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Justice and Outreach Council (JOC)
Monthly Digest
October 2023
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Justice and Outreach Council Newsletter ". . . who is my neighbor?" | |
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Thank you to Anita Perez-Ferguson
Welcome Ralph Armbruster-Sandoval
At the worship services on Sunday October 8, Rev. Sarah Thomas addressed the congregation to acknowledge the service of Anita Perez-Ferguson, who is stepping down from co-leading the Justice and Outreach Council with Jeffrey Krutzsch. Anita will continue serving on JOC, heading up the monthly digest. The congregation then welcomed Ralph Armbruster-Sandoval as the new co-chair. Ralph has served on JOC, the Trinity vestry, and is very active in local justice issues. Thank you both, Anita and Ralph!
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Opportunities for Service | |
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Justice and Outreach Council
Action Circles
Our goal is to engage Trinity parishioners in the outreach and blessings of this work. Speak to us about your particular interest for action. Let us find where your interests may compliment these themes.
Basic Needs (Housing, Food Insecurity, Homelessness, Mental Health)
Ralph Armbruster, ralpharm@hotmail.com 805-722-4556
Gun Violence Prevention, Ken Johnson, 41omaha73@gmail.com
Community Resilience (Climate Change and the Environment)
Jean Davis / Bill Leahy, jeanlangedavis@gmail.com and
whleahy2@gmail.com (Jean 805-705-0103)
Education of Children and Harding School,
Jennifer Bergquist, jenniferbergquist@gmail.com 805-886-6256
Immigration; Tri-County issues, Reforms and Economic Justice
Molly Kellogg, molly@foodhuntermark.com 805-886-4655
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Transition House Meal Preparation for October
You can experience a traditional Trinity volunteer activity and serve a meal at Transition House (425 E Cota St) for approximately 60 residents on the 4th Saturday of the month. (October 28) Contact Teresa Pietsch teresapietsch4@gmail.com for more details or check the online sign-up for how to get involved.
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Dinner in Alameda Park
Trinity will prepare dinner and serve it in the park again on Thursday, October 26. Join us just once, with an indoor or outdoor task, for this community experience. Check the online sign-up for volunteer opportunities or email Sarah Thomas, sthomas@trinitysb.org.
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Recently Sent From:
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
To: The Santa Barbara City Council
Dear Sirs and Madams,
As one of a number of Trinity Episcopal Church's Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, I strongly support AG Bonta's appeal* to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in "... support of the right of ... local governments to designate specific, sensitive public areas as “gun-free zones" and urge you all to identify other areas within Santa Barbara that you can designate as gun-free zones. Other such areas to consider would be the State Street pedestrian mall currently under your consideration for finalization and all city parks and publicly supported venues (e.g., Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, etc.).
With warmest thanks for your continuing service to us residents of Santa Barbara.
Trinity Episcopal Church's Gun Violence Prevention Task Force
[There is no need for individual members to replicate this letter at this time.]
* https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-supports-district-court-decision-upholding-state-and?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Contact Person: Ken Johnson 41omaha73@gmail.com
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Homelessness and its Impact on the Santa Barbara Community
SAVE THE DATE: November 19, 2023 for the JOC Fall Speaker Series Forum.
Our topic is Homelessness and its impact on the Santa Barbara community. Our special guest who will preach at the 8 and 10am worship services will be local advocate/professor, Jeff Shaffer. He will also be part of a panel featuring Trinity Nurse/Community Care, Jan Fadden and Santa Barbara City Councilmember, Oscar Gutierrez.
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Join Power Up!
On November 3-4, all around the world, people will come together to #PowerUp global renewable energy. Let’s shift money and political influence away from fossil fuel companies and towards a clean and equitable future for all! Join an action near you or host your own event: https://globalpowerup.org/
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CLUE's Annual Workshop at Trinity
Cultivating Faith-Based Advocacy
Sunday, October 15, 2-4pm
All are invited to join CLUE SB to network inter-faith and community members to address the root causes of economic injustice in Santa Barbara County. CLUE SB helps empower faith-based values through collaborative advocacy. Come early for community gathering, meeting-up. Contact: clue@cluesb.org.
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A message from Trinity JOC member, Molly Kellogg and Drivers Listos
Many of you will recall Maria Mercedes Rosales and her son Nicolas and small baby, who we’ve been driving for over four years. Recently, I drove Maria to court and she went ahead while I parked the car. Just as I entered the courtroom the judge saying,
“I’m sorry but I have no choice but to…I am deporting her because, after numerous appearances and continuances, she still had not retained a lawyer."
I explained her circumstances and promised the judge that she would have a lawyer in two weeks. He granted a 2-week continuance. Julissa Peña. ED of the Immigrant Legal Defense Center Santa Barbara (ILDC) agreed to take Maria’s case on a last minute basis.
Miraculously, after four years, much work and excellent representation by lawyer Rory Moore, who provides pro bono legal services for ILDC clients, Maria and her son Nicolas were granted asylum!
Welcome to America, Maria! In the courtroom, we cried and hugged each other and then laughed!
Thanks to all Drivers Listos volunteers who drove Maria over the years. You were part of the team that helped her and her family gain a safe home in the United States. You should be proud of yourselves and your contributions to helping this family.
If you would like to continue to support our efforts you can make a donation to Drivers Listos by sending a check to me, Molly Kellogg 3061 Calle Noguera Santa Barbara California 93105, and by donating to ILDC: sbimmigrantdefense.org/donate-now.
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It's time to sign up for Westside Food Bank's Hunger Walk!
It's happening on November 5 at 12pm at Ocean View Park, located at 2701 Barnard Way, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Click the button above or visit wsfb.org/hungerwalk to register! Registration is easy and can be done individually or as a team.
'New Camino' seminar will present vision for Latino Ministries
The Program Group on Hispanic Ministries of the Diocese of Los Angeles will host "New Camino: A New Vision for Latino/Hispanic Ministries," a two-day seminar presented by the Office of Latino/Hispanic Ministries of The Episcopal Church, October 20-21 at St. Paul's Commons. New Camino is especially designed for diocesan bishops, staff and congregations open to exploring how they can be more effectively involved in reaching all the various Latino generations. St. Paul's Commons Retreat Center, located at 840 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles. For information and to register, email: delaministeriohispano@gmail.com
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Celebrate and Support Justice | |
Look for the blue celebration envelopes in the pews and recognize a birthday, an anniversary, graduation, engagement, 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. | |
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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. 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. Or 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 to our celebration donors for September!
Jeannie Christensen, Jean & David Davis, Sarah Fenstermaker
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Land Acknowledgement
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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