Social Justice
The mission of the Social Justice Committee is to identify and give expression to the social justice concerns of BRUU.
We —
- Foster communication, education, advocacy and action on social justice issues
- Facilitate setting priorities and direction in the use of social justice resources
- Initiate, coordinate, support, and foster endeavors of Task Forces addressing various issues
- Solicit, distribute, and administer outreach funds
- Identify social justice issues appropriate for congregational positions and action
- Provide opportunities for BRUU members and friends to be active in community and global social justice initiatives
- Integrate social justice into the overall life of the congregation
- Sections On Page
Social Justice Task Forces
Task Forces are groups of three or more members engaged in action or study in specific areas, either on a continuing basis or to accomplish a time-limited task then disband.
Current task forces are:
- V.O.I.C.E.
- Joanne Tyrell
- SERVE
- Randy Earle and Susan Sinclair
- Racial Justice
- Jeanette Rishell
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- Jessi Huffman
- Affordable Housing
- Ed Day
- Sections On Page
- Sections On Page
Other Initiatives
Other Committee initiatives include a wide range of activities.
- Split the Plate
One Sunday each month, we share the non-pledge monies of our collection plate with a deserving local non-profit. During the 2008 fiscal year, we donated to the following groups:
September Independence Empowerment Center $417 October Court Appointed Special Advocates of NoVA (CASA) $398 November PW Drop-In Center $448 December Project Mend-A-House $248 January Virginia Organizing Project $341 February Tenants and Workers United $589 March Virginians Against Payday Loans $393 April Fisher House $694 May Heartstrong $433 June BRUU Emergency Food Pantry $1,120 Christmas Eve Churches for Middle East Peace $628
- Immigration Action
Social Justice is committed to an honest religious response to questions about immigrants in our community and in discovering how we can help the community in dealing with this issue, both through education and advocacy. To that end, we sponsored an Immigration Forum on November 2007 and an Immigration Advocacy workshop in September 2008. We continue to explore ways to address the concerns of our congregation and our community in this critical area.
- Un-Trim-A-Tree
Social Justice has long participated in this holiday gift program for underprivileged children sponsored by The Volunteer Action Council of Prince William County.
- Giving to Local Organizations as SJ Budget Line Items
The following organizations are our partner agencies, and are supported by fixed grants out of BRUU operating funds:
Action in the Community Through Service (ACTS) $400 Habitat for Humanity PW $500 Project Mend-a-House $400 Woodbridge Workers Committee $500 Unity in the Community $300
- Alternative Gifts
Providing alternatives to traditional holiday gift-giving, thereby supporting organizations that directly benefit the people who produce the goods.
- Sections On Page
What You Can Do
- Have a few hours and want to make a difference?
Watch for opportunities to donate food, funds, talent or time through one of the established social justice groups at BRUU.
- Want to get more deeply involved in an issue?
Join the BRUU group that is working on it. If we don’t have a group working on the issue, contact the Social Justice Committee about starting one.
- Want to learn more?
Come to the Social Justice Committee meeting on the second Sunday of the month at 11:30 AM in the office next to the Main Office or attend an adult program or forum on social justice issues.
- Not sure what you want to do?
Come by the Social Justice table during coffee hour and talk to one of the committee members. We want to hear from you.
- Sections On Page
Other Organizations
- Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
We are a Unitarian Universalist partnership of congregations, organizations and individuals deeply committed to our religious principles of human dignity, justice and compassion for all people. We work in the Baltimore Washington & Northern Virginia area to help Unitarian Universalist activists carryout their social and economic justice agendas.
- The Unitarian Universalist Service
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is a nonsectarian organization that advances human rights and social justice in the United States and around the world. Our mission and vision are guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the seven Unitarian Universalist principles that affirm the worth, dignity, and human rights of every person. UUSC's roots reach back to the World War II era through the work of the Unitarian Service Committee and the Universalist Service Committee. These organizations later joined forces to form the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.