Social Outreach Tabs

Social Outreach

UUCR has a proud history of involvement in social activism, offering its members and friends many ways to become involved in Social Action, Social Justice, and Environmental Justice activities that support our mission areas of “inspiring responsibility in achieving social justice, and caring for each other, the larger community, our environment, and the interdependent web of life.” A large number of UUCR members and friends are involved in our social activism work as committee members or in direct support to the many activities. We also partner with other religious organizations in our community to provide financial support and services and to advocate for social and environmental justice. Click on the tabs below to learn more about our social activism efforts and how you can get involved.

In 2010, UUCR raised $9,500 through our monthly charitable collections for various local and international charities. In addition, another $26,500 was raised through the Alternative Gift Market. These funds go directly to the charities that participated in the market. The Jennifer Mitchell Memorial Fund raised $10,700 to provide scholarships to nine South Lakes and Herndon High seniors. The congregation provided sixty gifts to the Reston Interfaith Adopt-A-Family program.

 

Social Action Committee


Our annual Reston Interfaith Kids R First back-to-school backpack project is one of the many ways UUCR gives to our Community.

The focus of the Social Action Committee is on building and deepening our UUCR community through social outreach. We engage in programs to help others locally in Reston and in the metropolitan area, as well as the needy around the world. This outreach is made possible by the generosity and compassion of a truly caring and responsive congregation. Our committee focuses on meeting the needs of low-income citizens in the areas of food, housing, clothing, and financial support. We are involved in the following key activities:

  • Monthly special collections for worthy causes
  • Our renowned Alternative Gift Market for local and international charities (see separate tab for details)
  • Support to numerous Reston Interfaith projects
  • Hypothermia Prevention Project
  • English for Speakers of Other Languages training program
  • The Closet thrift shop
  • Works Sunday

To learn more about our social action projects or about getting involved with supporting our efforts, please contact Judy Helmich.

Social Justice Activities


Our VOICE task force leader, Paul Cohen, leading our charge at a meeting.

Currently UUCR is directing most of its social justice energy towards Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE), an organization of forty-five diverse religious communities representing over 150,000 people. Our combined strength is a powerful force dedicated to making change on social justice issues. Currently we are focused on influencing government officials and budgets in three key areas impacting Northern Virginia:

  • Ensuring available affordable housing
  • Access to medical and dental services for low-income individuals and families
  • Speedier government processing for qualified legal immigrants

We work with Catholic, Jewish, Moslem, Protestant, and other UU congregations in Alexandria and in Arlington, Fairfax, and Prince William counties to ensure that government budgets reflect these priorities and are not balanced on the backs of the poor, pregnant women and children in need of vital social services.

To learn more about VOICE, check out its website at http://www.voice-iaf.org/. To learn more about our VOICE activities or about getting involved with supporting our efforts, please contact Paul Cohen.

Also, UUCR is a Welcoming Congregation – dedicated to the inclusiveness of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender people in our church community. To learn more about out LGBT activities, please contact Anne Thomas.   

Green Sanctuary Committee


Into the woods during a Green Sanctuary Worship Service

After two years of working to complete the requirements for our candidacy for Green Sanctuary status, UUCR became a certified Green Sanctuary Congregation in May 2008. With this honor comes the obligation to continue our environmental work and follow our Green Sanctuary values in our congregational and personal lives. As a congregation, we have pledged to the UUA and the UU Ministry for Earth to do the following each year:

  • Continue projects in the four focus areas of our original action plan (worship, religious education, environmental justice, and sustainable living) while reinforcing and deepening our commitment a little more each year;
  • Submit an annual report summarizing our accomplishments; and
  • Maintain our congregational membership in the UU Ministry for Earth.

 

Our annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup project ends with a construction from the collected debris to bring awareness to the entire congregation and all visitors to UUCR – "Watershed Wilbur" on the left and "Watershed Wilma" – our king and queen of trash.

The UUCR Green Sanctuary program serves as the framework and conduit for activities revolving around our Seventh Principle, “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” While the Green Sanctuary Committee sponsors many activities, we collaborate with other church committees and programs, such as Worship, Religious Education, Social Action, Alternative Gift Market, etc., to accomplish many more. 

Some of the events and activities that Green Sanctuary facilitates or sponsors include:

  • Worship: annual Green Sanctuary service;
  • Religious Education: at least one adult education course each year, e.g., discussion course from Northwest Earth Institute; Food for Thought: Movie & Potluck series;
  • Environmental Justice: Potomac River Watershed Cleanup and our own W&OD Trail cleanup; support of environmental projects of the Alternative Gift Market; projects in support of the Ethical Eating CSAI; actively seeking partnership opportunities with local environmental organizations and other churches; and
  • Sustainable Living: continuing landscape and trail improvement projects as well as greening the church kitchen; congregational education through newsletter and other activities.

To learn more about our Green Sanctuary activities or about getting involved with supporting our efforts, please contact Peter Lubitz or Susan Forth.

Alternative Gift Market and Craft Fair

Our annual Alternative Gift Market (AGM) and Craft Fair, held the first Saturday in December, provides our community with a way to purchase “alternative gifts” and to give to others in a different and more meaningful way. You can donate a gift on behalf of a friend, loved one, your child's teacher, or the person on your list who has everything. The recipients are people in need around the world, who are not on anyone's gift list. A gift card and an explanation of how the donation will be used to help a child, a family, or a community comes with each contribution you make.

 

2009 UUCR Alternative Gift Market and Craft Fair

This is not a fundraiser for UUCR. Every penny donated goes to the participating non-profits. In 2009, we had a total of twenty-nine participants – eight local non-profits, seven global non-profits, and fourteen Alternative Gifts International projects, as well as crafts from Ten Thousand Villages. Three more vendors brought beautiful crafts produced in Uganda, Kenya, and Mumbai. Each vendor on our shopping list (e.g., Reston Interfaith, Heifer International, Adopt-a-School, etc.) is vetted and qualifies as a charitable organization, so your gifts are tax deductible. 

The response to this giving initiative from our members, friends, and the larger local community has been incredible. In the last three years, we have raised about $30,000 each year in a four-hour period on one day – quite a statement to the popularity of the event and to the compassion and generosity of our patrons. Check out the 2010 Flyer as well as the Shopping and Vendor List to see an example of the alternative gifts available.

Our most recent AGM was held on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The 2011 AGM is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3. To learn more about our Alternative Gift Market and Craft Fair or about getting involved with supporting our efforts, please contact Judy Erickson.

For information, visit the websites of Alternative Gifts International and Ten Thousand Villages.  

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Social Action in Action!

 

September UUCR Charity: FISH

The Social Action Committee, with Leadership Council approval, selected Friendly, Instant, Sympathetic Help (FISH) as UUCR’s designated charity for September 2011.   FISH is an all-volunteer, non-sectarian, non-profit organization dedicated to helping neighbors meet emergencies and short-term needs.  The Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc. has assisted local residents for over 35 years.  Over 95% of all Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc.’s revenue goes directly to help people in Herndon and Reston.

Programs and activities provided by FISH include: 

  • Emergency family assistance
  • Bargain Loft thrift shop (located on Victory Drive in Herndon)
  • Transportation
  • Thanksgiving and Holiday baskets

 

Donations may also be made to the Bargain Loft.  The Bargain Loft accepts household items, furniture, art, jewelry, dishes, pots and pans, books, toys, tapes CDs, collectibles, electronics and more.  To inquire about the Bargain Loft call (703) 437-0600, Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.  To learn more about FISH volunteer opportunities, call (703) 391-0105 or (703) 437-0600.  For assistance, call (703) 391-0105.

The Social Action Committee appreciates the support of the UUCR congregation.  Checks should be made out to UUCR, annotated for FISH.

Thank you for your generosity!