The Social Action Committee coordinates community outreach and social justice projects for Community UU Church. To sign up for an event, e-mail the committee at UUsInAction.
Community Outreach
Community Harvest
Our community garden project.
Coordinator: Deb Bliss
New Orleans Rebirth Volunteer Program
In August, 2010, a small group from Community UU traveled to New Orleans to spend a week participating in the New Orleans Rebirth Volunteer Program. We plan to make this an annual event. For more information, see the New Orleans Rebirth Volunteer Program web site.
Coordinator: Dick Hildenbrand
The Samaritan Inn
We provide dinner once per month for residents of the Samaritan Inn.
Coordinators: Nelah McComsey
CITYHouse/My Friend's House
We are providing clothing, food donations, and volunteers for My Friend's House, the Plano children's shelter.
Coordinator: Nelah McComsey
The Plano Food Pantries
We are providing regular donations of baby food and infant formula to the Food Pantry, and canned vegetables, fresh vegetables from our garden, and other assistance to God's Pantry. Please bring your food donations and place in the cart next to the front door.
Coordinator: Linda Frank
Plano Community Homes
Plano Community Homes provide affordable housing for low-income older adults and persons with limited mobility. Community UU is providing an annual music program for residents of PCH. For more information, see their web site.
Coordinators: Jo Howser and Bill Daffinee
27th Annual Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade And Festival – Sunday, Sept 19, 2 p.m.
A Celebration of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Pride.
Coordinator: Shirley Houston
Plano Make a Difference Day – Saturday, April 23, 2011
Plano's city-wide creek cleanup.
Coordinator: Nelah McComsey
Children's Medical Center Toy Drive
In December, we collect stuffed animals for patients at Legacy Children's Medical Center. Thanks to your generosity, in December, 2009, we donated over 80 toys to Children's.
Martin Luther King Celebration - January 15 - 17, 2011
A City of Plano celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King.
CROP Walk - Sunday, April, 2011
Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty - The Crop Hunger Walk raises funds for food, clean water, and basic needs for local food pantries and for families around the world.
Coordinators: Gary and Vicki Sharpsteen
Social Justice
Standing on the Side of Love
In March, 2010, our congregation joined with the UUA in supporting compassionate immigration reform. See http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/take-a-stand/
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
In August, 2010, we hosted a screening of the film Ending U.S. Sponsored Torture Forever. For more information, go to their web site.
Ethical Eating
We are joining with the UUA in a study of issues of food production and distribution, hunger, and the effect of our food choices on the environment. As part of this series, we presented the film Fresh in July, 2010. In the coming months, we will host several Adult Education classes as part of this series.
Dallas Area Interfaith/Collin County Interfaith
We support Dallas Area Interfaith, a vehicle through which member congregations act in the interest of families and local communities, helping these congregations become an effective force for promoting faith values and democratic traditions.
Religious Education Activities
Heifer International
During the month of December, we created a "Giving Tree" in Founders Hall and our 4th-5th graders created animal ornaments to be exchanged for donations to Heifer International. Heifer International provides gifts of livestock and training to help families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. They refer to the animals as "living loans" because in exchange for their livestock and training, families agree to give one of their animal's offspring to another family in need. A gift to Heifer International is a gift that keeps on giving!
Guest at Your Table
For more than thirty years, the Guest at Your Table tradition has helped UUs build lasting connections to UU principles and support the movement for universal human rights.
For four to six weeks, participants keep a colorful Guest at Your Table box — with photographs of special guests from around the world — in a prominent place in their home, like the dining room table. Families make daily contributions to a Guest at Your Table box, as if sharing with your special guests. This program ensures that UUSC's vital work to advance social justice continues, year after year.
We will be collecting your donations in November, 2010.
Other activities
We also put our social justice beliefs into action by serving fair trade coffee and tea at our Sunday coffee hour and by recycling the paper, cans, and bottles used by the church.
For more information, contact UUsInAction.
