Faith In Action News Archive
Faith in Action (FIA) Benefit Program
Calling on artisans, craft people and food specialists to sell their goods at a one-day bazaar the first Sunday in February 2013. A percentage of the proceeds will benefit the church and FIA. Contact Diana Spears.
UUs Join Picket Line at Millennium Carwash
Sixty of us, including three members of our congregation (Diana Spears, James Witker, and I), picketed Millennium Carwash November 14 to demand that Anselmo Leyva be rehired. Once the picketing started, at 3 p.m., no cars entered. Management closed the carwash early, at about 4:15 p.m., after which we ended the picket line and held a rally.
Leyva worked at Bubble Bee Carwash in Long Beach. He had been out on Workers Comp and was cleared by the doctor to return to his full duties. Management, presumably suspecting him of involvement in the CLEAN Carwash Organizing Campaign and in a lawsuit to recover stolen wages, refused to allow him to resume work.
Millennium, located on Lincoln Blvd. two blocks south of Venice Blvd., is owned by members of the Damavandi family, the same family that owns Bubble Bee and Santa Monica Carwash, at Pico and 25th St. A few minutes before the picket line, a delegation entered the carwash to request a meeting with management to discuss the rehiring of Leyva. One of the owners, Steve Damavandi, kept vehemently repeating that Leyva (who was present) did not work at Millennium and that therefore there was nothing to talk about. We said we were present because the carwashes had the same ownership and because we were representatives of the community where Millennium’s customers live and work.
The picketers kept up spirited chants in English and Spanish. They included, “Obreros unidos jamás serán vencidos” (“Workers united can never be defeated”), “Hey hey, ho ho, put Anselmo back to work,” “Sí se puede,” and a calland- response made up right on the picket line: “Who washes the cars?” “The workers wash the cars.” “Who gets the money?”
“The bosses get the money.” “Who needs the workers?” “The bosses need the workers.” “Who needs the bosses?” [pregnant pause] “Nobody!”
Ten days before picketing, a carwash worker came to UUCCSM to meet with our YRUU group. He spoke eloquently about his years as a “carwashero.” The eight high school students present were gripped by his story and had lots of questions and comments. Everyone wanted to go to the picket line, but school schedules and other factors intervened.
However, at the subsequent YRUU gathering, November 11, the students and advisors made posters for the picket line. Of the 500 carwashes in Southern California, only four have signed union contracts. In the others, horrible conditions prevail. If you’d like to help in this organizing campaign, please stop by the Faith in Action table in Forbes Hall after Sunday services or send a message to me at fia@uusm.org.
— Rick Rhoads
Hunger Task Force
The photo above was taken at the 17th annual Success Breakfast presented by the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition on October 26 at the Sheraton- Miramar Hotel. It is our UUCCSM contingent consisting of Dwight Flowers, Teresa Castelli, Alice Hall, Ellen Stuart, Laurel Bleak, Janet Goodwin, Marsha Smith, Beth Rendeiro, Christine Haskell, and Charles Haskell (photographer, not shown).
Carwasheros Join Us for “Salt of the Earth” Screening in Forbes Hall
Six current or former carwash workers were among the 40 UUs and others who came to our church Saturday evening, September 29, to see the 1954 movie “Salt of the Earth,” sponsored by the Faith in Action (FIA) Commission. The movie is based on the true story of a prolonged strike by “Anglo” and Latino miners at Empire Zinc Company in Grant County, NM, and has many parallels to today’s struggle by carwash
workers to improve their lives through a union organizing campaign.
A goal of the Multiracial Development Committee (MRDC), an FIA component, is to make our congregation more racially and ethnically diverse. There are many ways we can reach out, personally and organizationally. Through our participation in the CLEAN Carwash Campaign and the campaign to maintain and expand living wages and good working conditions in Santa Monica hotels, MRDC and the Peace and Social Justice Committee (PSJ) are striving to make our church a beacon of social justice in our community and a gathering place for those involved in fighting against racism and class exploitation, and for immigrants’ rights.
Showing “Salt of the Earth,” with Spanish translation provided, fit right in.
Everybody enjoyed the movie, and a lively discussion followed it. One person said the most critical thing for working people to do “between now and November 6” is to reelect President Obama, and many agreed. Others felt that mass action such as that portrayed in the movie was more important than electoral politics, and some even questioned whether Obama actually was on the side of working people.
If you’d like to see “Salt of the Earth,” contact me and I’d be happy to lend you a DVD.
— Peggy Rhoads
Visit to Theo Lacy Detention Center
On September 20, Will Coley, Peggy Rhoads, and Nora Hamilton from UUCCSM participated in a visit to the Theo Lacy Detention Center in Orange County as part of an effort to evaluate the conditions and treatment of immigrants in facilities where undocumented immigrants are detained.
The Center was originally built in 1960 as a maximum- security prison; in 2010 it contracted with ICE (Immigration Control and Enforcement) to house 450 undocumented immigrants and is currently at full capacity. Our visit included an initial briefing by officers of the facility and of ICE; a partial tour of the facility, including the barracks where detainees are held, the nurses' station, “Special Management Units” (solitary confinement — a small windowless cell with a stone bed), and recreation facilities; interviews with some 133 detainees; and a final session with officers who addressed questions raised in the interviews. The officers were generally accommodating and responsive to our questions; it was clear they were making an effort to present Theo Lacy as a model detention center.
But there was a definite contradiction between this presentation and the observations and complaints of the detainees themselves.
The immigration detainees are for the most part guilty of minor infractions, or in some cases simply crossing the border without documents. They are housed separately from the general prison population in four barracks consisting of large cells with bunk beds crowded together. Each had a television set (although detainees complained that it was often broken) and a telephone (costing around 80 cents per minute with a $5 connection fee). Although the facilities may well have been superior to those of the general prison population, the general impression is one of control and confinement.
Among the grievances expressed by the detainees themselves were that the facilities were kept too cold, and that people were sick as a result; the food was monotonous (“baloney sandwiches every day”) and at worst inedible (“old and moldy carrots”); meal times were often rushed, in some cases three to five minutes; detainees lacked clean clothes; recreation hours had been shortened (reduced from two or three hours to one or less); and time was inadequate with visitors.
One detainee complained of inadequate care for his bipolar disorder, which he had coped with in the past
through a combination of medicine and counseling.
While Theo Lacy provided medicine, he did not receive counseling. When he had a panic attack, he was sent to solitary confinement, which increased his panic. Two of the most serious complaints had to do with access to legal assistance and treatment by guards. Several detainees reported being treated with disrespect and scorn by prison personnel, including racist jokes at their expense and, in at least one case, physical abuse. Although there is a grievance procedure, it is not clear that detainees feel they can take advantage of it, perhaps due to fear of retaliation if they complain.
In the final session following the interviews, the officers appeared to take these accusations seriously and
agreed that the deputies needed sensitivity training.
With respect to legal access, the facility has a law library with computers through which detainees allegedly have access to legal information and a list of pro bono lawyers in the area. However, only a minority appear to have a lawyer, and while some are awaiting immigration hearings (which can be postponed for months at a time), many are in a type of limbo, lacking legal representation and even advice (“I don’t know what I’m doing here”). One issue may be a lack of knowledge and skills to take advantage of the information available. Several — perhaps a majority — are Spanish-speaking, some of them speaking little to no English.
If Theo Lacy is indeed a “model facility,” it indicates that the practice of confining individuals who have committed minor infractions or simply crossed the border without documents is both wasteful and inhumane.
While efforts should be made to improve the conditions of detainees, it is also necessary to challenge current immigration policy and to provide alternatives to confinement for undocumented immigrants.
Legislative Initiatives
Unfortunately, an opportunity to address this issue was lost as a result of Governor Brown’s veto of the Trust Act, which would have limited the enforcement of ICE requests to temporarily detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested so that ICE could determine what to do with them. The Trust Act, which was promoted by the UU Legislative Ministry of California (UULMCA), would have permitted detention only in cases in which the immigrant has been accused of serious or violent crimes. As stated by Rev. Lindi Ramsden, Executive Director of the UULMCA, “His veto puts many hard-working immigrant families at continued risk of being split by deportations, and continues to erode the trust between the immigrant community and law enforcement, compromising our community safety.”
Although Brown vetoed the Trust Act (promising to revisit it in the future), he did sign a bill promoted by Rep. Gil Cedillo (AB 2189), that would enable young undocumented immigrants in California who qualify for a two-year stay of deportation and work permits through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to obtain drivers’ licenses in California.
Governor Brown also signed AB685, the Human Right to Water Act, which was also promoted by UULMCA. It is estimated that some 11 million people, for most part in poor and minority communities, lack access to safe drinking water. AB685 establishes as state policy that everyone in California has “the right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible water sufficient for basic needs.”
— Nora Hamilton
FIA Trip to the Great Wall
Twenty UUs saw a graphic history of Los Angeles, from 20,000 years ago through the early 1960s, as they participated in the 3rd annual Dining for Dollars trip to the Great Wall of Los Angeles, sponsored by the Multiracial Development Committee. Vilma Ortiz served as docent, providing commentary as we walked along the east side of the Tujunga Flood Control Channel, viewing the half-mile long mural (by far the world's longest) painted on the west side. The bright, intense colors of the mural, which was restored recently, seemed to leap off the wall. The Great Wall illustrates the struggles of workers in the 1930s against the ravages of the Great Depression and the struggles against discrimination and racism of Native Americans and of immigrants from Mexico, Central America, China, and Japan, and of African Americans, as well as fights for equality by women and gays and lesbians, all this alongside and intertwined with the technological changes — such as electricity, railroads, the film industry, and tract houses — that have shaped life in LA. The morning walk was followed by lunch at Pitfire Pizza in nearby North Hollywood.
A Way to Expand Our Service
We’ve been having some good conversations lately about how we members and friends of UUCCSM might better serve the community around us, and whether the Jericho Road Project might be a way for us to do that. Now let’s meet up and discuss the next step.
On Sunday, November 18, at 12:30 p.m., we’ll get together in the Cottage and decide whether or not UUCCSM should conduct a Jericho Road feasibility study (the next step in the process of becoming part of the Jericho Road Project).
But first, what is the Jericho Road Project? It’s an organization that bridges communities by matching the professional talents of volunteers (that's us) with the needs of community-based nonprofit organizations (that’s the folks all around us) to promote community development, strengthen social services, and enrich the lives of volunteers (that's us again). You can read all about it in a recent UU World article: http://tinyurl.com/UUJerichoRoad
Once you’ve read about Jericho Road, we hope you’ll join us as we decide whether or not to take the next step. All are invited to attend on November 18 at 12:30, and a light lunch will be served. For more information,
contact Patrick Meighan.
Want to Untangle the Ballot Propositions?
Anyone interested in reading the recommendations of the UU Legislative Ministry on the California ballot
propositions for the November 6 election can find information at www.uulmcaaction.org.
Santa Monica Car Wash Denied City Contract
We learned at a meeting of Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA) on September 10 that the City of Santa Monica has decided to consider labor and environmental factors in awarding/renewing contracts for the washing city vehicles. Because it did not qualify under the new standards, Santa Monica Car Wash, at Pico and 25 th St., did not have its contract renewed.
Bonus Car Wash, the only unionized car wash in or near Santa Monica, made a bid but did not get a contract
because of an environmental issue related to a water tank. All the work went to Lincoln Car Wash (which already
had two-thirds of the city's vehicle-wash work); Lincoln Car Wash has an environmental issue similar to Bonus Car Wash's but has a plan in place to fix it. Bonus management says it will develop such a plan. Discount coupons for Bonus Car Wash are available at the Faith in Action table in Forbes Hall.
Many of the workers at Santa Monica Car Wash want a union contract, and former workers there have joined a
class-action lawsuit to recover wages lost to alleged violations of wage-and-hour laws. Ben Damavandi, of the
family that owns the carwash, told CLUE leaders that if the workers wanted a union he would not stand in their way. Shortly thereafter, management distributed a document to the workers entitled “Learn the Truth Before You Sign an Authorization Card! 36 Things the Union Cannot Do for You.”
Among the first 13 on the list of things the union cannot do are “pay your benefits,” “prevent firings,” “guarantee
raises or better wages,” “guarantee more vacation,” and “guarantee paid sick days.” Of course, among the things that union contacts do guarantee are wages, vacation, sick days, benefits, and the prevention of firings without just cause. Number 22 on the list: “The union cannot guarantee time and a half (overtime).” That’s revealing, because extra payment for overtime is required by state law.
Following the CLUE meeting September 10, about 15 of us, including UUers Patrick Meighan and Rick Rhoads
(see photo), visited Santa Monica Car Wash. In the absence of Ben Damavandi we spoke to Shawn Damavandi,
Ben’s son. Most of the talking was done by the Damavandi’s co-religionists, Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels of Beth Shir Shalom; Rabbi Jonathan Klein, executive director of CLUE-LA; and Leslie Gersicoff, executive director of the Jewish Labor Committee. They urged Ben to join his father and mother in having a change of heart in their attitude to their workers.
29th Annual Latin American Encuentro
The Mexico/U.S. Border: Immigration Issues Affect Us All Sponsored by the UU Service Committee, Southern California Unit at Throop Memorial Church in Pasadena, 300 S. Los Robles Ave.
Saturday, October 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
We are proud to feature three locally famous speakers:
• Blase Bonpane from KPFK Radio and Director of Office of the Americas
• Gustavo Arellano, editor of the “OC Weekly,” author of several books, and editor of the column “Ask a
Mexican”
• Norma Chinchilla, Sociology Professor at California State University Long Beach, author of several books
and articles about Latin America and Women
After the speakers and lunch (vegetarian options included), there will be time for breakout groups:
• DREAM students
• Immigration detention visitation and bonding–out programs
• Taking Action / UU Legislative Ministry
UU Legislative Ministry
Did you know that there are only 13,000 Unitarians in California out of a population approximately 37 million? How do we have a say in public policies that speak to our principles? For the past 10 years, California Unitarians have had a resource in Sacramento to advocate UU values. The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry (uulmca.org) is a statewide justice ministry that cultivates and connects leaders and communities to empower the public voice of those who share UU values and Principles. From the UULM website:
UULMCA is building a statewide education and advocacy network that:
- is anchored in our UU faith, and informed by its history and principles
- shares information and policy expertise, particularly from member UUs
- can inspire and mobilize coordinated action through a network of mutual support and accountability
- trains new leadership, with special attention to involvement of youth and young adults
- is celebratory, sustainable, and fun
- raises the visibility of Unitarian Universalism and its values to policy makers and the larger community
UUCCSM is now part of a cluster of congregations in Southern California (First Church and Pacific Unitarian Church) who will work together on the following action issues:
- Human Right To Water (Assembly Bill 685 Eng)
- Sustainable Communities Campaign (SB375, the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act
- Immigration Reform (The TRUST Act Assembly Bill 1081 Ammiano)
Please consider signing up with the UULM Network from their website: uulmca.org and select the link, “Join UULM California.” By providing this information you will receive updates on action items, and their staff can keep track of Unitarians in the state by legislative district.
Look for more information on the UULM in future Newsletters, at the Faith In Action table and in weekly Announcements.
FIA UULM Ambassador
— Cathie Gentile
The Hunger Task Force Needs YOU!
The Hunger Task force is dedicated to serving those in need right here in Santa Monica. Each month we collect frozen food and deliver it to Daybreak, a women's drop-in center on Ocean Ave. We also prep and serve an afternoon meal at Step Up on 2nd, an agency helping mentally ill homeless folks on their way to recovery. What's involved? Daybreak Sunday is the 1st Sunday of the month. You can drop off your frozen donation anytime to the freezer in the kitchen - just tag it for Daybreak. Denise Helton collects the items and gets them promptly to Daybreak. The meal at Step Up on 2nd is the 4th Saturday of the month. It is roughly a 2-hour time commitment. We prepare a salad and get a few other things ready before serving the full meal. All ages are welcome to participate; teens can get community service credits. Rhonda Peacock coordinates the volunteers - please contact her if you'd lik to help. Can't physically participate? Your monetary donations are always appreciated and put directly into the hunger fund for immediate use! Just write "hunger" on the memo line of your check, or mark your envelop "hunger" for the offering collection. You can also donate online on our website: uusm.org!
— Rhonda Peacock
Jericho Road Project
At UUCCSM, we say that service is our prayer. So how’s our prayer been coming along? Could we maybe pray a bit better? Can we pray in a way that helps more, that does more and that lets more of us friends and members of UUCCSM make full use of the skills and talents we have to make the world a better place? And, finally, might the Jericho Road Project be a way for us to do all of the above?
These are the questions we’ll be discussing in the cottage on Sunday, September 2, at 1 p.m. Won’t you please join us?
But first, what is the Jericho Road Project? It's an organization that bridges communities by matching the professional talents of volunteers (that's us!) with the needs of community-based nonprofit organizations (that's the folks all around us!) to promote community development, strengthen social services, and enrich the lives of volunteers (that's us again!). You can read all about it in a recent UU World article: tinyurl.com/UUJerichoRoad
And once you've read about Jericho Road, we really hope you'll join us for a chat about whether or not this might be right for UUCCSM. Our guest for this discussion will be John Blue, the Board Chair of Jericho Road Pasadena... the newest (and nearest) affiliate of the Jericho Road Project. Once again, this discussion happens in the cottage on Sunday, Sept. 2nd, at 1pm. A light lunch will be served. For more information, contact Patrick Meighan.
— Patrick Meighan
Dignity Bags for Sale
“Dignity Bags” are fair trade tote bags made by the Dougla Prieta Women’s Sewing Cooperative in Agua
Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. The bags are sewn by the women in support of the Kino Border Initiative’s (KBI) work in
Nogales, Sonora. The KBI donates the hand-made bags to the Missionary Sisters of the Eucharist who in turn
distribute the bags to migrants who have been deported back to Mexico with nothing but the clothes they are wearing and maybe some meager belongings in a plastic bag.
Purchase a bag for your own use for $20 and two bags will be donated to the Kino Border Initiative. “Dignity Bags” are part of a collaboration among a number of like-minded groups: No More Deaths, Dougla Prieta, Women’s Sewing Cooperative, Gloo Factory Union Print Shop, Green Valley, Arizona/ Sahuarita Samaritans, Tuscon Samaritans, and the UU church of Green Valley, AZ.
Stop by the Faith In Action table in Forbes to see a “Dignity Bag.” For more information contact the Gloo Factory at (520) 740-0810 or info@gloofactoryink.com or nomoredeaths.org
— Cathie Gentile
Dessert and Dialogue with the Rev. Lindi Ramsden, Executive Director of the UU Legislative Ministry
Saturday, August 11, 7 p.m. in Forbes Hall
Come join the Rev. Lindi Ramsden in a discussion of the legislative calendar this year in California. It is packed with many ballot initiatives, including SAFE — ending the death penalty, and other legislative battles, including AB1801 (Ammiano) TRUST Act, restricting the scope of ICE in our communities.
Interweave Members March in Los Angeles Pride Parade
On Sunday, June 10, over 60 supporters of LGBT rights marched in the annual Los Angeles Pride Parade. Marchers ranged in age from three weeks (Mingus Thompson) to 93 (Sam Polk). Our special honorees were John Fels and Ron Crane, who rode in a red Mustang convertible driven by Geoff Lee.
Parade attendees screamed their support as they read the sign on the car: “Ron & John legally married August 18, 2008.” A special welcome and thanks to the 14 Sepulveda UU Society (Onion) members for joining us this year. In addition to our two banners, they carried their congregational Onion banner and the UUA Standing on the Side of Love banner.
This was our best turnout ever and we hope to have an even stronger Los Angeles-wide UU presence next year.
To view a slideshow of this year’s parade, go to:
http://s1059.photobucket.com/albums/t429/uulapride2012/
Also, be sure to join us on Sunday, July 15 at 11 a.m. for fun, fellowship, and frolic at the Annual Interweave and Women’s Alliance picnic.
Santa Monica Tells Car Washes: Obey Labor Laws!
Our acting minister, the Rev. Erika Hewitt, was among the speakers at an Interfaith Prayer Vigil in front of Santa Monica Car Wash (25th St. and Pico Blvd.) June 10, sponsored by Santa Monica Synagogue and Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA). Church member James Witker, fUUsion’s social justice coordinator, also spoke, along with clergy of several faiths and two carwash workers. At least 11 others from our church participated in the event, which included repeated sprinkling of water onto the car-wash grounds, accompanied by the chant, “Wash yourselves clean!”
The chants were directed at the owners of Santa Monica Car Wash. Workers there , along with workers at two others locations under the same ownership, have filed suit to recover lost wages. Carwasheros throughout L.A. County report that they are regularly subjected to illegal practices, including requiring workers to be at work at a certain hour, but not allowing them to “clock in” until there is work for them; expecting workers to work for tips, not wages; refusing to give them water to drink during hot summer work days; no lunch breaks; and not making legally required payments for overtime. In some cases, workers have even received paychecks that bounce. The workers are represented by lawyers from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF).
In May, Santa Monica UUers participated in two other CLUE-LA events in support of the multi-year drive to unionize SoCal car wash workers: a press conference May 21 to announce the lawsuit and a Santa Monica City Council meeting May 22.
In order to speak at the City Council meeting, three Santa Monica UUers — Patrick Meighan, James Witker, and Abby Arnold — stayed there until 1 a.m. Their point: that the city of Santa Monica should no longer contract to have its vehicles washed by car washes that violate labor laws.
Their message was clearly heard; the city announced a new contracting procedure June 6. In addition to strict implementation by the city’s Finance Department of existing policies that require those receiving city dollars to comply with laws, the Santa Monica City Attorney’s office, as part of its Consumer Affairs operations, will investigate practices at all four car washes located in Santa Monica.
A community campaign organized by CLUE-LA encourages local residents to bring their vehicles to Bonus Car Wash at 2800 Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica, which is the first union car wash in the United States.
— Abby Arnold
P&SJ On Summer Break
Peace & Social Justice Committee will be on summer schedule in July. New members are welcome and
needed. For more information please contact Roberta Frye or Cathie Gentile...or stop by the Faith in Action table in Forbes Hall.
RE Faith in Action
Common Ground Donation Drive: Can You Help?
On Sunday, November 27, the RE program will becollecting and sorting donated items to give to homelessteens served by Common Ground Westside.
Please take a look at the list of items below andbring some things in for our donation drive. Undergarments,socks and personal care items should benew. Other items can be gently used or new.
Items can be dropped off at the "Common GroundDonations" table at church on November 13, 20, or 27.
The following items are needed:
For “Hygiene Kits”
Travel- or hotel-sized toiletries (shampoo, conditioner,soap, lotion, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.), toothbrushes,shaving razors, feminine hygiene products,etc. (available at most drug stores or brought homefrom hotel stays).
Clothing Items
Socks, underwear, bras, hoodies/sweat shirts (largersizes — will be worn over other layers), warm hats orbeanies, gloves, scarves, etc.
Other Items
Blankets, sleeping bags, backpacks
Questions? ContactCatherine@uusm.org or(310) 829-5436 x105. Thank youfor helping us support the workof Common Ground!
Interweave News
Interweave, our church's group for bisexual,gay, lesbian, transgender, and queerindividuals and their allies, is in the process of redefiningits goals and seeking new members and leaders. Ifyou would like to be part of that conversation, please contact me to join the Interweavelistserv.
- Judy Federick
Green Living Committee News
We completed a successful Beach Clean Up onSunday, October 3 at High Noon at the 1550 LifeguardTower on Santa Monica Beach. It was abeautiful day, bright and sparkling, with lots of visitorsto the beach. It was difficult, but we (20 of usin all) picked up lots of trash. We had seven kidswith us too! Jessica Clay, Beth Brownlie and theGreen Living Committee thank all of those whogave some of their time on Sunday to clean up ourBeaches. Yeah for EarthJustice!
For more news see YouAre Invited ourupcoming tree plantingevent.
- Beth Brownlie
CareNet
CareNet offers meals, rides and cards to churchmembers and friends. If you have such a need or knowof someone who does, please call the church office,email carenet@uusm.org or contact Karl Lisovsky.
Our Peace & Social Justice Committee ( P S J ) ,together with a member of the Fullerton UU Social Justice Committee, is offering a workshop at the UU PacificSouthwest District Assembly (DA) May 21 entitled,"Organize Your Congregation to End the Wars In Iraqand Afghanistan." The DA will take place at Neighborhood UU Church in Pasadena Friday, May 20, throughSaturday, May 21.
The workshop description is as follows: "In May2010 UU Community Church of Santa Monica passed acongregational resolution demanding a prompt USwithdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan. Together withother UUs we proposed a similar Action of ImmediateWitness at General Assembly. The AIW received over50% of the vote, although not the two-thirds necessaryfor passage. As far as we know no other UU churches atGA had passed such resolutions. This workshop will helpand inspire you to organize locally against the wars,leading towards a denominational resolution in 2011 or2012. A short version of the movie 'Why Are We inAfghanistan' will be shown."
Cathie Gentile, Rick Rhoads, and Fullerton UUmember Fred Kushner will lead the workshop. For information about the DA and to register for it, please go towww.pswduua.org, click on DA Registration 2011, thenclick on General Information Brochure. There is a pricebreak for adult admission if you register before April 29.Childcare is available, free if children are signed upbefore April 29.
Perhaps inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt,over 200 people turned out for Peace SundayJanuary 30, filling our Sanctuary from wall towall and choir loft to vestibule. In pews and on foldingchairs, they enthusiastically participated in the 2-hourprogram on "The Cost of War; the Price of Peace." Manythen adjourned to Forbes Hall to dine on food generouslyprovided by the Brahma Kumaris and Co-Opportunity,converse, and check out exhibits sponsored by 30 peacerelated groups.
Peace Sunday has been an annual event. Based on theresponse and the needs of the times, the three co-sponsorshave decided to present "Peace Sunday 2011-Spring." Itwill take place in our church June 5, with the theme to bedecided.
In addition to co-sponsoring Peace Sunday with Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace (ICUJP)and the Unity-and-Diversity World Council (UDC),UUCCSM played a key role in the event's content. TheRev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur opened the program with aninvocation and closed it with a benediction. Olivia Leganand Jessica Clay represented Unitarian Universalism in anInterfaith Candle Lighting Ceremony in which 11 faiths,plus an "other," participated. Faith in Action Chair RickRhoads delivered the concluding speech, which was a callto action. Emily Meyers, principal of Eyes of the WorldMedia Group and a frequent visitor to our church, created a slide show and collection of peace and social justicesongs that ran in Forbes Hall during the exhibition hours.
Olivia, a high school student, wrote her own description of our faith's relationship to peace, which she read as Jessica lit the candle: "All human beings deserve to livewithout wars, bombs, violence, and pain. While world peaceseems unattainable, as Unitarian Universalists we strive tomake this a safer place for all humanity. We light this candlefor the future, where we can make a difference."Rick said "I'm sure all of us feel frustrated at the lack ofmassive fight-back in the United States." He alsoasked "what kind of movement are we trying to build?" Rick went on to draw onlessons from the movements againstthe U.S. wars in Vietnam, Iraq, andAfghanistan to show that, from LBJto Barack Obama, a peace movementcannot be built by relying on presidentsor candidates who talk of peace but makewar. (The entire speech, including shout-outs from the audience, is at
Major figures in L.A.'s progressive religious community spoke at Peace Sunday, including Rev. George Regas,founder of Interfaith Communities United for Justice andPeace; Rev. Leland Stuart, founder of the Unity-and-Diversity World Council (UDC); Rabbi Leonard Beerman, founding rabbi of the Leo Baeck Temple, an Inclusive ReformJewish community; Shakeel Sayed, Executive Director ofthe Islamic Shura Council and Chair of Clergy and LaityUnited for Economic Justice (CLUE), and Marci Winograd,former congressional candidate and co-founder of LA Jewsfor Peace. Stephen Longfellow Fiske, founder and producerof the annual Venice Eco-Fest, was master of ceremonies,played guitar, and sang, as did fellow musicians Mitra Rahbar and Fidel Sanchez.
Thanks for the Undies!
In these difficult economic times, youstill were generous to the homeless. DuringUndie Sundays this winter, we received 13pair of mens' shorts, 12 undershirts, and 21pair of socks. Men's underwear Items weredelivered to StepUp on Second.For women we received 19 pair of panties, six bras, four t-shirts, and five pair ofsocks. These were delivered to Daybreak.
- Gerrie Lambson
Donate homegrown produce toWestside Food Bank on Sundays
Let's face it, there are times when you can't even give away all thoselemons or zucchini, let alone eat them. Well, now you can give them to individuals and families who desperately need them.
We invite you to add your contributions of fruits and vegetables fromyour trees and gardens to the weekly collection of non-perishable foods wecollect for the Westside Food Bank at our Sunday morning services.
Our contributions will change with the seasons. Right now some of ourSouthern California gardens are producing a bounty of beautiful citrus -oranges, lemons, grapefruit, limes, and tangerines. Cool-weather greens, lettuces, and peas are abundant and will be through the spring. Come summer,some of our gardens will be overflowing with zucchini, tomatoes, and beans.And throughout the year herbs are plentiful in our Mediterranean climate.
In addition to your own gardens, you may know of neighbors who havebountiful gardens. We'll be happy to accept donations from anyone. Just bag the produce and placeit next to the basket for the non-perishables. Ifyou anticipate a bumper crop that might be better transferred from car to car, just let me (SueStoyanoff ) know in advance.
For more information, including easyways for your neighbors to drop off their excessproduce at your residence, please contact me.
-Sue Stoyanoff, Hunger Task Force
The Hunger Task Force needs YOU!
There are many ways you can lend a hand to thehungry and homeless right here in Santa Monica. Ourchurch is involved with four agencies from the WestsideShelter and Hunger Coalition: Westside Food Bank, Daybreak, Turning Point, and Step Up on Second.How can you help?
BRING non-perishable food items to church onSunday for the Westside Food Bank; items are distributed to low-income families and to 65 agencies servingthe homeless in our community.
MAKE a casserole. On the first Sunday of eachmonth we deliver frozen casseroles to the women atDaybreak, a homeless drop-in center in Santa Monica.Bags of fresh fruit are also welcome.
PARTICIPATE when UUCCSM hosts the meal atTurning Point, a transitional housing program for people getting back into the work place. Our church provides a meal three times a year: Martin Luther King Day,Mother's Day, and Labor Day.
DONATE your time by volunteering to serveUUCCSM's monthly meal at Step Up on Second, anagency in Santa Monica working with mentally ill homeless folks on their way to recovery. Our church providesthe afternoon meal every fourth Saturday of the month.
PUT YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION!
To learn more, please contact Denise Helton for Daybreak, Marsha Smith for Turning Point, and/orRhonda Peacock for Step Upon Second.