Social Concerns

"I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."
Edward Everett Hale, Unitarian

Social Concerns work is very important to the members and friends of the Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. We are a Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Certified "Welcoming Congregation" and we have been recognized for our support of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) with a "Creating Justice Banner Society" award. Bob Lewis is the Social Concerns Trustee for the Fellowship.

Ongoing activities and groups include:

SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE
We meet on the third Monday of each month at 7pm at the Fellowship to provide updates on current projects, plan social action activities, and discuss ideas.

How you can participate: attend meetings, offer assistance to current social action projects, share your interests and ideas.

In addition to Offertory Designations, Interweave, and The St. Vincents, some of our social action and social justice activities include:

  • Congregational Study Action Issues - We coordinate our congregation's participation in this denomination-wide activity.
  • Dayton Dialogue on Race Relations - A small group from our congregation participated in this dialogue series in 2008-2009.
  • Friends of Planned Parenthood Book Drive (Spring through Fall) - Our Fellowship houses a book barrel to collect donated books. The books are sold at a book fair in November to raise money for Planned Parenthood.
  • Guest At Your Table - We collect money to support the UUSC.
  • Holiday Sharing (Holiday Season) - We support our youth as they purchase and deliver gifts to those in need.
  • Martin Luther King Walk (January) - We walk together in the MLK parade in downtown Dayton.
  • Mitten Tree (Holiday Season) - We collect mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves to hand out at The Other Place or St. Paul's United Methodist Church.
  • Pride Parade (June) - We participate in Dayton's Gay Pride Parade to show our support for the GLBT community.
  • Season of Nonviolence - We promote peaceful practices and reflection during this season which spans the anniversaries of the assassinations of Gandhi on January 30 and Martin Luther King on April 4.
  • Soup Supper (Spring) - Diners enjoy an elegant meal and receive soup bowls donated by local artists and students. In recent years, the Dayton Peace Museum has been our co-sponsor and beneficiary.
  • Social Concerns Summer Film Series - We sponsor social justice films and discussion on every other Friday evening throughout the summer.
  • Vote! Dayton - In 2008, we joined with members of other faith communities in non-partisan voter registration and voter protection. Several members continue to be involved in the evolution of Vote! Dayton.

Offertory Designations

With input from the congregation, the Social Concerns Committee selects recipients for 30% of the non-pledge portions of the Sunday worship offertory collection. In 2008, recipients were:

Jan - Feb: FINCA for micro-lending in Haiti
Mar - Apr: Catholic Social Services for beds for local Iraqi refugees
May - June: Veterans for Peace
July - Aug: Heartland District Congregations' Flood Relief plus Knoxville Congregation Relief Sunday
Sept - Oct: Aids Resource Center Ohio plus UUA Association Sunday
Nov - Dec: Social Concerns Special Projects Fund*and MVUUF Holiday Sharing (Middle School - seed money for bake sale for SOS Children, High School - household items for local Iraqi refugee families)

* Beneficiaries of the Special Projects Fund in 2008 included Women's Medical Center for emergency services and Woven Branches membership.