Welcome to our Social Justice Program at SFUU

Justice at SFUU is harnessing love’s power to stop oppression and build beloved community. We put our faith into action through grassroots organizing, as well as interfaith, state, and national advocacy to create a better world.

Click on the links in the sidebar to learn more about faith in action at SFUU!

Coming up!

Resilience and Acceptance in the Face of Collapse Course

Co-led by our own Val Bowman, and Jan Thomas

Join this free, 9-session online course about the ecological and cultural predicament we face, with carefully curated homework assignments and guided group discussion. The course meets weekly on Thursdays, from February 20 to April 17, from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Pacific time (U.S.)

Starts in February - register now!

Some Social Justice Committee members from our zoom meetings: Barb Munn (assistant chair, liaison to Mission Earth) and Carol Koons (chair), Laurie Soper (liaison with AIFC), Maureen Bauman (liaison for unhoused action), Rev. Sangye Hawke (minister), Mercedes McWilliams (Board of Trustees liaison).

What We Do

Know the Issues

  • Educate ourselves about current social justice issues related to our UU values

  • Engage with the congregation to discover what issues speak to them

  • Connect with local groups engaged in social justice activities in our community

  • Connect with regional and national UU justice groups

Spread Information

  • educate the congregation about social justice issues

  • partner with other SFUU committees to weave social justice goals through congregational life

 Call to Act

  • facilitate opportunities for congregants to participate in social justice actions

  • support congregants who wish to pursue a social justice action

Attend to the 6 pillars of Social Justice

  • education (learn about social and environmental justice issues)

  • service (work for justice through direct service. These efforts connect us to front-line communities – those directly impacted)

  • advocacy (support a cause or proposal - advocate for people, other species, practices, laws, and policies that create systemic change)

  • witness (publicly affirm, by word or action/event; we bring a voice to a cause)

  • community organizing (develop grassroots leaders, encourage civic engagement, and broaden public awareness about relevant issues in order to bring about changes to policies, regulations, and laws to promote justice locally and globally )

  • leadership development (promote opportunities for people to learn and develop skills to help our collective and collaborative work)

Through these pillars, the Social Justice Committee offers opportunities for individual and congregational support of social justice issues.

We welcome all who want to join us, or just want to partner with us on a given project. Come, come whoever you are!

The Social Justice Committee Co-Chairs are Carol Koons (sfuu.sjc@gmail.com) and Barb Munn. We welcome new members!!! Meeting times are adjustable if they don’t suit your schedule.

Action calendar

February

  • Wednesday February 19, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm - Social Justice Committee Retreat - Contact Barb Munn or Carol Koons for specifics.

January

  • Saturday January 18 - Join a People’s March for feminist-led weekend of action. The main march (like the Women’s March in January 2017) will be in Washington, DC. But there are many satellite marches in our area, including Nevada City and Truckee, also in the Bay area (San Jose, San Francisco, Alameda, Mountain View, and more). Go here for details about the marches: https://map.peoplesmarch.com/local

Every month

  • First Sunday of every month, 1:15 pm - PECA Presents - PECA (Placer Earth Care Action) is an interfaith partnership of Placer County faith communities (including SFUU). Presentations cover a wide variety of topics related to the climate crisis and are presented at the Auburn Congregational Church, all are welcome! Go to PECA Presents for details.

  • Third Thursday of every month, 6:30 pm - Placer Earth Care Action Climate Movie Night - PECA (Placer Earth Care Action) is an interfaith partnership of Placer County faith communities (including SFUU) concerned about our climate crisis. Go to the PECA Movie Night page for details.

  • Every Friday, 12-1 pm - Fridays for Future - Join a friendly group of climate activists who strike for the climate every Friday from 12-1 in front of Auburn City Hall.