First Thursdays Peace Vigils
Get involved in the ongoing Social Action project hosted from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at the church the first Thursday of every month. The First Thursdays Peace Vigils community would like you to join them; candles and signs are provided. Please show up during the hour and stay as long or as short as your schedule allows.

Everyone - members, congregants, area residents, etc. - is invited to participate. If you want to be added to the reminder e-list, please let LeeAnn or PR know or sign up via http://events.uufoxborough.org

UUSC/UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund
We are still participating in this social action. As of February 19, the Fund has received 8,585 donations totalling approximately $1,130,000! If you would like to donate, please place your donation (in an envelope marked with "UUSC/UUA Haiti Fund") in the collection plate and/or contact our church Treasurer.

Standing On The Side Of Love News

• March 19-22: Ecumenical Advocacy Days: "A Place to Call Home: Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Peoples". This year's focus will be on Immigration. Details available at www.advocacydays.org. Please contact Kat Liu at kliu@uua.org, if you are participating.
• March 21: Join UUs & others for a March for Change for Comprehensive Immigration Reform to rally together and Stand on the Side of Love with Immigrant Families. Details and registration available via www.standingonthesideoflove.org/take-a-stand.
• June 26: UUA General Assembly 2010 attendees are invited to join in an Interfaith Community Public Witness Event at the Twin Cities’ Pride Weekend at the Stonewall Stage in Loring Park.
• The BCD office has a Standing On The Side Of Love banner available for congregations to display when engaging in social action projects and events such as attending a rally or march. Please contact the district office to reserve the banner.

Reflecting On Who Are Our Neighbors?
The Unitarian Universalist Justice Action network is working to reform of our immigration system. UUA congregations are encouraged to find out more about our immigrant neighbors: What are our relationships? Does our congregation offer "welcome to the stranger"? Please see "Welcoming Our Neighbors: A UU Guide to Immigrant Justice" and www.uua.org/socialjustice/.

Ethical Eating: Food & Environmental Justice
For the 40th anniversary of Earth Day this year, the UU Ministry for Earth is inviting UUA congregations to lift up the role our faith can play in the production and consumption of food. We make daily decisions of what to eat, and every bite is an opportunity to vote for justice. Information and suggested actions on issues ranging from the field to the table are available on the UUMFE Web site (www.uuministryforearth.org), and include links to congregational stories, worship materials, and ideas for actions in our own community.

UUSC Justice Sunday
Every spring, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) encourages UUA congregations to participate in "Justice Sunday". On Justice Sunday, Unitarian Universalists of all ages come together to take action on one pressing human rights issue. Justice Sunday participants gain in-depth knowledge about an urgent human-rights issue and take steps to create needed social change. This year's theme is "Advancing Economic Justice" and the suggested date to hold the service is Sunday, March 28. To learn more about Justice Sunday and efforts to advance economic justice against the backdrop of the global economic downturn and access additional resources for educational and advocacy activities, please visit www.uusc.org/justicesunday.

Other Action Ideas

• Get Together! Attend a UUSC Economic Justice House Party and participate in a nationwide discussion with New York Times reporter Steven Greenhouse, author of "The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker", on Justice Sunday, March 28, 2010. If you're interested in hosting or attending a house party, please contact Nichole Cirillo, UUSC Campaign Manager, via www.uusc.org/get_together for more information.
• UUSC Coffee Project: Join more than 500 other congregations in this project which links UUs with small farmers and their families through fair trade. Visit www.uusc.org/coffeeproject for details.
• Look for fair trade labels on products, including coffee, tea, chocolate, and sugar. If your grocer doesn’t stock fairly traded products, ask them to do so.
• Demand that your school district, city, or state government or other institutional purchaser adopt a “sweatfree” purchasing policy to stop tax dollars from subsidizing sweatshops and abusive child labor. Find a local chapter of SweatFree Communities at www.sweatfree.org.

Join NCTE For Lobby Days: March 14-16
On March 16, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) will be holding a Lobby Day in Washington D.C. specifically for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). In brief, this bill stops companies from firing or refusing to hire transgender workers simply on the basis of gender identity. This has drastic consequences which have included becoming homeless, being preyed upon by those who are in the sex worker industry, and worse. LGBT people and allies from around the country who support ENDA will be at the Lobby Day. For more information about the proposed legislation, the NCTE, and how you can participate, please visit www.uua.org/socialjustice/issues/bgltequality/employment/index.shtml and/or www.transequality.org

Annual Earth Day Community Service Project
In April 2009, younger members of the Foxborough Universalist Church, a Unitarian Universalist congregation, held their annual Foxborough Common Clean-up as part of the church's Earth Day observance.

International Engagement Database
The UUA's International Resources Office (IRO) maintains a database of the many varieties of international engagement that Unitarian Universalist congregations are involved with. To date they have records from approximately 150 congregations in the database. Is our congregation one of them? If so, they'ld love to update our entry. If not, they'ld love to include information about our congregation's international engagement. The IRO office can put congregations in contact with other congregations who are involved with similar international programs. More information is available via www.uua.org/aboutus/professionalstaff/advocacywitness/internationalresources/index.php.

Standing On The Side Of Love
Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association, Standing On The Side Of Love promotes respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person and confronts issues of exclusion, oppression, and violence based on identity. All people, not just Unitarian Universalists, are invited to stand, speak, worship, march, roll, and live on the side of the love.

Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline
With the high cost of living in the Commonwealth and more than 522,000 people across the state struggling to put food on the table, chances are that a friend or neighbor of yours is having difficulty making ends meet this winter. Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline can help . The FoodSource Hotline is the only comprehensive information and referral service for the hungry in Massachusetts. Counselors can provide information and screen callers for food stamp eligibility, connect them to school meal programs, and direct them to emergency food resources right in their neighborhood. Counselors can assist callers in 160 languages and the calls are both personalized and confidential. Extend your goodwill and reach out to those in need. A call to Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333 TTY: 1-800-377-1292) may be all it takes to provide comfort to someone who is struggling. In response to the increased demand for help, Project Bread's Food Source Hotline has extended its hours to: Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.. and Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

"Inspired Faith, Effective Action"
The Washington Office For Advocacy's new Legislative Assistants, Grace Garner and Lisa Swanson, started in the office during the summer, learning the ropes from their predecessors, Elizabeth and Meredith. The two new L.A.s have big shoes to fill but we are confident that they are up to the task. Alex Winnett, the new Program Associate for Peacemaking, has been with the office since June. You can read more about Alex, Grace, Lisa, and the rest of the office on the UUAWO office blog, "Inspired Faith, Effective Action." at http://uuawo.blogspot.com. The Washington Office looks forward to working with fellow UUs over the coming year.

UUSC Values In Action: Guest At Your Table Is Coming!
For more than thirty years, households around the country have welcomed special guests into their homes and lives. This year, meet Daw San of Myanmar, Abdul Khan of Afghanistan, and others. Welcome a Guest at Your Table, and learn more about Unitarian Universalist Service Committee partners around the world. Most congregations will begin the Guest at Your Table program on November 22, 2009 - the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Visit www.uusc.org/guest for additional information and resources.

"Earth is our home. We are part of this world and its destiny is our own. Life on this planet will be gravely affected unless we embrace new practices, ethics, and values to guide our lives on a warming planet. As Unitarian Universalists, how can our faith inform our actions to remedy and mitigate global warming/climate change? We declare by this Statement of Conscience that we will not acquiesce to the ongoing degradation and destruction of life that human actions are leaving to our children and grandchildren. We as Unitarian Universalists are called to join with others to halt practices that fuel global warming/climate change, to instigate sustainable alternatives, and to mitigate the impending effects of global warming/climate change with just and ethical responses. As a people of faith, we commit to a renewed reverence for life and respect for the interdependent web of all existence."
* from "Threat Of Global Warming" A Unitarian Universalist Association Statement of Conscience

We believe:

• RED: Respect all people
• ORANGE: Offer fair and kind treatment to all
• YELLOW: Yearn to learn throughout life
• GREEN: Grow by exploring ideas and values
• BLUE: Believe in your ideas and act on them
• INDIGO: Insist on a fair and peaceful world
• VIOLET: Value our connection to all life and nature

Other Opportunities And Events To Put Your "Faith Into Action"

UUSC Coffee Project
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee "Coffee Project" serves as a direct link between our community and farming communities in Latin America, Africaa, and Asia.   Through this project, we can enjoy great coffee, tea, or cocoa while helping small farmers as they build a better future for themselves and their families.   Through the project, farmers earn a fair price for their products, have access to affordable credit, and gain a long-term trading partner they can trust, a fair trade organization. We've been enjoying one of their varieties during Friendship Hour and will be taking orders for their products from the congregation soon.

Restocking The Shelves
Our monthly Foxborough Food Pantry drive donation box is in the Sanctuary - eagerly awaiting a can or box or two. All items collected will be donated to the pantry at the beginning of next month to help others in our community. Please donate if you can!

Additional Recent Activities Through Our Church

• International Day Of Climate Action
• Reverse Trick-or-Treating
• Party For The Planet/Step It Up
• Read To Feed
• "The Power of You & You"
• Guest At Your Table
• "Operation Home Delivery" Walk-A-Thon
• Operation Iraqi Children Update

Our members and church have also participated in many other activities such as donating items to military families, raising money for Foxborough Discretionary Fund and Foxborough Food Pantry, Doolittle Home, Boycotts, UUSC Coffee Project, candlelight vigils and observances, Friendly Circle For The Blind, supporting the Freedom To Marry For All, Trick'or'Treat for Unicef, Oxfam America, and Mile Of Pennies.

Please check out the bulletin boards in the vestibule for some more suggestions and Social Action And Social Justice Events and Opportunities.  Also, before you pick an agency to donate your funds or time to, please investigate their overall performance record, philosophy, and methods  through  their literature or via associations that rate philanthropic organizations. A few places on-line are: www.give.org, www.guidestar.org, and www.charitywatch.org.

The UUA has a long commitment to equality, justice, and rights for all. To see the resolutions and statements from 1961-present please visit here .

There are many offices and  groups within the UUA that work on social action .  Among them are  The UUA Commission on Social Witness,  the UU-United Nations Office, and The Washington Office for Advocacy.  There are also numerous mailing lists devoted to  individual issues affecting  us and our world.  A full listing of UUA supported mailing lists can be found here and include such lists as BGLT-News, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Journey Towards Wholeness News, and Just-UUs. 

*Some on-line resources about Congregational Advocacy can be found at the following locations;

• "The Real Rules:Congregations and IRS Guidelines on Advocacy, Lobbying, and Elections"

News From GA 2009
Rev. Peter Morales, of Golden, CO, USA, has been elected the eighth president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). The General Assembly passed several social justice resolutions, including a demand for "Clean, Honest, and Fair Elections in the United States," a commitment to work for "U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty," and a "Call for a Commission of Inquiry into U.S.-Sponsored Torture." The torture resolution concludes with these words: "Nothing less than the soul of our nation is at stake in confronting U.S.-sponsored torture and completely renouncing its use." The UUA launched a new public awareness campaign, called "Standing on the Side of Love," to counter acts of exclusion, oppression, and violence based on the perceived identities of victims.

The Unitarian Universalist Association Of Congregations' 2009 General Assembly in Salt Lake City, UT, concluded on June 28, 2009. General Assembly delegates elected Rev. Peter Morales to be the eighth president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Delegates approved a Responsive Resolution which calls for inquiry into African visa denials. Several Actions Of Immediate Witness were passed by delegates, including: a demand for Clean, Honest, and Fair Elections in the United States; to support America's Red Rock Wilderness Act; a commitment to work for U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty; and a Call for a Commission of Inquiry into U.S.-Sponsored Torture. The torture resolution concludes with these words: "Nothing less than the soul of our nation is at stake in confronting U.S.-sponsored torture and completely renouncing its use."

The Ballou Channing District, the district that includes the Foxborough Universalist Church, UUA, sponsored two workshops during the five day meeting: "Breakthrough Congregation" and "Liberating the UU-Friendly Elements of Christianity". Church members that couldn't be present in Salt Lake City were able to view many of the Worship services and plenary sessions live via streaming video.

In addition to the social justice actions taken, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, both Unitarian Universalists, were awarded the 2009 Wilton Peace Prize, which is given by the UUA in recognition of individuals or groups who have supported peace and human progress. Unitarian Universalist minister Rev. Alice Blair Wesley received the UUA's 2009 Distinguished Service Award which honors UUs who "over a considerable period of time, have strengthened the institutions of our Unitarian Universalist denomination or clarified our message in an extraordinary way."

During the yearly meeting of congregations, almost $30,000 was donated to the Utah Pride Center, UUs held "Valuing All Families" - an interfaith community witness event in support of immigration reform, and the 'Standing on the Side of Love' campaign was officially unveiled. "Standing On The Side of Love" is a UUA sponsored public witness campaign that promotes respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person by confronting issues of exclusion, oppression, and violence based on identity. All people, not just Unitarian Universalists, are invited to stand, speak, worship, march, roll, and live on the side of the love.

More than 35 events from General Assembly 2009 including worship services, plenary sessions, and talks are available to watch on-line through www.uua.org/ga (click on "2009 Event Coverage-Video/Audio" link). The Unitarian Universalist Association, of which the Foxborough Universalist Church, UUA, is a member, is a faith community of more than 1,000 self-governing congregations that bring to the world a vision of religious freedom, tolerance, and social justice.

For more information about Unitarian Universalism and/or the Foxborough Universalist Church, UUA, please visit us in person or on-line at www.uufoxborough.org. The first worship service of our new church year will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 13.

• Responsive Resolutions on Inclusion
• Responsive Resolution on Article II
• Responsive Resolution on Article XV
• Responsive Resolution on Barriers to Inclusion in Outreach to African UU and Other Progressive Religious Congregations
• AIW 1: Advocate Pending Legislation Toward Clean, Honest, and Fair Elections in the United States
• AIW 2: U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
• AIW 3: In Support of America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act
• AIW 4: Support Bolivian UUs Struggling for Justice and Human Rights
• AIW 5: U.S.-Sponsored Torture: A Call for a Commission of Inquiry
• AIW 6: Oppose Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity-Based Violence in Iraq

From The UUA's Office  for Advocacy
There has been much talk in the post-election analysis of the need for the concepts of faith, values, and a liberal worldview and agenda to come together. Well the good news for Unitarian Universalists is: that is who we are. We need to continue to lift our voices and exert our power and influence, in partnership with others, to bring into being the just, healthy, and safe world that we all desire. The Office for Advocacy and Witness will continue its advocacy and organizing around our core issues , is preparing a report of key priorities in the 109th Congress-and what UUs can do, and will continue to work with partners and other allies such as Faithful Democracy, National Voice, Campaign for Communities, and the UU Service Committee. One thing they suggest UUs can do is to contact our representatives and talk to them about your core values and issues.

Standing On The Side Of Love

Is it a Civil Right?

The UUA joined the Anti-Federal Marriage Amendment Coalition, which is a growing group opposed to amending the Constitution to promote discrimination. Whether or not they support same-gender marriage, these groups see this as a civil rights issue requiring immediate attention. Additionally, some groups view it as an issue of religious liberty, separation of church and state, and/or states' rights.

While there is by no means universal support among UUs for or against same gender marriage, we can contact our legislators and let them know our individual view on this issue. Legislators will be voting on this issue again soon. More information from both sides of this issue can be found on-line at many locations. Prior links have changed content; to find more information regarding this issue try places such as here or here.

Create Worldwide Awareness: Global Days for Darfur (April 23 -30, 2007)
Time is running out for the people of Darfur. Join UUSC, UU-UNO, the Save Darfur Coalition, and activists across the globe to create worldwide awareness of genocidal violence which has, since 2003, left an estimated 400,000 dead, 2.5 million innocent civilians displaced, and 4 million men, women, and children completely reliant on international aid for survival. Not since the Rwandan genocide of 1994, has the world seen such a calculated campaign of displacement, starvation, rape, and mass slaughter.

To call attention to the escalating violence and the continued failure of the international community to adequately respond to this crisis, activists across the world have come together to plan "Global Days for Darfur". This week of rallies, marches, and vigils will run from April 23 - April 30, 2007, and will highlight that "time is running out" for the people of Darfur.

Please support your fellow advocates around the globe in speaking out for the people of Darfur by joining an event in your area. If there are currently no activities planned in your community, we hope you will consider starting your own event during this important week.

• Civil War, Genocide, Human Rights Abuses, massacres, political assassinations, recruitment of child soldiers, civil rights violations, religious persecutions, torture, hate crimes, and more are ongoing in countries around the globe - Sierra Leone, Nepal, Sudan, Haiti, Cote d'Ivoire, Columbia, Guinea, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Peru, Chile, Angola, Croatia, Serbia, United States, The Netherlands, Chechnya, Congo, Rwanda, and too many others.
• The UUA-WOA is also actively working  on the following  issues.

The UU's United Nations Office

The UU-United Nations Office (UU-UNO ) is an Associate Member of the UUA that acts as our denomination's agent and voice at the United Nations.. "Through its work,  the UU-UNO seeks to strengthen the United Nations   in its effort to promote peace and to eliminate war, discrimination, poverty and disease, thus re-affirming our belief in the essential unity of the human family. Inspired by Unitarian Universalist principles, we are committed to peace, freedom and environmental   responsibility, as well as social, civil, and economic justice for all."    UU-UNO Envoys  promote "UN Sunday "observances and  keep  themselves and us updated on many topics, including  Peace Initiatives,  Sustainable Development , The International Criminal Court , Eradication of Landmines,  Reform of the Security Council , and Human Rights .

For more information, please    contact the Ballou Channing District Envoy, Peter Smith. (current as of March 31, 2004), or visit the UU-UNO on-line at http://www.uu-uno.org.

Church, Faith, and State

If you, our minister, or our congregation would like to be more involved with the UUA Washington Office's work on religion and state, please contact Megan Joiner, Legislative Assistant for Civil and Human Rights at <mjoiner@uua.org> or 202-296-4672 x12. Please let her know your specific area of interest, actions you have participated in or organized in your congregation or town, and how often you would be willing to take action on issues of separation and church and state. While the UUA "..affirms the critical role of faith as a source of healing in our society... It is critical that Congress continue to expand-not contract-our civil rights laws. We need to move forward, not backward."

"Don't forget us"
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and others affected many family pets, farm, zoo, & aquarium animals, and wildlife too.  The Humane Society of the U.S.,  Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and others have sent rescue teams to Louisiana and Mississippi to find, rescue,  set up shelters, and bring hundreds of stranded animals to safety.  They hope to reunite families and their pets, but plan to place those they can not in foster homes or up for adoption.  According to USA Today (9/3/05), "Animal rescue groups have gotten calls from pet owners desperate for someone to rescue animals they'd left behind...Funds are needed not only for immediate rescues, but also long-term rebuilding and support of shelters throughout the region.".  More information can be found from: www.hsus.org, www.la-spca.org, www.aspca.org, www.arlboston.org, and others.

Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Flooding, Tsunamis, and other Disaster Relief efforts
Interested in helping? Presently, most agencies are only looking for financial contributions -   The UUA has joined the effort and donations of money are being accepted through the   Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.

• UUA-UUSC South Asia Earthquake Fund
• UUA-UUSC Gulf Coast Relief Fund
• UU Transylvania Flood Relief Fund
• South East Asia Tsunami Fund

Other Organizations Helping Those Affected By The Recent Natural Disasters

There have been many reports of fraudelent charities since the recent hurricanes. You can begin finding another organization (besides our "Operation Home Delivery" fundraiser!) to donate to through the following lists*: some GrassRoots organizations, FEMA - How You Can Help, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, NOLA.com Hurricane Relief Services, UUA-UUSC, and others. (*not a full list and we do not guarantee anything about any of the organizations listed on these sites). Before you pick an agency to donate your funds or time to, please investigate their overall performance record, philosophy, and methods  through  their literature or via associations that rate philanthropic organizations. A few places on-line are: www.give.org, www.guidestar.org, and www.charitywatch.org.

Guest At Your Table 2008
This year's GAYT kick-off date is November 23, the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Since 1975, Unitarian Universalists have observed this special tradition. Through GAYT we celebrate the worth and dignity of all people and learn how to put these values into action and help the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (www.uusc.org) continue it's work to promote human rights and social justice worldwide. The Guest at Your Table experience of families learning together has built lasting connections to UU values for generations of UU youth.

* Disclaimer: Inclusion does not imply congregational endorsement.