The Social Action Ministry (SAM) at First Parish comes from our Unitarian Universalist faith based on the values of love, justice, community and responsibility. We do this within the supportive environment of our broader church community and the mission of First Parish “…to act on our values to serve the larger community and create a more just and loving world.”
Day of Service
This year’s Day of Service was a great success! Approximately 45 of us were able to participate this year. The day started off with breakfast and an inspirational talk by Rev Anne. Under the direction of Toni Tasker and Meg Jackson, 150 gift bags were assembled for the children in Zambia from among the generous donations of First Parish. Safe travels! Our nature conservancy crew pulled 16 bags of mustard green from one of the wooded trails in Lexington. Thank you, Ben Soule! The Lexington Interfaith Garden and Lexington Food Pantry rounded out the activities this year which are both always popular and fill early. Thank you, Cherie Noe, Marty
Kvaal, and Lynne Yansen! In addition, a big shout out to Polly and Bob Erickson for arriving early to perk the coffee and staying late to box our leftovers. The day ended with lunch prepared and served at Douglas House while listening to live piano. Thank you to Brenda Prusak, who brought this important group to our attention. More pictures of the post-breakfast workday will be forthcoming!
Special Plate Collection
Thanks to all who contributed to the special plate collection on Sunday, June 4th. Donations totaled $1,782, which will be sent to METCO, Inc.
Waking Up White Community Discussion
All are invited to “I’m a Good Person – Isn’t That Enough?” tomorrow, June 8, 7:00 pm at Temple Iasaiah. Debby Irving, author of Waking Up White, will lead this workshop. First Parish is a co-sponsor of this event.
Irving is a racial justice educator and author. A community organizer and classroom teacher for 25 years, Debby Irving grappled with racial injustice without understanding racism as a systemic issue or her own whiteness as an obstacle to it. In this workshop she will lead participants in exploring the impact white skin can have on perception and how individuals can help themselves and others change misconceptions and attitudes. A graduate of the Winsor School in Boston, she holds a BA from Kenyon College and an MBA from Simmons College. Her book, Waking Up White, tells the story of how she went from well-meaning to well-doing.
Please join Jane Eckert and other members of First Parish at this event.
Political Activism
Healthcare and You
The House of Representatives passed their American Health Care Act (AHCA) that makes drastic cuts to the ten Essential Health Benefits under the Affordable Care Act [ObamaCare] currently in effect. The recent Congressional Budget Office analysis predicted that 23 million citizens will not be able to afford healthcare if the House bill were to become law.
The House AHCA proposal is now under consideration in the Senate. Our US Senators are our hope for counteracting this horrible bill. Come to a presentation by Dr. Daniel Pomeroy, Impacting Congress Beyond Phone Calls and Emails: Engaging on Policy. The presentation will be held in the large classroom at Cary Library on Thursday, June 8th, starting at 7:15pm. This is an especially important time for us to understand the normal and arcane rules of the Senate as they work on their own version of the healthcare reform bill and how it gets reconciled with the House version. Dan is the manager of MIT’s International Policy Lab, having previously been the 2013-2014 AAAS Science and Technology Policy fellow in Senator Edward J. Markey’s office.
This presentation is sponsored by Minuteman Indivisible.