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Tell your US Senators to Take Urgent Action to Address the Climate Crisis. Averting the climate crisis is critical to the vision and lived expression of Unitarian Universalism. From April 7 – May 5th, UUs across the country are writing letters to their U.S. Senators to urge action to address the climate crisis. Letters will be personally delivered to Capitol Hill offices on May 14 by the UUs for Social Justice Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps, in Washington, D.C.
Join us and write a message to your Senators. Stop by the Social Justice Table before or after the Hopedale UU Community service on Sunday, April 7, 14, 21, 28 and/or May 5. Instructions are on the table. Your name and address must be on the letter so senate offices can keep and count your letter. Leave your letter [flat] on the table for collection.
Climate activism is being led by young people. We encourage our children to write or drew pictures and sign their letters too.
Faith Principles and Endorsements
For more information please contact Libby Earle, mearle1945@gmail.com.
Numerous local initiatives in the Oxford area are addressing the crisis of climate change. As a means to bring these initiatives together and as part of a City-University-Community engagement project, the League of Women Voters of Oxford is hosting a public meeting titled”Oxford Takes Action: Climate Summit.” All in the Oxford community are encouraged to join the action on Wednesday, April 10, from 7:30 until 9:00 in the Presbyterian Seminary Building, corner of Church and Poplar Streets. The Summit will facilitate getting involved in the many efforts underway in Oxford to promote sustainability and thus a future for our children and grandchildren without catastrophic global warming. Among the presenters will be members of Oxford City Council, leaders of local organizations, including the Oxford Seniors Ecology Club, and researchers and faculty from Miami University.
7 pm Sunday October 7 St. John’s UU Church, 320 Resor Ave
Civil rights attorney Al Gerhardstein will discuss his work on marriage equality and LGBT rights at St. John’s UU Church at 7 pm on Sunday October 7. A long time member of First Unitarian church, Al has been litigating since 1976. While he is best known nationally as lead counsel for James Obergefell in the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision Obergefell v. Hodges, he has been an advocate on behalf of prisoners, victims of police misconduct and women seeking reproductive freedom throughout his career. Beyond recovering millions of dollars for victims of official misconduct, he has sought and achieved systemic criminal justice reforms through injunctions and creative settlements, such as the Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement. He is also the founder of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, a nonprofit agency that advocates and litigates for criminal justice reform. Sponsored by St. John’s Men’s Group and Interweave.
Join the Oxford community September 8th to support the national Climate Rising event. See the link for details: https://www.facebook.com/events/459129971264225/?ti=. Carla Blackmar, the organizer, needs volunteers to help with this fun event. The Social Justice Committee is providing art supplies. Contact Libby, mearle1945@gmail.com, or Liz, liz.woedl@gmail.com.
We ask Hopedale members and friends to help serve and assist our neighbors and friends at the Community Meal Center at the Zion Lutheran Church, 212 South Front St. in Hamilton, Ohio, on the first Friday of every month, from 5:00 to 7:30 PM. If you would like to know more about the Meal Center or would like to carpool from Oxford, please call Liz Woedl at 513-280-1044.
We encourage Hopedale members and friends to volunteer as shopping assistants for our friends and neighbors at the Oxford Community Choice Pantry (OCCP), 400 W. Withrow St., Oxford, Ohio. OCCP serves approximately 300 households in the Talawanda School District. You can find out more at http://www.oxchoicepantry.org/ or by calling 513-523-3851. The “support” page on their website features many ways you can help OCCP!
and the Environment
edited by Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Jennifer Nordstrom This highly anticipated anthology presents a powerful and penetrating look at environmental justice from some of the key thinkers and activists in Unitarian Universalism today. These prophetic voices from a wide range of perspectives reveal new approaches and opportunities for more holistic, accountable, and connected justice efforts. Each essay is accompanied by suggested ways to take the next steps for further learning and action. Click on the title to find out more.
edited by Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Jennifer Nordstrom This highly anticipated anthology presents a powerful and penetrating look at environmental justice from some of the key thinkers and activists in Unitarian Universalism today. These prophetic voices from a wide range of perspectives reveal new approaches and opportunities for more holistic, accountable, and connected justice efforts. Each essay is accompanied by suggested ways to take the next steps for further learning and action. Click on the title to find out more.
Hopedale is a participating congregation in Faith Build, a Habitat for Humanity project. Oxford area churches are joining together with Miami students and other community organizations to fund and build the ninth and tenth Habitat houses in the development of Reckford Woods on Fuller Way (near US 27 west of Oxford). The home-buyer family contributes over 500 hours of “sweat equity” in the building of the house.
Oxford Presbyterian Church, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Mary Catholic Church, Oxford United Methodist Church, Faith Lutheran Church, and Hopedale have all banded together for this venture.
You don’t have to be a skilled house builder to participate! No experience is necessary, and all tools, equipment, and supervision are provided. The Habitat workers provide the expertise and the Miami students provide the oomph!
People 16 and older can work on the house and those who are younger can help with making and serving lunch. You can contribute in many ways: work on the house, prepare lunch for the volunteers, make individual contributions, and support fundraisers for Habitat. Please call or email Liz Woedl at 513-280-1044 or liz.woedl@gmail.com if you are interested and have questions. You can signup to work on the Projects at https://habitatcincinnati.volunteerhub.com/lp/ofb/
We finish up the July extended book group, completing “The Souls of Poor Folk”, the audit of the Poor People’s Campaign, which was just released in April of 2018, alongside The Third Reconstruction: How a moral movement is overcoming the politics of division and fear, by the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II, published in 2016. The audit is available at https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/PPC-Audit-Full-410835a.pdf You can order copies of The Third Reconstruction: How a moral movement is overcoming the politics of division and fear quite inexpensively from Amazon.
We will combine reading and reflection with planning for local action. We will gather at 12:00 noon for refreshments. Then, at 12:30, we will have a short service, including Joys and Sorrows and an offering, followed by an hour-long discussion of these two sources, and planning for Hopedale’s social justice agenda for the coming year. Questions? Contact Ann Fuehrer at fuehrea@miamioh.edu or 513-756-1963.
July 29- “The Souls of Poor Folk” Ecological Devastation and Conclusion, pp. 89-end; Barber Ch. 9, Appendix and Afterword
The Hopedale Unitarian Universalist Community is located at 3870 Millville-Oxford Road (US 27), Oxford, OH.
