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Upcoming Meetings/Events & Announcements

Come to the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz County (6401 Freedom Blvd., Aptos) on Saturday, January 28, 2012, from 1-5 pm! The purpose of the symposium is to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on the planet. The symposium uses interactive adult learning techniques alternating with an excellent video to provide opportunities to reflect on where we are and how we got here, what hopeful and encouraging actions and groups are emerging at this time, and for each of us to consider what we can do. For more information and to register for the event, contact Claire at claire4peace@yahoo.com or at 831-457-0910. Donations are accepted, for materials and snacks.

Social Justice in Community

Part of our fellowship’s fundamental mission is to engage in social justice. We strive to make a positive difference on immigration, racial and environmental justice, climate change, education and more. The fellowship does this by supporting individuals to be community leaders and by taking stands on issues as a congregation or as part of our personal UU faith.

Eating as an Ethical Issue

As a congregation, we are taking seriously the effects that our food choices have on the planet. to learn more, see the UU Draft Statement of Conscience Ethical Eating, developed in March, 2011 .

Water is a Human Right

Everyone should have access to clean, affordable, and sufficient water. Yet, some of us do not due to unregulated agricultural run-off, which pollutes the water that comes out of our taps. Farm laborers and poor people are most at risk for living in communities that have high nitrate levels and other pollutants in their water. To learn more about this important issue, our fellowship participated in a “Water Justice Plunge” in San Jerardo in January. The Plunge was organized by the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, in collaboration with Deborah, our Social Action Committee Co-chair.

Those of us who went were shocked and saddened to learn that the water coming out of this community’s taps had been responsible for skin burns and blisters after showers, clumps of hair falling out, sickness, and in some cases, likely death for the very young and the very old. We learned that this community has had to fight and struggle to get safe water. Although this is a win, it has come at a high price in terms of health and monetary cost. Families currently pay up to 15% of their monthly income on water. Also, this win does nothing to address this same problem in other communities, nor does it prevent the problem from happening again.

The Central Coast Regional Water Board, which stretches from Santa Cruz to Santa Barbara, is considering new regulations on agricultural runoff. The first draft of the regulations was a strong stand against agricultural run-off. The current draft, however, has been weakened. It is important that we now speak out in favor of the first draft of these regulations.

Please attend the Central Coast Regional Water Board public meeting on Thursday, March 17, 2011 (8:30 am – 5:00 pm), at 275 Main St., 4^th Floor in Watsonville. If you are willing and able, prepare a 1-2 minute speech on why it is important to regulate agricultural run-off.

Ending Slavery Issue at General Assembly

Every four years, our denomination chooses a single social justice issue to study and act on. Last winter, our congregation proposed that Ending Slavery be the next study/action topic. Our proposal was chosen to be defended at our General Assembly (GA) national meeting last June. We realized that one of the most powerful ways we could address slavery in the United States is to work to fix our broken immigration system, so we combined forces with the Immigration study action issue proposal, which got the most votes. Our congregation helped to make our new study and action topic Immigration is a Moral Issue.

Standing on the Side of Love with Immigrant Families

During GA, UU minister Rev. Susan Fredrick-Gray called for clergy and lay people to come to Phoenix to stand on the side of love. We joined with Puente, a Phoenix coalition fighting SB 1070 for the National Day of Noncompliance. Pallas Stanford, our minister, was arrested for participating in non-violent civil disobedience and spent over 24 hours in jail. It was a powerful experience for both Pallas and Deborah Pembrook who also attended but didn’t get arrested. Many members of the congregation sent their blessings and helped provide support. Our congregation’s Social Action Committee (SAC) is actively engaged with next steps in our local community.

Our congregation’s founders chose our location in the hope that we could be a bridge between Watsonville and Santa Cruz, and specifically the Anglo and Latina/o communities. We are moving forward to bring this inspired vision to fruition.

Supporting Young Women

Our community partner, Planned Parenthood, is the target of a focused 40-day protest. Planned Parenthood has asked us to volunteer to help escort women from their cars to their entrance. Many members have participated and found it to a powerful way to put our faith in action. To learn more, contact Michelle Szymanski at 408-795-3764.