Social Justice

OUUC’s work for social and environmental justice is rooted in the congregation’s mission statement which reads, in part, “We work for peace, equality, a healthy earth, and an end to poverty.” OUUC’s many social justice activities reflect our Unitarian Universalist prophetic history and tradition, a tradition that asks us to put our faith into action by working for social change that expands justice and freedom in our community and in the world.

The mission of the Social Justice Committee is to build awareness within the congregation of social justice issues and provide opportunities to engage in action with other members and the community at large. Terrance Zander is chair of the committee.

Some OUUC Social Justice projects are undertaken by the congregation as a whole, and other projects are conducted by groups of OUUC members and friends interested in a particular cause. Newcomers are always welcome to participate in any of these projects.

Our congregation supports:

  • Out of the Woods homeless shelter for families with young children. For more information, contact
  • Camp Quixote – a tent city for homeless adults which is hosted at various faith communities in the Olympia area on a 90 day rotating basis and has been hosted by our congregation 3 times, most recently March through June. For more information, contact Jill Severn at 753-2095.
  • Share the Plate Offering - Each Sunday with occasional exceptions, half of our OUUC offering is given to a local organization, proposed by the Social Justice Committee and selected by our Board, which serves society’s well-being in keeping with our UU principles. These recipients change every two months. Click here to see list of recipients since September, 2004. Click here to nominate a recipient.
  • Washington State UU Voices for Justice – Mission: To establish and maintain a strong Unitarian Universalist presence in the state capital city by: 1.) coordinating and supporting the congregation's efforts to advocate, educate, and organize for social action while serving as witness to social injustice in our community and the world, and 2.) sponsoring and supporting groups organized to address these issues.
  • Guest at Your Table – a project of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, an affiliate of the UUA, which uses funds collected annually from UU congregations to help people around the globe in their struggle for human rights. For more information, contact
  • Overflow Shelter – an overnight shelter at OUUC for homeless, rotating to other faith communities every 2 weeks throughout the year. Contact Jo Ann Young, or

 

Other social justice projects currently conducted by groups of OUUC members and friends

Immigration rights, reform, and support. Members of the SJ Committee participate in the following organizations that address issues related to immigration:

  • Bridges Not Walls (BNW). BNW is a coalition of community members from the South Sound region of Washington State who have united to address issues of immigration in our community. BNW opposes the fear and intimidation created by immigration enforcement in our region, and therefore BNW works in solidarity with the immigrant communities in our area to promote human rights, economic rights, and civil rights for all people.
  • Sound Immigration Reform (SIR). The mission of SIR is to create forums for community dialog which inspire and motivate people to take action toward achieving just, humane, and comprehensive immigration reform.
  • Northwest Detention Center Roundtable: The Roundtable consists of over 30 organizations representing a wide variety of sectors: Activists, Healthcare, Higher Education, Law Enforcement, Legal, Political Representatives, Religious Organizations, Social Services, etc. The OUUC Social Justice Committee is a member of the Roundtable. Goals of the Roundtable include developing a coordinated network of basic services for detainees and their families; raising awareness in the community regarding the Detention Center and immigration-related issues; and advocating for sensible and balanced immigration legislation and policy.

Contact or for more information.

Other projects:

  • Iraq Memorial to Life – Representing the desire for peace and reconciliation, the Memorial is a display of markers for documented civilian deaths following the US-led invasion in March, 2003. A display was set up in Heritage Park in Olympia Mar. 20 & 21, 2009. This display will travel to other U.S. cities. A larger display of markers was created in New York City and Washington DC in March, 2010. Contact
  • Days of Peace - Representing the desire for peace and reconciliation through commemoration of the International Day of Peace on a quarterly basis. The project includes recognition of the costs of war via the Memorial to Life for Iraq and Afghanistan and The People's Journey. Days of Peace projects recognize the worth and dignity of civilians in countries occupied by US military personnel. Contact

Social Justice Issues

Here are some sites you may want to visit for information on Social Justice Issues:

Email your Elected Representatives