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Who we are
The
mission of the Social Justice Committee is to coordinate the charitable, social
service and social justice activities of First Parish Church.
Ongoing projects include the Box
Project and our work at the St. Paul's soup kitchen in Brockton, as well as
coordinating social justice initiatives such as letter-writing campaigns.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Social Justice
Committee is encouraged to contact the chair, Jeanne Penvenne, the
vice chair, Cindy Ladd Fiorini, or the church office
(781-934-6532 or
uuduxbury@verizon.net).
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The Box Project The Box Project
provides basic necessities such as food, household supplies, clothing
and furniture to needy families on the South Shore. The program is one
of the most popular social service opportunities at First Parish
Church.
Each family served by
the program is matched with four First Parish families. The client
family fills out a monthly request form, listing their food, household,
clothing and furniture needs. First Parish families purchase the items
and drop them off at a church member’s home in boxes or bags labeled
with a number assigned to the client family. If the requests are large
or contain costly items, additional funds are provided by the Social
Justice Committee. The items are then delivered by First Parish
volunteers. In December, a special church-wide effort results in
providing Christmas presents for the dozens of families served by
the program. For more information,
click here. |
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| FPC members Bob Hughes
and Carrie Meier fill a car with Christmas presents for Box
Project families. |
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UUSC and the annual
Guest at Your Table campaign
First Parish Church has a long tradition of supporting the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). The
UUSC has been a powerful voice for human rights and social
justice around the world for more than six decades. First Parish
Church donates one dollar per member annually out of its operating
budget to the UUSC. In addition, many people at First Parish contribute
at a membership level or greater to the UUSC, and many others participate in the annual
Guest at Your Table (GAYT) fund-raising campaign to benefit the UUSC.
For more information, click here.
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The Brockton Soup Kitchen
On the fourth Saturday of every month, volunteers from First
Parish Church prepare and serve meals at the
soup kitchen at St. Paul's Church in Brockton. Some people
prepare casseroles, salads and desserts in advance. Others spend
about six hours on our Saturday driving to Brockton and serving
the meals. This is a popular family activity. High School students and HIP group members Sally
Jernigan-Smith and Becky Cutler are this year's co-coordinators.
For more information on the soups kitchen and how to become
involved, click here. |
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Young people and adults from FPC prepare and serve
meals at the Brockton soup kitchen. |
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Social Action Table
Building on a long
tradition of social activism at First Parish Church, the Social Justice
Committee periodically sponsors Social Action Table.
Held after the service
during coffee hour in the Harvey Assembly Hall, Social Action Table
provides information about an issue and a letter to political and/or
corporate leaders. The goal of Social Action Table is to inform the church community
about an issue of social concern and to help members make their voices
heard.
Recent Social Action
Tables have covered the following issues: shopping with a conscience;
drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; the Massachusetts Clean
Election Law; sweatshops' and increasing the minimum wage.
The response to Social Action Table is always extraordinary.
It is not unusual for a table to generate between 50-100 letters as
well as lively discussion and debate.
A discussion about the Iraq crisis sponsored by the Social Responsibility
Committe led to the writing of a letter to President Bush that was
signed by 72 members and friends of First Parish Church.
The Social Justice
Committee is always looking to expand the Social Action Table program.
The First Parish Church tradition of participating in
Amnesty International prisoner of conscience letter writing
campaigns has recently been renewed.
Other potential topics are always being discussed and suggestions are
welcome.
Anyone with an idea is urged to contact any member of the
Social Responsibility Committee.
Social Justice Grants
First Parish Church has a long-standing
tradition of social activism and a commitment to peace, social justice,
and the democratic process. Much of our activism is channeled into charitable activities
like the Soup Kitchen and the Box Project.
But we also seek to make a difference in the struggle for a more
just and peaceful world. To
that end, the Social Justice Committee donates a portion of its annual
budget to organizations working toward these goals both locally and
globally.
Organizations receiving social justice
grants have included the
Boston Women’s Fund, Common
Cause,
Doctors Without Borders,
Oxfam America,
Planned Parenthood, the South Shore Women’s Center, the
Southern Poverty Law Center, and the
Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry.
The Social Justice Committee welcomes input
from the church community about our social justice grants.
If you are a friend or member of First Parish and would like to
make a suggestion, please contact a member of Social Responsibility
Committee.
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