During our 100 plus years UUCWC has been active in making the world a better place. While we work on changing the world, there are many who have immediate needs. The Social Action Ministry organizes projects to enable UUCWC to help the people in our community who fall through the shrinking social safety net. Our actions change the world of these individuals.
Most of our Social Action projects are linked to the calendar. These include the summer Back to School Drive and food and other collections around the winter holidays. Here’s an overview of these projects. Look for more information in your weekly email and Crossings II when the time rolls around on the calendar.
This summer, the HomeFront Back to School Backpacks project provided back to school clothes and school supplies to 43 students.
In November, you’ll see requests for our Thanksgiving Drive. In cooperation with HomeFront UUCWC individuals, families and committees provide all of the food necessary to serve a Thanksgiving meal. We collect them in bags/boxes in our lobby and deliver them to HomeFront for distribution. No child should go hungry on Thanksgiving Day or any day.
At the same time, UUCWC will be collecting Turkeys for TASK. TASK is the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. They serve 150,000 meals for the truly needy in Trenton and at satellite locations in Mercer County. One item that is a mainstay of their meal preparation is turkey. Area supermarkets have been giving away free turkeys for frequent shoppers for a number of years. Many members donate them to our Turkeys for TASK collection.
Each week, UUCWC hosts a tutoring program for children from HomeFront. During the holiday season, UUCWC collects funds to give a Holiday Gift card to each participant. HomeFront will take the children to shop for gifts for themselves or for family members.
We also decorate our Mitten Tree during the holiday season. In this long time UUCWC tradition, we bring hats, scarves and gloves to decorate our “trees”. The participants in the HomeFront tutoring program select those that they need and the rest are donated to HomeFront for distribution.
In January, you can look forward to participating in the MLK Day of Service. Over the past few years UUCWC has sent contingents of people to help sort food and other items in the HomeFront warehouse, work in the Sewing Space and perform other tasks in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The largest Social Action project of the year is Loaves and Fishes. It occurs on the last Friday and Saturday in March. Working with the Princeton congregation, we prepare 600 lunch bags on Friday night, and serve 600 hot meals on Saturday at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Trenton. As many as 90 people have helped, including children.
There are also Social Action projects that go on year round. The Food Ministry prepares many meals each month. The HomeFront tutoring program provides meals and helps children with school work. You can find out more about these programs on the UUCWC website.
Check the weekly email, Crossings II, the website or bulletin boards for information on Social Action projects. If you have questions, would like to participate in or help organize or start a new Social Action project, please email CFA@uucwc.org.
Read Rev. Kim’s article, Reset: Council for Faith in Action.