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Update on Central American Children Migrants
On Sunday, September 14, Angela Sanbrano, President of the Board of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), spoke briefly at the 11:00 AM service, outlining the continuing needs of the Central American children who migrated unaccompanied to the United States, and the efforts of CARECEN on their behalf.
CARECEN has been working on behalf of Central Americans in the Los Angeles community for over thirty years, providing legal assistance, advocacy, organizing skills, and education programs. Its current work to assist the unaccompanied children migrants includes finding lawyers who can provide guidance and represent them during their hearings before an immigration judge. Legal representation often makes a difference in enabling children to obtain asylum or another protected status in the United States; those without such assistance are much more likely to be deported. There are recent reports that several children deported back to their home countries have been killed by drug gangs on their return.
Migration to the United States without documents is extremely dangerous, as demonstrated in the documentary Which Way Home, shown at UUSM in August. Many come through Mexico riding on top of la bestia - the beast – freight trains through Mexico to the U.S. border, where they risk falling and losing a limb or even their lives, as well as robbery, extortion, and/or rape by drug gangs. But the risks of remaining in – or returning to - their countries of origin are much greater.
While children migrate for a number of reasons, including poverty in their home countries, perceived opportunities in the United States, and family reunification, the recent upsurge in the number of children corresponds to the growing presence of drug cartels and the growth of gang and drug related violence in the Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Today, Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world; El Salvador and Guatemala are fourth and fifth. In some cases, drug gangs have taken over schools and entire neighborhoods; students and others are submitted to relentless pressure to join the gangs or work for cartels with threats of killing them or members of their families if they refuse. Several young migrants report that members of their families and/or friends have in fact been killed, in some cases in their presence.
The United States bears considerable responsibility for creating conditions in Central America giving rise to violence, including support for repressive governments; economic policies favoring corporations at the expense of national interests; and drug-related policies, including resistance to the legalization of drug possession, as well as the trafficking of guns and other weapons from the United States into Mexico and other countries, and anti-drug policies in Latin America that have tended to simply displace drug trafficking from one region to another. The United States is the major market for drugs; guns and other arms from the United States have aggravated the violence that has accompanied the growth of the cartels in these countries. In addition, many of the gangs heavily involved in the drug trade, such as the Mara Salvatrucha, have their origins on the streets of Los Angeles and other U.S.
While some U.S. officials have recognized that many of the children as well as other immigrants are fleeing conditions from the home countries, efforts to improve these conditions should include revisiting U.S. policies and their impact in the region, including trade policy and the drug war.
The response in the United States to the unaccompanied migrant children has been mixed. Officially, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, originally passed in 2000 and amended by the Bush administration in 2008, entitles all unaccompanied children from non-contiguous countries (i.e., other than Mexico and Canada) to a hearing before an immigration judge to determine whether they are eligible for asylum or other types of protection. However, in its efforts to discourage further migration, the administration has sought to facilitate deportation of the children, in part by eliminating this protection, a move that has been resisted to date. At the local level, reactions have ranged from strong opposition and rejection of their presence, epitomized by the ugly demonstrations in Murietta, to the more welcoming policy of some cities. In the case of Los Angeles, Mayor Garcetti has met with various advocacy groups to provide various types of assistance to the young immigrants, including housing and food, transportation to enable them to reunite with distant families, and legal aid, including access to lawyers who can represent them in court proceedings.
Although the children migrants from Central America are no longer in the news, they continue to need humanitarian and legal assistance. During September our non-pledge offerings have gone to CARECEN (Central American Resource Center); one can also send a donation directly to CARECEN at 2845 West Seventh Street, Los Angeles, CA 90005, or through its website (www.carecen-la.org), indicating it is for unaccompanied minors.
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Update/Disclaimer for Sunday, May 31, 2020 Service |
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Updated Link for Communications Meeting |
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Upgrade Tasks |
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Uploaded Images This page is merely a container for uploaded images which can then be referenced via HTML from anywhere on the site. Upload your image as a "File Attachment" (see below), then copy the URL provided and paste it into an IMG tag. |
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Urban Ministry of Los Angeles Sharing Our Vision of Justice (One Service at 1030 a.m.) How do you level the playing field for children in inner-city schools or transform a trash-strewn vacant lot into a flourishing community garden and learning center for adults and children? The Urban Ministry has some answers. The Urban Ministry is housed at the First Unitarian Church, which is located an area greatly affected by the riots of 1992. Come learn about our innovative "Aprendamos" ("Let's Learn") educational enrichment program and the Frances Avenue Community Garden - and find out how you can become a part of this exciting UU outreach in the inner city. Music Rachel Bolinger, Lisa Graham, Singers |
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Use of Church as Emergency Shelter Approved by the Board of Directors 3-9-04 1. PURPOSE: This policy outlines how the UUCCSM may serve as an emergency shelter in case of a major fire or other disaster involving one or more of its neighboring healthcare facilities. 2. BACKGROUND: The UUCCSM is in close proximity to several healthcare facilities, including hospitals and convalescent facilities. In the unlikely event of a major fire in one or more of these facilities, it may be necessary to move disabled patients out of their quarters. The Church has been asked to agree to be an emergency triage site for the Pacific Convalescent Center at 1323 Seventeenth Street in Santa Monica. An earlier request from this facility had been granted in 1984. They are now asking for a renewal of this understanding. This revised policy provides guidance to the staff of the UUCCSM and the leadership of neighboring healthcare facilities on the issue of using the Church as an emergency shelter. 3. POLICY: It is the policy of the UUCCSM to be a good neighbor. In recognition of a civic and humanitarian need to help others in time of crisis, and the understanding that patients hospitalized in neighboring convalescent facilities are especially vulnerable to the effects of fire and other disasters, the Board of Directors authorizes the use of Church facilities for emergency shelter of such or similar patients in time of emergency. 4. ACTION: Requests for activation of this process should be directed to the Church Administrator. In the event the Church Administrator is unavailable, the request should be directed to the executive leadership of the Board of Directors, starting with the President of the Congregation. THIS UUCCSM POLICY EXPIRES MARCH 31, 2009 |
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Use of Church Facilities for Personal Financial Gain
Approved by the Board of Directors 12-13-05
Amended by the Board of Directors 3-8-16
Church facilities may be rented for the sale of goods that are not inconsistent with church principles for the personal financial gain of the renter. Members and friends of the church may not use church facilities for the sale of goods for their personal financial gain without approval by the Minister or the Board of Directors.
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Use of Church Financial Resources Approved by the Board of Directors 10-12-10 The financial resources of the Church are identified and described in the section "Structure of the Church's Financial Resources," below. Policies with regard to the maintenance and management of these resources, in addition to those inherent are as follows: 1. Budget for all classes of expenditure that recur with enough consistency to be meaningfully budgeted shall be included in the annual Operating Budget. This includes routine facility improvement and equipment acquisition expenditures, arbitrarily defined as such items or projects costing $5,000 or less. 2. Major extraordinary expenditures, of either a capital or non-capital nature, but not warranting invasion of the Emergency Reserve, shall be included in the Operating Budget if anticipated in the development of that budget. 3. Expenditures that appropriately fall under one of the Operating Budget line items shall be charged to that line item, whether or not a budget deficit in that line item, or in the budget as a whole, will result. Operating Budget deficits are covered out of the Unrestricted Reserve. 4. The Church shall maintain an Emergency Reserve in the amount of 25% of the Operating Budget. This shall be adjusted at the beginning of each fiscal year by making transfers into or out of the Unrestricted Reserve. The Emergency Reserve funds are only to be used for major emergencies. Expenditures from the Emergency Reserve may be made only with the approval of 75% of the Board of Directors or a majority of church members present at a congregational business meeting. 5. Donations, by bequest or otherwise, shall be used in strict accordance with any instructions by the donor. If the Board should determine that the donor's instructions are not consistent with the principles or interests of the Church, the donation shall be declined. 6. All donations shall be recorded as income. Non-pledge contributions shall be characterized as ordinary or extraordinary contributions, based on Board determined guidelines that may be revised, as necessary. All donations other than toward the Operating Budget, Endowments or a Dedicated Fund shall be taken into Unrestricted Reserves. 7. The Board of Directors may make unbudgeted expenditures, including changes to a line item or reallocations of Church funds, in an amount not to exceed $50,000. Multiple expenditures for the same item or project will be considered in the aggregate when calculating the $50,000 limit. Unbudgeted expenditures, changes or reallocations in excess of $50,000 shall be presented to the congregation for decision, unless time limitation or other acute constraint precludes calling a congregational meeting. 8. A balance sheet reporting all church liquid assets as well as reports of the income and expenses for Dedicated Funds and Endowments and the names of fund coordinators are to be presented, at least quarterly, to the Board and included in the Annual Report. 9. Fund raising by and/or for outside organizations requires Board of Directors approval. An exception is Generous Congregation donations from the offering, if the Board or the Congregation has authorized them. The Minister and the Board President have the authority to select non-profit entities to receive this donation. 10. Individuals, groups or committees who desire to raise money for church projects or needs are asked to inform the board and administration personnel of intended plans by completing a form that provides information about the plan and submitting it at least one Board Meeting before the intended fundraising. |
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Use of Photographs of Church Members and Friends Approved by the Board of Directors 12-13-05 Photographs of adult members or friends of the church may be used to support church activities and purposes unless prohibited in writing by the individual or individuals involved. Photographs of children identified by name will not be displayed or included in church documents or publications without written permission of the child's parent or guardian. |
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Use of Sanctuary Space Approved by the Board of Directors 2-10-04 Church groups or Church-affiliated groups (currently the Women’s Alliance) may sponsor events in the sanctuary involving major rearrangement of the pews and the serving of food and beverages in the sanctuary, subject to the conditions that:
Non-Church groups may not use the sanctuary for purposes involving major rearrangement of the pews nor the serving of food or beverages in the sanctuary, except under very unusual circumstances and with specific advance permission by the Board or the Church Administrator. For the purposes of this policy statement, “Church groups” means groups for which the group leader, the event leader (if different from the group leader), and a majority of the people working on the event in question are Members of the Church. |
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Use of UUCCSM Facilities by Political Candidates Approved by the Board of Directors June 12, 2007 I. Renting church facilities to political candidates Political candidates wishing to use the church’s meeting facilities shall be charged for their use at the same rate they would were they using them for any other private purpose. Publicity for such events shall clearly show that the program is not sponsored by the church. II. Inviting a political candidate to speak in a non-candidate capacity Political candidates may be invited to speak at the church in a non-candidate capacity if:
III. Inviting political candidates to speak as candidates Political candidates may be invited in their capacity as candidates if:
IV. Presenting a public forum Several candidates may appear at the same event if:
V. Individuals endorsing candidates No employee, trustee, or representative of the church shall mention their church affiliation in endorsing a candidate without making it clear that they are speaking as an individual and not in their church capacity. No committee or individual in the church shall distribute at the church any printed materials suggesting support of any political candidate. The church shall not print any materials supporting a candidate. VI. Promoting a legislative issue Lobbying, or promoting legislative issues, may be done, but not as the primary activity of the church. Activities promoting legislation shall not suggest the endorsement of any political candidate. The church may distribute brochures, sponsor speakers, and in general promote a position adopted by the church, the UUA, or the UU Legislative Ministry of California. |