, the traditional custodians of this land, and pay our respects to the Chumash elders, past, present, and future, who call this land on which we sit their home. We appreciate their wisdom, their culture, and their presence among us today as the host people of this land. We lament the injustices done to the original inhabitants and the injustices done to this land in the centuries since. We seek the courage and wisdom to heal the wounds of the past and build a better future together, in deep solidarity.
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Openings on the Justice and Outreach Council
We welcomed Ralph Armbruster to his first monthly meeting of JOC. We are happy to add his justice background and enthusiasm to our dynamic group. We know there are others out there with hearts yearning to help make this a more loving, peaceful, and just world. Why not join us?
If you are interested, please contact Jeffrey Krutzsch at jskrutzsch@gmail.com.
JOC Summer Speaker Series
On four consecutive Sundays, June 19 and 26, July 3 and 10, Trinity will be inviting guest preachers and speakers/participants for a program after the service. Each Sunday will focus on the work associated with one of our four major grant recipients, ILDC (Immigrant Legal Defense Center), CEC (Community Environmental Council), Foodbank of SB County, and CAUSE (Central Coastal Alliance for a Sustainable Economy). Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to this important series.
JOC Sponsors Environmental Defense Center Event
JOC voted to purchase an "Anacapa Sponsorship" the to annual Blue and Green Event ($300), a coastal celebration. Trinity Episcopal Church will be listed as a sponsor for the fundraising event and will be provided with 2 tickets to attend on June 22, 2022.
Thank you from CEC
Trinity received a thank you letter from Community Environmental Council (CEC) thanking us for the $5,000 funding grant we awarded them this year.
JOC 2021 Annual Report
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Santa Barbara Feeding Ministries
Freedom Warming Shelter. Our freezer is full and we are ready for the next possible activation during the week of March 6 - 12. Please stay tuned for updates and contact office@trinitysb.org if you would like to help during our assigned week.
The Dinner in Alameda Park Meal Ministry. Trinity served delicious hot soup on Thursday, February 24 to our neighbors in the park. Our next meal will be on March 24. Check the sign up for open volunteer spots.
Transition House. We thank Vanessa Woods, Trinity parishioner, for providing
dinner for the Transition House families on Saturday, February 26.
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Border Compassion Project
In the face of dire circumstances in the refugee camps at the Mexican-US border, a group from Santa Barbara formed Border Project to support those living in the camps. This is the story of how Border Project came to know Sr. Suzanne Jabro and La Cobina Posada.
Interfaith Sanctuary Alliance (ISA) of Santa Barbara works to ensure respect for the dignity, safety, and human rights of all people, while lawfully resisting unjust policies and practices that target and discriminate against immigrant communities. Border Project, under ISA, focuses on addressing the pressing needs of refugees in Mexican camps at our border, waiting to cross into the United States.
In May of 2021 the ISA Border Project group carefully located a trustworthy liaison working with El Chaparral camp in Tijuana. Through this connection, we learned of the immediate needs of the refugees and solicited contributions of money, food, hygiene products, and clothing. We sorted and loaded the provisions into 4 vehicles and headed for Tijuana for a trip which would touch hearts. The tent city sprawled, flush with young children and families. The women at the camp were well organized and systematically distributed the supplies. Such ingenuity and resilience! One participant described being overwhelmed at the sight of this refugee camp so close to the U.S. Recently El Chaparral was dismantled by the Mexican government.
The Border Project group discerned that our resources would be better used if we could find someone affiliated with a shelter who buys supplies in Mexico. Through many contacts in the Episcopal Church we were led to Sister Suzanne Jabro and La Cobina Posada. She was just the one we were looking for!
ISA and Border Project held a fundraiser for La Cobina Posada in October 2021 and sent the proceeds to Border Compassion, their nonprofit corporation. The upcoming Love Your
Neighbor events sponsored by ISA will focus actions on contributing to Border Compassion. We hope to learn more from our refugee neighbors when we visit La Cobina Posada in April, guided by Sister Suzanne Jabro.
Thank goodness for the opportunity to join all of you, in supporting our sisters and brothers living at the Mexican border seeking safety and a secure life for their families.
Submitted by, Laurinda Marshall, JOC member
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Opportunities for Involvement
in our local community, at Trinity, and in the world
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Bright Visions for Racial Justice Healing
Sunday Workshops in March at 3pm
This workshop is for white people who desire to foster healing from the negative effects and collective trauma of white supremacy, so that we can more effectively participate in the
multiracial movement for racial justice with clarity and integrity.
Hosted by: SURG (Showing Up for Racial Justice) Location: TBD
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Love Your Neighbor Events
Hosted by the Interfaith Sanctuary Alliance
Special Prayers in Worship Services
March 3 - 6
Faith communities across Santa Barbara and Ventura will offer prayers, liturgies, readings, and more, related to loving our
neighbors. .
What’s New in Immigrant Rights? Webinar
Thursday, March 10 at 5:30pm
Learn from SB County immigrant allies about national, regional, and local immigrant justice efforts and how to get involved. The panel will include speakers from IMPORTA SB, Immigrant Hope SB, the Immigrant Legal Defense Center, Drivers Listos, and more.
Virtual Vigil
Sunday, March 13 at 4:30pm
Join the Interfaith Sanctuary Alliance (ISA) for a virtual interfaith vigil in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors. Our hope is to recognize the stories of our neighbors, hold space for their suffering, and compel our community to action together.
Our interfaith group from Santa Barbara plans to cross over to Mexicali with Sister Suzanne Jabro in April, so we can meet those sheltered in La Posada Cobina and to bring contributions. We are grateful to join the community of people supporting immigrants seeking amnesty. What an opportunity to love our neighbors. Join the interfaith Sanctuary Alliance for Love Your Neighbor events to learn about our immigrant neighbors, pray, and take action. loveyourneighborsb.org
Hope to see you!
Laurinda Marshall, JOC member
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Lenten Virtual Borderlands Experience
Thursdays: March 10 - April 7
The Episcopal Church's Latino Ministries Office and Episcopal Migration Ministries host a virtual Lenten Borderlands Experience series designed to expose participants to the border crossing experiences of immigrants, including their perilous journey towards the border, their interaction with detention centers, and the work of churches and other organizations that support them. This is an opportunity during this COVID time to participate in a Lenten journey that brings you face to face with the injustices experienced by individuals and families who are seeking refuge as they attempt to enter the US with hope for a better life. Register here for the Zoom sessions.
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PFLAG Connects: Virtual Support Meetings
PFLAG meets online every month, in English and in Spanish, for virtual support meetings. Meetings are run by trusted PFLAG Santa Barbara leaders, exploring topics relevant to the LGBTQ+ community, followed by sharing and support. Visit the website for registration information.
Upcoming Meetings:
March 14 at 7pm (English)
March 17 at 7pm (Spanish)
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Blood Drive at Trinity
Tuesday, March 15, 1-5pm
After our successful blood drive in September 2021, Trinity will host Vitalant once again. All eligible donors are encouraged to donate. See the flyer for more information and sign up online or by calling (805) 542-8500 using blood drive code TESB.
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Save the Date! Friday, June 10
Sarah House Fundraiser
Support Sarah House by attending Waula Fest, an intimate music festival with great music, food, cocktails, beer and local wine. Wade Cowper and Paula Phan both serve on the board of Sarah House. Instead of a wedding, they decided to celebrate their love and commitment by throwing a music festival to benefit the community and their favorite charity. Buy tickets and learn more.
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Every month we publish a story of justice, ministry and volunteerism from a Trinity parishioner. This month we feature Susie Bartz, reader at the 10am service and volunteer for NatureTrack.
From the days of my childhood in the woods of Pennsylvania, I’ve always sought the solace and richness of the outdoors. Now, in my 70’s, I’m still enjoying the diverse and dynamic landscape of our region, and have been fortunate to find a way to share this with kids of all ages through sponsored field trips and outdoor activities in the community.
Since my training and interest is in geology, I especially enjoy teaching docents as well as kids about the rocks that form our landscape: the sea cliffs, coastal mesas, foothills and mountain ridges as well as the creeks and canyons that are continually cutting through them and wearing them away.
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Celebrate and Support Justice |
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Look for the blue celebration envelopes in the pews!
CELEBRATE!...a birthday, an anniversary, a special event of any sort for which you are thankful.
Turn your “celebration” into a donation to the Justice and Outreach Council. We will use these funds to provide comfort and safety to those in need—food, education for children, assistance to immigrants—any of our neighbors needing support….so they can celebrate. Together, these gifts make possible our community of welcome, reconciliation and service. Please contact Jeffrey Kutzsch jskrutzsch@gmail.com for more information.
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The Justice and Outreach Council (JOC) continues its important work in our community and beyond. Funding for the JOC comes from your pledges and Celebration offerings. The JOC’s funding is part of our annual Operating Budget where five percent (5%) of all pledges received during the year is put in the JOC account. As pledge income has remained steady this year, these funds continue to be set aside for justice work.
There are two ways you can continue to celebrate and support our justice work in addition to your pledges both now and in the future. You can send in a check made out to Trinity and simply note “Justice” in the memo line and provide the names of the persons or occasion you want to celebrate. You can also donate via Trinity’s PayPal account, select "Justice Fund" and under “special instructions” provide the names of the persons or occasion you want to celebrate.
Thank you for supporting our justice work through your pledges, donations, prayers, and most of all, the work you do in your lives to make this a more loving, peaceful, and just world.
Kathryn Dean, JOC
Michael Dean, Treasurer
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