Pandemic Breeds Greater Need for Justice

Due to the harsh environment, fear, and very real health risks, most of us are settled into staying at home except for essential needs.  We are staying connected to the light of our UCE faith virtually, and staying connected to relatives and friends the same way.  AND, we are still doing what we can to be kind and thoughtful, to continue to actively help those who live on the margins, and to reach out to those who are most vulnerable right now.   

Even though we are living through a pandemic, UCE social action work continues.  Here are some of the ways to offer support: 

• Tell Congress: Include Immigrant Families in COVID-19 Stimulus Package NOW!  
  Click here for a Google form. 
• If you are medical professional: contact ICE representatives about equitable health and financial support. Ask medical representatives to sign on to this Open Letter. 
• Join Illinois Prison Project and Restore Justice Illinois to ask Cook County States Attorney Kimberly Foxx for decarceration for Cook County. Click here for a Google form. 
• Support Paid Sick Leave for All– Illinois has no state paid leave policy and 1.5 million workers in Illinois have no right to a single paid sick day. Click here for an online form. 
• Volunteer at Connections for the Homeless sites. Learn more here.

What Is UCE Doing These Days to Make the World Whole? 

Here are just some of the ongoing efforts in which you all are involved. 

• UCE Endowment funds the Immigration Team request to send more than $6,700 to Team Brownsville to aid in the water purification project that provides daily drinking water to over 3,000 people at our border. 
• UCE Endowment funds the Immigration Team request for $1,800 as a partner with Countryside UU Church and others in creating Chalice House, a home for a family or three individuals while they await determination of their application for refugee status.  http://ccuu.org/chalice-house
• UCE folks have worked in West Rogers Park to assist Communities United in finding free food sources for people unable to leave home due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). 
• Action e-mails to congregants and others to send messages to Jan Schakowsky, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth encouraging them to be sure the aid package sends money to those most impacted by the current crisis. 
• Messages to the same lawmakers to support healthy voting rights actions throughout this important election year. 
• Social justice teams at UCE continue to meet and plan and act – virtually now for the most part .
• UCE people are helping each other as needed, calling people, seeing who needs assistance, making masks at home for healthcare workers and those who are caring for the elderly and sick. 
• Trying to support Black small business owners in the area, like Yo-Fresh Café which uses GrubHub for delivery. 
• REAL Team is making plans for virtual movie discussions and more. 
• UUPMI pen pal program and solidarity circles are ongoing.  
• UCE’s Soup Kitchens Managers are hard at work planning creative alternate ways of serving the hungry – offering doorstep take-out!   

I’m sure there are more ongoing efforts that we have missed – let us know!  And if you want to connect with one of these groups please feel free to contact Martha Holman (holman.martha@gmail.com) or Rev. Karen Mooney (kmooney@ucevanston.org) or the team involved for more information.