Summer Schedule Change - Now Through September 5th - One Sunday Service - 10am Only
Autumn Schedule Change - Starting on September 12th - Two Services Again - 9am & 11am

Social Justice

Commitment to social justice is one of our deeply held principles. The Advocates for Social Justice connects the concerns of our congregation to the larger community, and educates our members about important issues — locally, nationally and globally. We coordinate the overall justice-making activities of the congregation, using the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Principles as our guide to action. We also support the UU Service Committee, UUs for a Just Economic Community, and additional programs and projects adopted by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).

Focus Activities

Each year, the Advocates for Social Justice Steering Committee chooses three areas in which to focus our congregation's energies. For 2007-2008 these are:

Homelessness

Our commitment to the homeless includes:

  • Serving a nutritious Saturday Breakfast to on average of 150 people each week
  • Participating in The Circle of Support, an interfaith effort to assist The Living Room, the only daytime drop-in center for homeless women and children in Santa Rosa
  • Serving as a host site for the biannual county-wide Homeless Count [PDF] required by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to ascertain the amount of money each county will get to provide services to those without homes

In addition we have a member on the Sonoma County Task Force for the Homeless, and we lobby local governments on issues effecting this population.

Civil Rights

More than 200 UUCSR members crowded in front of the church on October 26th to support marriage equality with signs and banners urging 'No on Proposition 8: Unfair and Wrong'.

Our efforts in the arena of civil rights include:

  • Being a Welcoming Congregation, in which all people regardless of sexual orientation are invited to share their gifts and join us in the search for truth and meaning
  • Participating in countless local gay pride events
  • Supporting marriage equality legislation, and opposing regressive measures such as Proposition 8
  • Opposing discrimination in housing, employment and any other place it occurs

Our minister also performs weddings for members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) community.


As the intensity of scapegoating minority communities increases, we are working to develop a Civilian Review Board of Law Enforcement actions, and to become a County of Refuge for immigrants being victimized by local and national government agencies.

Hurricane Katrina Recovery

UUCSR maintains a formal partnership with the First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans (FUUNO) and aids in the UU Service Committee's Hurricane Katrina/Gulf Coast recovery work. In spring 2007, work crews of UUCSR volunteers and Americorps volunteers worked in the Gulf Coast community of Kiln, Mississippi to restore a private home and its outbuildings. In December 2007 an even larger group of volunteers returned to do more recovery work, this time in New Orleans.

We also sponsor events to raise awareness for the ongoing struggles of the region and directly supporting FUUNO with money, letters and goods. In September of 2007 we were privileged to participate in the production of, and as an audience for, a dramatic reading of the play "Katrina/Ultreya" which is based on the writings of those caught in that maelstrom.

Additional Activities

In addition to the focused activities, the Advocates for Social Justice:

  • Choose a local organization or program to receive one half of the collection basket on the first Sunday of each month
  • Circulate petitions and assist in letter writing about current political issues
  • Encourage voter registration and hold an educational forum on ballot initiatives before each election
  • Lobby local governments on issues relating to our principles
  • Work with the Unitarian Universality Legislative Ministry, California, our lobbying arm in Sacramento
  • Send delegates to justice workshops at the UU General Assemblies and UU Pacific Central District Assemblies
  • Support fair trade and economic justice
  • Collaborate with other faith communities in the Network of Spiritual Progressives
  • Advocate for sustainable agriculture and efforts to combat global climate change

Join the Advocates for Social Justice

Participation in the Advocates for Social Justice is open to the public. We meet the first Sunday of the month after the main worship service. We invite you to join us! For more information, visit our table any Sunday.

Learn More

Economic Justice • Unitarian Universalist Association
www.uua.org/socialjustice/socialjustice/topics/8029.shtml
Economic Justice Programs & Services • Unitarian Universalist Association
archive.uua.org/programs/justice/issues_economicjustice.html
Marriage Equality • Unitarian Universality Legislative Ministry, California
www.uulmca.org/programs/me.html
Racial Justice • Unitarian Universalist Association
www.uua.org/visitors/justicediversity/7011.shtml
Gulf Coast Volunteer Program • Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
www.uusc.org/gulfcoastvolunteerprogram
Disaster Relief: Hurricane Katrina • Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
www.uusc.org/katrina/
Hurricane Katrina articles • UU World Magazine
www.uuworld.org/news/topics/hurricanekatrina.shtml