a beacon of religious liberty promoting free inquiry,
celebrating fellowship, and working for justice
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Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Wilmington a beacon of religious liberty promoting free inquiry, celebrating fellowship, and working for justice |
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The Social Action mission of UUFW is to offer assistance and support to empower those in need; provide opportunities for discussion on issues of social justice; communicate, advocate, and support social action initiatives within and without the organization on a local as well as global level.
There are many ways in which we are involved with the city’s most important emergency food operation, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard. Some of us work at the cupboard by distributing food to needy families, stocking shelves, and putting together food care packages. Others help to collect food at area grocery stores 3-4 times a year. UUFW adults and children of all ages help to ensure the Cupboard always has enough food for the families that need it.
Since 1983 Good Shepherd Ministries has existed to serve the needy in our community. The Good Shepherd Ministries Soup Kitchen (located at 811 Martin Street in Wilmington) serves a continental breakfast and a nourishing hot lunch each weekday to around 150 people. Volunteers are the core of this effort, whether it be to prepare, serve, and clean-up after a meal or to help with the Second Helpings food redistribution program.
Many students are in need of help with their reading, writing and math skills. Since, working and single parents may not always have the time to spend assisting their child with their homework, our tutors provide a great service for the at risk child. One or twice a week a member from the fellowship will help a student with their work for an hour during the school day.
The UUFW is involved with helping migrant workers and their families all year round.
Personal Care Kits:
In the early spring we create
personal care kits that go into Nylon bags that can
be carried with them wherever they go. Some of the
basic items included in the package are towels and
wash cloths, shampoo, soap, comb, hairbrush, tooth
brush and tooth paste. These kits are distributed to
50 or more migrant workers in May.
Project Solidarity:
Right before and during the harvest, when the largest number of workers are living in our area, we help provide transportation to and from meetings such as F.L.O.C (The Farm Labor Organizing Committee).
Backpacks and School Supplies:.
In the summer time we fill a new back pack with all kinds of much needed school supplies. These are given to children in August right before school starts.
Winter Warmth:
In the fall and winter months we collect blankets, warm coats, and space heaters for the families that live in trailers without heat.
Honoring the Worth and Dignity of Every Person
There are many ways in which we are involved in realizing our first principle,“Honoring the worth and dignity of every person”.
Our minister, Susan Karlson is the chairman of the Program Committee on the Ministerial Roundtable. The Ministerial Roundtable is comprised of ministers from different faiths and denominations who are helping to foster racial justice and equality among all the residents of New Hanover County. The are responsible for sponsoring many important events and activities that help to build better relationships between members of different races within our community.
Every year several UUFW members and friends walk in the Martin Luther King Annual in downtown Photo graph Wilmington, attend the NAACP breakfast and special community Services in honor of Martin Luther King’s birthday.
Several UUFW members participate in interracial dialouge groups sponsored by the area YMCA.
In March of 2006 we will be hosting the annual Thomas Jefferson District Racial Justice conference at UUFW. February 28th, 2005 we hosted a special panel discussion and open forum about the proposed amendments to prevent gay and lesbian couples from getting married.
The Southeastern Alliance for Marriage Equality was formed this year in order help educate and inform (Photograph) the community about the social, legal, spiritual, and moral issues related to marriage between two people of the same sex. The group is made up of community organizations and churches such as PFLAG, Unity Christ Church, Church of the Servant, The Metropolitan Church, the democratic party, Planned Parenthood. S.A.M.E has a web site www.same.org
The Coffeehouse The UUFW coffeehouse is an evening of musical entertainment, poetry, or conversation. The theme (Photograph) of the evening is often inspired by the difficult struggles and hardships people all over the world are trying to overcome such as war, poverty, discrimination, and hunger.
The Talkabout film series provides a unique opportunity to to discuss, analyze and give your opinion about a documentary or feature film. Some of (Photograph) the films shown in the past year are Farenheit 9/11, The Fog of War, Supersize Me, Hearts and Minds, Outfoxed, The Unprecedented, The Weather Underground, The Last Temptation of Christ. The films are usually shown the second Friday of the month at 7:00pm.
This is group recently formed. It was created for those who want the opportunity to discuss books and articles that focus on issues of justice and equality, ethics and morality, power and politics, and US and world events.
The UUFW membership support the social justice programs of the Unitiarian Universalist Service Committee. Founded in 1939 to rescue victims of Nazi persecution, the UUSC is an independent human rights organization whose work is (photo or picture) grounded in UU Principles. It has and continues to challenge political, cultural, and economic injustice in the US and around the world. UUSC is an effective voice for human rights, combining advocacy, education, and partnership with grassroots organizations to bring about meaningful social change. The local representative of UUSC is also a member of the Social Action committee.
Guest At Your Table:
Every year UUSC sponsors a special
fund raising drive called Guest at Your Table. At Christmas
and throughout the year people can donate to UUSC with
direct contributions and by purchasing greeting cards.
How to Get Involved
Does Peace occur as an antidote to war? Something that just happens when we weary of the fight, or does it occur on a deeper level, when our collective consciousness embraces it as a way of life, an approach to our relationships with all living beings and all things. Please join us at our October coffeehouse where speakers, poets, musicians, story tellers, philosophers and activists will inspire us, move us, transform, and remind us that On The Road to Peace we are part of something more than just the negation of war. If you have music, a song, a poem, a metaphorical story, parable, philosophy, activity or action about Peace that you would like to share please let me know - Heidi Kaufman at socialaction-at-uufwilmington.org so we can put you on the list of people to present. Please let me know how long your talk, song, or presentation would be.
In the New Hanover County schools there is a special program to help young students improve their academic skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic. It's one that "takes a village" to carry out the program successfully; community members who will help an elementary school child go over their homework and listen to them read. This small amount of extra attention can have very significant impact on the lifetime academic success of the child. For both tutor and student, it is as they say in the commercial- priceless!
If you are interested in helping young children do better in school this year, please call Doris Taliaferro (our Social Action rep for tutoring) for how to get connected up with the elementary school in your area. She will help you become acquainted with the system and there will be a training session to help orient you to the program.
Please put Sat. August 20th on your calendar to come downtown and help stock Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard with groceries. Mother Hubbard's Cupboard is located around the corner from Grace Methodist at 313N. 5th St. We will be there from 4:30-6:30 and need everyone’s help! Afterwards we plan on getting a bite of pizza, then heading over to Thalian Hall for the musical "Grease " at 8pm. Shelf stocking is a fabulous workout, great fun and a worthwhile endeavor, so come if you can to enjoy a fun and fellowship-full afternoon and evening. Call Michelle for questions-350-7886.
contact the Office Administrator at office-at-uufwilmington.org or (910) 392-6454
page maintained by Raymond Moore - changes or additions to uufwilmington.org should be sent to the UUF Office
copyright 2007 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Wilmington
4313 Lake Avenue, Wilmington North Carolina 28403
