The UUs in Action Task Force was established in May of 2017 as a direct result of GA 2017, our Annual General Assembly held in New Orleans. We are concerned with many social justice issues that are being addressed locally, statewide and nationally. Rather than duplicate what is already happening, we felt that increasing awareness and facilitating participation in events was more appropriate for a church our size.

To this end we have:

• Attended protests, marches, and speeches
• Organized letter writing campaigns
• Organized calling legislators
• Other efforts to effect change for social justice

Some of the issues we have supported are:

• Voting rights
• Criminal justice reform
• Reproductive freedom
• Climate change
• Immigration
• Anti-racism

We co-sponsored a trip to Montgomery Alabama to visit Equal Justice’s Lynching Museum along with the Women’s Center for Healing and Transformation. We sponsored Anti-Racism training for our church members in conjunction with the Center for Ethical Living.

We most recently co-sponsored a memorial for Ruth Bader Ginsburg in conjunction with several North Shore organizations, including the Jewish Synagogue. We are currently providing meeting space and support for The Heart of the Matter, a St. Tammany organization committed to ending racism in our Parish. This is under the leadership of Patricia Stout and Carolyn Burns.

The UU’s in Action Task Force is composed of Bonnie Schmidt, Terry Van Brunt, and Patricia Stout, with Bonnie being the Chair.

Our Mission Statement is:

1. Inform UU’s in our church and surrounding area of social action events in the area consistent with our UU Values by email and other media. (Coordinate with other UU churches as appropriate)
2. Facilitate participation in these events by carpooling and creating programming for the church community.
3. Keep abreast of events at UUA in regard to social action and incorporate action items in our agenda.
4. Be the point of contact when other agencies, churches or individuals seek assistance from us in these endeavors.

Anyone wishing to be on our email list can contact Bonnie Schmidt at bjsblossoms9@gmail.com. Feel free to also recommend articles or events for consideration.

Other Projects

Family Promise is a national nonprofit organization whose goal is to help homeless families find stable jobs and housing. There are Family Promise affiliates in 41 states and NSUUS is proud to have joined the St. Tammany affiliate in 2015.

Each week families are housed in a different church home. During the day, they go to a permanent Day Center where they receive help from counselors and existing community services to help them resolve issues with employment, housing, and other barriers in independence.

Participating churches host families up to four times a year. During the host week, volunteers from NSUUS (and supporting churches) provide meals, comfortable sleeping arrangements, activities, and fellowship to the families. It is a wonderful opportunity to serve the less fortunate and the community at large.

Read the organization’s 2020 update and sign up for the Family Promise newsletter to be notified of opportunities to get involved here.

UUs and Social Justice

Unitarian Universalists have always been vitally concerned with social justice issues, and have been in the forefront of many social movements. Please visit the UUA Social Justice and Inclusion page to learn more.

At NSUUS, we strive to continue this tradition through our contributions and commitments to local, national, and international causes – and our UUs in Action Task Force.