Social Justice
Working for Social Justice
The Social Justice Committee (SJ) is actively involved in promoting social justice in the community and in the world at large. Through the efforts of our members and friends who volunteer their time, contributions from the committee’s small annual budget, and monthly Sunday outreach and special collections, we support numerous social justice causes with our energy, our hearts, and our funds.
UUCR’s current social justice projects reflect our commitment to justice, peace, and compassion. We invite you to get involved.
Social Justice Projects We Support
— UUCR is committed to racial justice and supports local organizations with “time, talent, and treasure,” including the Social Action Committee for Racial Justice; Bayside H.O.Y.A.S. (Helping Our Youth Achieve Success), Minary’s Dream Alliance, the James Taylor Justice Coalition, Legacy Day, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Remembrance Celebration.
— UUCR is committed to LGBTQ justice. A UUA Welcoming Congregation since 2012, the Social Justice committee supports the local chapter of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.)
— UUCR is committed to Environmental Justice, and is a UUA certified Green Sanctuary Church.
— UUCR is a member of CVMA (Chester Valley Ministers Association) and contributes to CVMA’s Good Neighbor Fund, raising and distributing emergency funds for our neighbors in need.
— The UUCR Holiday Sharing program, in association with Kent County Department of Social Services, allows the congregation to share gifts annually with various local families in need.
— UUCR hosted a local forum on gun violence together with Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence and Kent County Citizens to Prevent Gun Violence. The SJ committee also helped to organize a local arm of “March For Our Lives” in Chestertown.
— UUCR supports a number of local organizations with our congregational special collections, as well as volunteering. These include:
- The Samaritan Group emergency winter shelter for the homeless
- NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness)
- The Animal Care Shelter for Kent County
- Kent County Food Pantry
- Kent Attainable Housing
- Minary’s Dream Alliance
- Sumner Hall
- The James Taylor Justice Coalition
- Rebuilding Together
- Good Neighbor Fund
- Imagination Library
- ShoreRivers
- The League of Women Voters