The Poor People’s Campaign is underway, with groups going to Springfield each Monday through June 23^rd. Please contact Rev. Scott Aaseng, of UUANI  if you want to know more and participate.

The Illinois Poor People’s Campaign 40 Days of Action are taking shape, beginning with actions in Springfield on Mondays May 14, 21 and 28 at 2pm:

• The first action will be Monday, May 14 in Springfield, with a pre-rally training for those who have not participated in a previous training at 12 noon (exact location tbd), a rally at 2pm at the Lincoln Statue in front of the State Capitol, followed by a march to the Illinois State Board of Education. The focus will be on women, youth, people with disabilities, and children in poverty, including a call for a full year state budget with no more cuts to human services and education. Flyer is attached; please click and share the Facebook event. There may be buses from Chicago, but you are encouraged to make your own travel arrangements if possible.
• The second action will be Monday, May 21 in Springfield, also at 2pm. The focus will be on systemic racism and economic justice. A save the date flyer is attached. Those in Chicagoland can join workers from the Fight for $15 campaign at a 9am action at McDonald’s corporate headquarters in Oak Brook; FF15 workers will be heading from there to Springfield. There will be buses from Chicago/Oak Brook (more info later), but again you are encouraged to make your own travel arrangements if possible.
• The third action will be Monday, May 28 in Springfield, again at 2pm. The focus will be on veterans, the war economy and militarism in our society.

The following actions in June will likely be in Chicago, also at 2pm:

• Monday June 4 focused on ecology and health care – healthy bodies and a healthy planet.
• Monday June 11 focused on living wages, guaranteed income, housing and social services.
• Monday June 18 focused on our nation’s distorted moral narrative.

The 40 Days of Action will culminate in a rally on June 23 in Washington, DC.

If you haven’t signed up yet, please do so here. You can sign up for Poor People’s Campaign updates from the UUA here, or join the national UU Facebook group here.

Peace and Power,

 

Scott

 

Rev. Scott Aaseng (he, him, his), Executive Director
Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI)

http://www.uuani.org/

https://www.facebook.com/UUANI

 

Friday, March 23: 6:00 – 9:00 pm and Saturday, March 24 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Register today @ uupmi.org  and let Dale Griffin know you are coming

This weekend-long justice event is a collaboration between several Unitarian Universalist groups – the UU Prison Ministry of Illinois, the UU Action Network of Illinois, and the Youth & Young Adult Visioning Team. Our goals are to build power through affirming our collective story. We want to educate and agitate our faith community so that we can better contribute to movements working to abolish unjust systems. We will weave a narrative that includes a drastic reduction in our prison population, a fossil free world and a fair economic world. We recognize that dreaming sharing a larger vision can dramatically sustain us in this work. We affirm the value of multigenerational communities engaged in this work in our congregations and beyond.

Friday: Dinner & Panel Discussion be inspired by advocates and organizers: Ethos (Circles & Ciphers), Monica Cosby (Mothers United Against Violence & Incarceration), Marlon Chamberlain (Live Free Chicago), Michelle Day (Nehemiah Trinity Rising).

Saturday workshops: Rev. Scott Aaseng (UUANI), Monica Cosby, Ethos, Rev. Karen Mooney (UUPMI), Rev. Booker Vance (Faith in Place), Saeed Richardson (CRS/Poor People’s Campaign)

Brought to you by UU Advocacy Network of IL, Youth and Young Adult Visioning Team and UU Prison Ministries of IL :: Learn, Reflect, Act

The UCE Social Justice Organizing Team organizes for turnout at many UCE social justice events, including CRS, UUANI, Green Team, Prison Ministry, REAL Team, etc.  Here are some news and events to know about.  For more information on any of these please contact Dale Griffin or other participants.  DaleCGriffin@comcast.net

CRS (Community Renewal Society) – Please join us for the annual membership assembly, at Pullman Presbyterian Church on Saturday, October 7^th 8:40-12:00.  Learn about the CRS platform for the year including  youth, housing, jobs and violence prevention, and opportunities to meet CRS members from other congregations.  RSVP to Dale  Griffin

The Green Team and Organizing Team invites you to a beautiful and timely presentation after the 11:00 service on October 22^nd on southern Utah wilderness protection.  Our senator Durbin is a champion of this and it is under threat from the current administration.

Sunday Oct 15, 10:30am-4pm: Faith in Place Statewide Green Team Summit at the Field Museum (1400 S Lake Shore Drive) in Chicago. Register for buses from Champaign/Urbana and Lake County here. UUs are invited to meet in the Siragusa Picnic Area during the break from 2 to 2:30.

UUANI (UU Advocacy Network of Illinois continues to advocate  the areas of race, income inequality, and climate change. Sign up for Action of the Week emails at http://bit.ly/UUANIActionofWeek to receive weekly emails that make it easy to join other UUANI supporters on timely advocacy on racial, economic and environmental justice, and more!  Over 50 members of UCE have participated.

Thursday, October 12, 7:30pm: Poor People’s Campaign Indiana/Illinois Mass Meeting with Rev. William Barber at Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church (3622 W. Douglass Blvd, Chicago).

The UU Prison Ministry of Illinois will hold part two of “Radical Hospitality” soon at UCE, on welcoming returning citizens at church and partnering with them to transition into life outside of prison.  We are setting up support circles and other re-entry support for returning citizens. To be involved with this project please contact Dale Griffin.  We are holding covenant groups at Cook County Jail and will soon do the same at the Logan Correctional Center, a women’s prison in Lincoln, IL.

Here are some news and events to know about.  For more information on any of these please contact Dale Griffin or other participants.

CRS (Community Renewal Society) – We are looking into local efforts supporting affordable housing with other north suburban CRS congregations.

The UU Prison Ministry of Illinois will hold part two of “Radical Hospitality” at UCE, September 9 from 9am to 1pm, on welcoming returning citizens at church and partnering with them to transition into life outside of prison. We are setting up support circles and other re-entry support for returning citizens. To be involved with this project please contact Dale Griffin.

UUANI (UU Advocacy Network of Illinois) continues to advocate  the areas of race, income inequality, and climate change. Contact Scott Aaseng or uu-advocacy-illinois.org to receive weekly emails that make it easy to join other UUANI supporters on timely advocacy on racial, economic and environmental justice, and more!  Over 50 members of UCE have participated.

The Green Team and Organizing Team invite you to a presentation Sunday, October 22 at 12:30pm on legislation to preserve beautiful red rock wilderness in Utah, championed by our own Sen. Durbin. Please RSVP to Heather Brown or Dale Griffin.

The UCE Social Justice Organizing Team organizes for turnout at many UCE social justice events, including CRS, UUANI, Green Team, Prison Ministry, REAL Team, etc. Here are some news and events to know about. For more information on any of these please contact Dale Griffin or other participants. DaleCGriffin@comcast.net

The Green Team and Organizing Team invite you to view a free movie at UCE on Friday, July 28 at 6:30, titled “Merchants of Doubt”, and a short discussion of climate change opportunities for action by the Citizens’ Climate Lobby follows. Please RSVP to Heather Brown or Dale Griffin.

Rep. Jan Shakowsky will be meeting with a small group of citizens on Monday, July 31, local venue TBD, to talk with us about where we can put our energies to be most effective, particularly on the local scene. RSVP to Dale Griffin.

CRS (Community Renewal Society) – The expansion of employment opportunities bill HB2373 that we, as CRS members, advocated for passed, and is waiting for Gov. Rauner’s signature!

The UU Prison Ministry of Illinois will hold part two of “Radical Hospitality” soon at UCE, on welcoming returning citizens at church and partnering with them to transition into life outside of prison. We are setting up support circles and other re-entry support for returning citizens. To be involved with this project please contact Dale Griffin. We are holding covenant groups at Cook County Jail and will soon do the same at the Logan Correctional Center, a women’s prison in Lincoln, IL.

UUANI (UU Advocacy Network of Illinois) continues to advocate the areas of race, income inequality, and climate change. Contact Scott Aaseng or uu-advocacy-illinois.org to receive weekly emails that make it easy to join other UUANI supporters on timely advocacy on racial, economic and environmental justice, and more! Over 50 members of UCE have participated.

UCE Organizing Team news and opportunities – CRS, Prison Ministry, UUANI, Green Team

The UCE Social Justice Organizing Team organizes for turnout at many UCE social justice events, including CRS, UUANI, Green Team, Prison Ministry, REAL Team, etc.  Here are some news and events to know about:

CRS (Community Renewal Society) – On May 9^th seven UCE members joined hundreds of others from Community Renewal Society for our annual mass trip to the capitol.   We talked with legislators about the CRS platform items on employment opportunities for people with records, police accountability, and violence prevention.  The expansion of employment opportunities bill HB2373 had passed the House and is scheduled to be voted on in the Senate on May 16, so is looking good!

UCE is working with five other nearby CRS congregations in Evanston, Glenview, and Glencoe to see how we can work together on local issues.

The UU Prison Ministry of Illinois will hold part two of “Radical Hospitality” soon at UCE, on welcoming returning citizens at church and partnering with them to transition into life outside of prison.  We are setting up support circles and other re-entry support for returning citizens. To be involved with this project please contact Dale Griffin.  We are holding covenant groups at Cook County Jail and have just been approved to do the same soon at the Logan Correctional Center, a women’s prison in Lincoln, IL, which is great news.

UUANI (UU Advocacy Network of Illinois held a workshop before the MidAmerica Regional Assembly, on “Talking the Walk” with Kathleen McTigue, Director of the UU College of Social Justice, and Scott Aaseng, Executive Director of the UUANI (UU Advocacy Network of Illinois),   Over 50 people attended, and learned some things about putting our social action efforts into words that tie to our values.    Contact Scott Aaseng to receive weekly emails that make it easy to join other UUANI supporters on timely advocacy on racial, economic and environmental justice, and more!

The Green Team and organizing team encouraged UCE participation in the April 22 March for Science and the April 29 People’s Climate March.  Thanks to all who participated.

For more information on any of these please contact Dale Griffin or other participants.  DaleCGriffin@comcast.net