Social Justice Committee

The Social Justice Committee coordinates the charitable, social service and social justice activities of First Parish Church. The committee oversees ongoing service projects including the Box Project and our work at the Brockton Soup Kitchen, as well as coordinating social justice initiatives such as Journey Toward Wholeness and social action letter-writing tables. Anyone interested in learning more about the Social Justice Committee is encouraged to contact Cindy Ladd Fiorini (at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or the church office (781-934-6532 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

In early March 2011, we participated in the UU South Shore Food Drive, which collected almost 2,500 pounds of food. The combined total between Duxbury and Plymouth UU churches was 4,100 pounds of food, the equivalent of over 3,000 meals. Read the thank-you note from the Executive Director of theGreater Plymouth Food Warehouse here.

Some of Our Activities:

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. For more information click here.

Young people and adults prepare and serve a meal at the soup kitchen of St. Paul's Church in Brockton one Saturday each month

The Brockton Soup Kitchen at Father Bill's and Mainspring, and the new Spring Street Residences, opened in October 2011
On the fourth Saturday of every month, volunteers from First Parish Church prepare and serve meals at the soup kitchen at Father Bill's and Mainspring in Brockton. For more information on the soups kitchen and how to become involved, click here.

Recently, this organization opened The Spring Street Residences of Father Bill's. There are 31 units that house individuals, including 15 units specifically for veterans. Each unit has kitchenettes with microwave and appliances, a bed and night table, and a full bath. There is a sense of pride and new directions in the residents. They still need our assistance to succeed. Here is a Wish List:

Shower shoes (flip flops); men and women's undergarments in all sizes; backpacks; socks; razors; shampoo and conditioner; body soap; towels and wash cloths; blankets; stamps; twin sheets; paper products such as plates, cups, napkins, paper towels; and for Family Shelters, wooden picnic tables and chairs; first aid kits; adult and baby toiletries (shampoo/conditioner, baby cream; toothbrushes & tooth paste); outdoor toys such as basketballs, soccer balls, toddler toys and air pumps; twin sheet sets; comforters; crib sheets; pillows; kitchenware including pots, pans, flatware, dishes and dish towels; wall art and table lamps. See Bob Hughes for more information.

First Parish Church Duxbury Funding Guidelines FY2012 Non-Capital Cell Fund Income
First Parish Church Cell Funds are monies received by the church from telecommunications companies that lease space in church buildings for antennas and associated equipment.  The funds are available to support the mission of the church through programs and projects outside the annual budget. Grants will be made in the following categories: Social Justice, Communications, Leadership Development, and Enrichment of Church Life.          

Funding Priorities/Criteria: Priority in approving a grant will be made according to the following criteria:
1. Reflect Unitarian Universalist principles and values
2. Create a new or support an ongoing program
3. Identify ways to measure success

Eligible Applicants: Committees, Members and Friends of First Parish Church, as defined by the by-laws, may apply for grants. Youth applicants must apply through the Religious Education Committee.

Grant Distribution: The total funds available for each category will be determined by the Governing Board in August of the new fiscal year and publicized at the start of the new church year by the Treasurer or a designee of the Treasurer. Grants may be made for multiyear programs and/or projects.

Application Process/Timeline: All grant requests must use the forms available from the church office or from the website, www.duxburyuu.org.  The deadline for receipt of all requests varies depending on the granting committees' guidelines and dates for submission will be posted on the church bulletin board, published in The Bell-Ringer and on the website.  Final approval of grant requests is made by vote of the respective granting committee,

1.    Granting Procedure: Granting committees will report to the parish, via The Bell-Ringer, bulletin board and elsewhere as appropriate, describing briefly the applications being considered for approval. For requests totaling $3,000 or more, the Granting Committee will publish the request in advance. The committee will actively seek congregational input and feedback and take that into account in making its decision.

Reporting Requirements: Grant recipients will measure and evaluate the success of their project and submit a written report to the granting committee including an accounting of funds. Granting committees will report the status of all grant projects for the year in their annual report to the parish.

Instructions for Social Justice Committee Cell Grant Applications:

Please complete application fully, attaching additional pages as needed for answers to questions 7, 8, and 9.

Applications must be sent to Cindy Ladd-Fiorini at 7 Keenes Brook Rd., Duxbury, MA 02332 or emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Social Justice Cell Grant Application FY2012

• Social Justice: Cindy Ladd Fiorini, chair, Social Justice Committee
• Communications: Lois Wood, chair, Communications Committee
• Leadership and Enrichment: Sharon Nabreski, president, Governing Board

Green Sanctuary Task Force

The Green Sanctuary Task Force worked hard and got our congregation certified as a Green Sanctuary by the UUA. This involves making our buildings and practices more energy-efficient, supporting environmentally progressive activities, events and initiatives, and educating members of the church community and the general public in ways to live in a more environmentally responsible manner, among other things. The co-chairs of the Green Sanctuary Task Force are Liz Polvinen and Anne Baird We are beginning the process of re-certifying our Green Sanctuary status..

As part of its charge, the task force places articles on environment issues in the Bell-Ringer. Read one here (MS Word doc).

The Social Justice Committee's Letter to the Boy Scouts of America

We wrote a letter to the Boy Scouts about their discrimination policies.  You can read that letter here.

Social Action Table
Building on a long tradition of social activism at First Parish Church, the Social Justice Committee periodically sponsors a Social Action Table.  For more information click here.

UU Urban Ministry (www.uuum.org)

Our involvement with UUUM this past year has been to assist the Kingston UU Church with their annual summer picnic for Renewal House parents and children at a campsite in Plymouth. Everyone is welcome to participate, either by financial contribution, providing food and/or by attending the picnic. The 2012 Picnic date will be announced.

This past year we also invited a speaker, Dan Williams from the UUUM to preach on Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday.  Dan’s sermon, his original poetry  and his talk back after the service were extremely good and well received.  We also had a special collection for UUUM raising approximately $1,500.  For the past two years we have also been supporting the UUUM campership program out of our Social Justice cell tower monies.

Three members of First Parish Church have gone through training with UUUM and are working with residents of Renewal House.