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Minnesota Valley Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship
A liberal religious congregation in the Minneapolis area If the Menu on the Left Hasn't Appeared |
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| SOCIAL JUSTICE NEWS 2009-2010 Social Justice Focus Local Food Support, Local Housing Support, Support for Vulnerable Children, and Peacemaking. Home | Calendar Updated February 15 2010 |
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MVUUF Social Justice Library 
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| Project Homeless
Connect - Two Ways to Help On March 29, MVUUF will again provide volunteers for Project Homeless Connect (PHC), the joint effort between Hennepin County and Minneapolis to provide a one-stop array of services at the Minneapolis Convention Center to the people in our area who are homeless or near homeless. As a volunteer, you will partner one-on-one with individuals to connect them with services which will address the many barriers that prevent them from finding lasting employment and secure, safe, and stable housing. The services provided at the event include mental and chemical health care, employment training and placement, resume assistance, comprehensive medical and dental care, haircuts, ID assistance, voicemail services, veterans’ services, shoe vouchers, transportation assistance, and a hot meal. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and able to do a lot of walking. Sign up on the signup counter downstairs and indicate whether you want to carpool from the church for the 9 a.m.-2p.m. shift. You must also register online for your shift at Project Homeless Connect. If this is your first time volunteering at Project Homeless Connect, a 90-minute training session is also required, and you can register for that training at the same site. In December, nine members of MVUUF volunteered at the last PHC. We hope to have at least that many volunteers this time. The need is great, and the experience is rewarding. If you’re unable to volunteer that day, you can help by donating online or sending a check to Family Housing Fund and indicate "Project Homeless Connect Minneapolis" in the memo line. Mail to: Project Homeless Connect c/o Family Housing Fund 801 Nicollet Mall, Suite 1650 Minneapolis, MN 55402. Top of Page |
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The mission of the Social Justice Committee at MVUUF is to create: • an awareness of social justice issues with different forms of education, • a partnership with other MVUUF committees that want to incorporate social justice elements into their programs/activities, • a culture of activism by developing social justice opportunities for the congregation as well as facilitating monetary donations that will help make the world a better place. CORE VALUES: We’re motivated in part by the UU principles, especially those most directly related to social justice: the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equity and compassion in human relations; the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; respect for the interdependent web of all existence. CURRENT FOCUSES: For the 2009-2010 Fellowship year, the Social Justice Committee will encourage the congregation to focus its social justice energies on:
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One of the ways our congregation makes an impact on social justice issues in the community is through our Second Sunday Sharing Collections. On the second Sunday of each month, all donations in the offering basket not specifically designated as pledge payments go to the charity or community cause of the month. Members of the Social Justice Committee choose each year’s recipients with input from the rest of the congregation. Last year, our Second Sunday Sharing donations totaled $5281. Second Sunday Sharing recipients for 2009-2010:
MUUSJA- the Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance- is a collection of many hands working together to bend our culture towards justice. MUUSJA's goals are to: 1) Build a lasting social justice alliance 2) Prepare UU's to do powerful social change work, using a reflection,action,collaboration approach. 3)Develop and bring a distinctly UU moral voice to the public square. 4) Wage campaigns in coalition with interfaith and secular partners to achieve winnable systemic social change. 5) Shift civic culture towards policies that serve the common good. February's collection will go towards helping to bend the arc towards justice. Top of Page |
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Do you remember the hottest week of the summer? Late June? It was 90 degrees and humid all week. Well that was the week that MVUUF volunteers drove about 40 miles to Ramsey, MN and worked in the sun on Habitat for Humanity homes The heat was blistering but that didn't stop Leslie Swenson, Dave Bruce, Mike Swanson, Glenn Corliss, Dick and Paul Duerre. They worked 2 days each and helped build homes for deserving families that need shelter. To keep going they needed food and drink. That was provided by another bunch of MVUUF volunteers. Monica Williams delivered lunches (over 80 miles roundtrip) after helping Mary Ann Dean, Donna Kopnick, Karen Wolf, Ruth Keely and Barb Gilliand make enough food for 25 people for 2 days. In addition to all that, MVUUF had a special collection in May where members contributed $763 to Habitat for Humanity. The Twin City Habitat Unitarian volunteer coordinator told us that the lunches we provided were the best they had all week and that MVUUF supplied more help per capita than any other Unitarian fellowship. Congratulations to everyone who contributed to a successful project. Let's do it again next year but in cooler weather and closer to home. Top of Page |
( Habitat for Humanity) |
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These categories are available:
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(Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People) |
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Even if you leave Minnesota for a winter break, Homework Connection can use your help while you’re here. For more information, see Homework Connection Plus. To get volunteer forms, see Volunteer, E-12 Programs Info. Or contact Sue Martell, the volunteer coordinator for Homework Connection, at smartell@bloomington.k12.mn.us or 952-806-8787. Please inform Barb Gilliand, the Social Justice Chair, at barbgilliand@comcast.net if you decide to volunteer. |
Homework Connection Plus Volunteer, E-12 Programs Info |
