As we approach the pivotal election year of 2020, Unitarian Universalist Association President Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray reminds us, “This is no time for a casual faith.” But it is a time for deep commitment to our UU values. To many, it seems that our democracy is far more vulnerable than we once thought.  The deep divisions in our country are stoked as our system of checks and balances is tested in Washington.   

After the 2016 elections, Bob McCarthy of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, VA says he realized “I needed to do more than bemoan election results.”  Soon he joined the UUSJ volunteer Advocacy Corps and now puts his concern to work by helping UUSJ carry out its mission to mobilize and amplify the voices of Unitarian Universalists as we seek to change the world through acts of love and justice.  “I never thought at age 78, I would find myself advocating. But I am happy and proud to do this work and believe it satisfies both a spiritual and patriotic obligation for me.”  

Perhaps you, like Bob, are deeply concerned about the direction our country has taken, yet you are stumped about what to do.  UUSJ has a plan for that — you can help move our nation toward a more just democracy by financially supporting our work in the Nation’s Capital.

As a friend to UUSJ, your continuing support is most appreciated! With your contribution, UUSJ is having impact through its all-volunteer Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps and its ambitious Write Here! Write Now! (WHWN) letter-writing campaign focused on our priorities: (1) economic justice, (2) immigrant justice, (3) environmental and climate justice, and (4) defending our democracy.  

UUSJ’s Advocacy Corps members often hear this from Hill staffers, “Keep on with what you’re doing… you’re doing the right thing!” Your financial support of UUSJ will help expand our ability to reflect UU values and amplify UU voices in Congress. This Includes the voices of families through our WHWN campaign. A parent at the Arlington, VA congregation reports: “Our family has talked about racism and protecting the environment. It means something to see that our kids can write a letter to counter racism or to help the environment.  It makes them and us proud to be UU church members.” 

UUSJ had a key role in organizing the UU conference Advancing Economic and Climate Justice as a Moral Issue — Building a Movement for a Green New Deal held in Washington in September.  Cindy Piester, of Ventura CA attended and came away saying, “It was life changing for me to interact and network with so many other equally committed UUs.”  This kind of transformation was facilitated by UUSJ’s leadership at the conference, organizing, training and arranging for 24 appointments for effective Capitol Hill visits. Conference attendees joined the Advocacy Corps and fanned out to over 50 Senate offices, delivering nearly a thousand letters from 35 UU congregations nationwide advocating for strong climate justice policies.

Terry Grogan, of the UU Church in Reston, VA works with UUSJ’s Immigration Task Group:  “There are many reasons to be deeply troubled by our country’s approach to refugees, asylum seekers, and to millions of our undocumented neighbors…they are understandably scared by what they hear… they’ve even spoken to us about what arrangements to make if the parents are separated from the kids, an unimaginable situation.”  Your continued support ensures that more volunteers can advocate for policy change that supports a meaningful response to threats faced by our immigrant friends and neighbors.   

Our liberal religious voice is needed. Your gift will help UUSJ match a challenge grant from the UU Funding Program to release an additional $2,000 for our advocacy work, including our national letter-writing campaign. UUSJ has enjoyed three years of start-up grant support. Your support will guarantee that our important justice work will continue and grow.

Here are a few examples of how your contribution can help UUSJ gear up for 2020:    

• Publish a Guide to Questions for Candidates based on UU values, and update and distribute UUSJ’s Voter Registration Toolkit;
• Ramp up monthly Advocacy Corps visits to federal elected officials on our key issues;  
• Expand our Write Here! Write Now! letter writing campaign (free to congregations nationwide); 
• Deploy professional staff to supplement our dedicated volunteers who are at full capacity in their advocacy work.

Thank you in advance for lifting our collective UU voices for social justice in the Nation’s Capital! Your continued support and partnership is much appreciated.

In gratitude,

Bob Denniston, Board Chair

Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice

 

P.S.  Please consider upping your contribution as a special end-of-year gift to help us reach our challenge grant goal. 

UUSJ is a 501(c)3 organization comprised of 16 area UU congregations.  They and individual members fund our work, along with some grant support. You can write a check, use the donate button at www.uusj.org or direct a disbursement from a donor advised fund of your choice.  We also welcome inquiries about donating stock, marketable securities, or IRA qualified charitable distributions (QCD). Please email Pablo at info@uusj.org or call at 202-600-9132 for details.

* Please consider making a donation to UUSJ to support our work into 2020 *