Social Concerns Committee

The Social Concerns Committee is a group of congregational members who support various social action issues at local, national and global levels.

Natalie Campbell and Beth Schaefer are co-chairs of the Social Concerns Committee. They help lead social action projects, including some of those promoted by the UU Association (the national UU organization) and the UU Legislative Ministry of California. In addition, they serve as points of contact for the "umbrella" of specialized congregational groups, including the Environment, Mental Health, and Welcoming Congregation Committees, the Racial Awareness and Diversity Task Force, and the Volunteers of All Ages program.

• Justine Burt leads the Environment Committee.

• Rev. Barbara Meyers leads the Mental Health Committee as part of her mental health ministry.

• Karin Lin leads the Racial Awareness and Diversity (RAD) Task Force.

• Melissa Holmes leads the Welcoming Congregation Committee (supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights and issues).

• Susanne Joss leads Volunteers of All Ages, which currently organizes our efforts to help with cooking meals at the homeless shelter and cleanup days at the beach or the park.

Current Activities

Social Concerns General Meeting: June 1

The Social Concerns Committee will hold its next general meeting on Sunday, June 1 at noon at Panera bakery and restaurant at 2650 Mowry Ave., near Paseo Padre. This is an establishment accessible to all, and we'll reserve a large table for our group. All are welcome! We'll be discussing volunteering with homeless youth at Sunrise Village, petitions, joining the UU Legislative Ministry, plans for a Heifer Project animal fair, and other ideas. If you are interested in working on local or global projects surrounding issues such as homelessness, poverty, education, healthcare or peacemaking, we encourage you to join us. Come share your ideas, hear ours, and help us focus and organize our efforts. See Beth Schaefer if you have questions.

Social Concerns Book Group: June 2

This month we'll discuss When the Rivers Run Dry: Water - the Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century by Fred Pearce. Some have warned that in the coming century war will not be waged over oil, but water. Come join our conversation on Monday, June 2, at 7:30pm in Cole Hall. Remember: It's fine to drop in even if you haven't finished, or even read, the book. The discussion is always stimulating and illuminating. Questions? See Beth Schaefer or Natalie Campbell.

Mission Peak Volunteer Challenge: January 1-February 17, 2008

WE DID IT! MPUUC MORE THAN MET THE CHALLENGE, LOGGING 775 VOLUNTEER HOURS!

Thanks to everyone who participated, donating their time and efforts to helping our community. For those interested in finding volunteer opportunities in coming months, please see the well-researched information below.

• Helping With Food, Clothing and Shelter
  
• Helping Children
  
• Helping Seniors and those in Medical Need
  
• Helping the Environment
  
• Helping Animals
  
• Other Opportunities in the Tri-City Area
  
• Social Action
  

Where Do I Volunteer?

Volunteering is a very direct and rewarding way to serve your community. Many of us have skills or interests we’d like to share, but just don’t know where to start. To that end, the Social Concerns committee has spent many weeks putting together this list of opportunities. Some of them simply require that you show up to work, no preparation required. We have provided website links for most of the places that need volunteers. If you go online, many times you can find out even more information about what is required and even print out an application to take with you when you go.

All of the opportunities that have an asterisk next to them can be performed by children 12 and up with their parents. These actions may be able to go toward high school community service requirements, but you must check with your individual schools to find out for sure.

Basic Needs: Helping with Food, Clothing and Shelter

* Centerville Free Dining in Fremont
Centerville Presbyterian Church
Serving food every Tuesday /Thursday 8-11 AM or 1-6 PM
Call Arminta King 510-790-3438

* Tri City Free Breakfast Program
Irvington Presbyterian Church, Fremont
Drop in – They need volunteers every MWF anytime between 5-9:30 AM to serve the needy
Call Linda 510-659-6309

* Alameda County Food Bank, Oakland, CA
There is Saturday food sorting for families on January 12&26th and February 9&23rd
Call 510 -635-3663 ext.308

Salvation Army in Newark
Needs help sorting food and clothing
Call Mary Anne 510-793-6319

Viola Blythe Center in Newark
Help sorting food and clothes
Call Debbie 510-794-3437

Tri-City Volunteers in Fremont
Need help packing food or working in the thrift shop
Call Roni 510-793-4583

Emergency Shelter Program in Hayward
Check the website for a variety of options or call 510-786-1181

American Cancer Society in Fremont
Need someone to help in the thrift shop
Call Carol 510-252-1540

* Tri-City Homeless Coalition
This Fremont agency also runs Sunrise Village. They are in desperate need of help with their winter relief program. There are MANY opportunities if you check their website or Call Bonnie 510-252-0910 ext 11

Shelter Against Violent Environments
Office work, emergency hotline, child care and direct service
Call Audrey Huang 510-794-0346

League of Volunteers in Newark
Answering phones and setting up and cleaning up for benefits or concerts
Jan 7th, Feb. 4th and 16th
Call Joanne 510-793-5683

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Helping Children

Kidango in Fremont
Need volunteers to assist with classroom activities M-F 2 hours a week
Also need help in the office.
Call Michelle 510-744-9280 ext. 29

Bridges Intervention Services
Helping at risk youth including mentoring, teaching and cooking
Call David 510-776-4145

Connected for Life - Fremont
Non foster families pair up with older foster youth to help guide and nurture them
Call Michael O’Leary 510-656-1455

East Bay Agency for Children – Oakland
Assist children and families coping with life threatening illness, loss and bereavement
Open house Feb 6th to learn more
Call Alinya 510-531-7551 ext.109

Music for Minors II
Become a docent to provide enrichment programs in schools in the tricity area
Call 510-733-1189

Be a Mentor -- Anywhere
Improve academic performance either in person with kids in Hayward, or online with struggling kids across the country.
Call Laura 510-795-6488 ext.6187

Bookleggers -- Fremont
Visit K-8 classes in Fremont with great stories from books to introduce children to the pleasure of reading. Next training session begins in January.
Call Karen 510-745-1421

Start with a Story -- Dublin
Read stories to children who are visiting their parents for a few hours at the Santa Rita jail on Saturdays and Sundays.
Call 510-745-2703

Seniors in School -- Newark
Community based mentoring program in the Newark School district for students who need extra help. Can be just one hour a week.
Call Mona Walker 510-797-2703

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Helping Seniors and those in Medical Need

Fremont Senior Center
Kitchen helpers needed for all of the meals. Also office work, and volunteers with special skills to teach.
Call Kathy 510-656-7742

Adult Day Care Services -- Fremont
Volunteers needed to assist arts and crafts and other activities from 10-2 on weekdays.
Call Rebecca 510-656-7742

* Hospice Care
Volunteers needed to support the dying and their families with visits and activities such as reading, listening to them, or just giving caretakers a break for a while.
Call 888-755-7855

* Homeword Bound
Deliver books to homebound seniors.
Call Richard 510-745-1499

Lavender Seniors – East Bay
Be a friendly visitor, telephone supporter, or office staff for an organization that supports GLBT seniors.
Call 510-667-9655

* Meals on Wheels
Bring food and friendship to tricity seniors M – F from 10:30-12:30 once a week or once a month.
Call Barbara Proctor 510-574-2097

* Friendly Visitors
Visit lonely or isolated seniors in the tri city area for two hours a week to be their link to the outside world.
Call Bernie 510-574-2097

VIP Rides
Offer assistance to seniors and non seniors with disabilities as they travel on the paratransit system in the tri city area.
Call Lori at 574-2096

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Helping the Environment

* Friends of Heirloom Flowers
(click into “community”, then “heirloom flowers”)
Need help with their rose garden every Thursday from 10-12 and at Shinn Park on Tuesdays from 10-12. If you really love roses, you can adopt a plot at the Niles Rose Garden for pruning, weeding and planting.
Call Denise 510-792-2923

* Save the Bay
1) Restore a salt pond in Hayward Jan. 12th and Feb. 2nd 9-12AM.
The following are for children 5 and up with their families:
2)Restore wetlands in Palo Alto Jan. 5th and Jan. 19th 9-12 AM
3)Restore Oakland wetlands Feb. 16th 9-12 AM
4)Native plant nursery Wednesdays Jan. 16th 1-3PM
Call Jennie Pardi 510-452-9261 ext. 119
Or you can sign up online

* Tri City Ecology
Volunteer for them the 2nd Saturday of each month, that is, Jan. 12th and Feb 9th from 9-12.
Call 510-794-7166

* Plant Native Grasses Walnut Creek
For families with kids 12 and up
Jan.6th and Jan 19th 9-11:30 AM
Call Bill Hunt 925-937-6791

Ruth Bancroft Garden, Walnut Creek
Raise plants and maintain a dry garden which includes drought tolerant succulents and California natives.
Opportunities are on Jan. 9th, 12th and 23rd from 9:30-12:30
Call Billie 925-944-9352

* Plant Trees – San Jose
Every Saturday morning there are weekly tree plantings and tree care events
Call 408-99-TREES

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Helping Animals

Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge
Volunteers needed in Newark to work at the visitor center information booth from 10-1:30 or 1:30-5 on Tuesdays-Sundays. Can work once a week or once a month.
Call 510-792-0222 ext. 41

* Furry Friends Rescue-Fremont
Need people to provide foster homes for dogs and cats, or help transport animals from shelters to the vet, or to foster homes
Call 510-794-4703

Ohlone Humane Society
meals on wheels for pets of people who are homebound. Also need pets to volunteer for “Hug a Pet” therapy where volunteers take their own animals into convalescent homes or hospitals on a monthly basis
Call 510-792-4587

TriCity Animal Shelter
Volunteers needed in Fremont for various tasks Tuesday – Sat 12-5PM , check website for updated needs
Call 510-790-6640

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Other Opportunities for Volunteering in the Tri City Area

Alameda County Libraries
Need all kinds of help shelving books or other clerical help. Look on the website for individual libraries, and call them directly.

Write to Read
Adult literacy and tutoring in groups or in individual homes. In January a new training session will begin.
Call Rachel 510-745-1480

Fremont Cultural Arts Council
Volunteers needed weekdays between 11-2
Call 794-7166

City of Fremont
Look on the left hand column and click into “volunteering”

City of Newark
Click into the “Live” section and scroll down to “volunteering”

East Bay Regional Parks
First click into “get involved” then go into “volunteer”

All sorts of Volunteering! You pick what, when and where:
Volunteer Match
Volunteer Center of the East Bay

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Social Action

There are many ways to make a difference in the world. One is to perform service directly by volunteering. But it is also important to be informed of the issues that affect both your local community and the greater society. Do you care deeply about something? Make others care, too! Join a peace protest, organize a petition, write letters to the editor, campaign for your chosen candidate (it is an election year, after all!), hold a movie and discussion night, contact your congressperson…Make your voice heard! Here are some websites that will help you connect up with other like minded citizens and help you find actions in our community that you can take part in.

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Grounded in UU principles, working to advance justice in the world

True Majority.org
Grassroots education and advocacy make it easy to contact your congressperson

MoveOn.org
Brings ordinary people back into politics. Organizes grassroots actions in local communities. The Campbells are the local coordinators

United for Peace and Justice
Coalition of groups throughout the US to oppose permanent warfare and empire-building.

People for the American Way
Organization which seeks to embrace diversity and defend democracy. Especially in opposition to the religious right.

GlobalExchange
International Human Rights Organization promoting political, social, and environmental justice globally.

Americans against the Darfur Genocide
Go on line to find letter writing templates and a call script to contact the white house, state department, your senators and your house rep to tell them to stop the killing.

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What The Social Concerns Committee Does

The MPUUC Social Concerns Committee includes members of the congregation committed to social awareness and justice in our community. We have two primary objectives aimed at both local and global levels of involvement.

1) Facilitate social action among MPUUC members by finding service opportunities in the community for the congregation. These have included:

- Preparing and serving meals with Tri-City Homeless Coalition's Winter Relief Program

- Promoting donation programs to benefit the Afghan Widow's Project

- Gifts From the Heart: providing toys and clothes to children in low-income families during the holiday season

2) Participate in UUA/UUSC social witness programs. The Unitarian Universalist Association's Commission on Social Witness provides numerous resources and opportunities for UUs to put our Principles and Purposes into action.

The Unitarian Univeralist Service Committee works to promote human rights and social justice worldwide with a combination of advocacy, education, and partnerships with grassroots organizations.

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Your Donations to These Charities Can Help

Wish List for Tri-City Homeless Coalition:

The Tri-City Homeless Coalition runs Sunrise Village. They can use these donations: (updated 12/10/07)

FOOD
Chicken
Ground Beef
Lunch Meat
Ham
Sliced Cheese
Canned Mixed vegetables (Green Beans, Corn, Peas & Carrots)
Canned Chili
Jam (Strawberry, Raspberry, or Apricot)
Jelly (Grape )
Hot Sauce - Tabasco
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Mustard
Salad Dressing (Ranch)
Crackers
Peanut Butter

BABY
Diapers (size 5) & Wipes
Pull-ups (for toddlers)
New Baby bottles & nipples
New Baby bottle brushes

GENERAL
Toilet Paper
Laundry Soap (powdered)
Combination Locks
Alarm Clocks ( without radio)
Night lights & Bulbs
Flashlights & batteries
Umbrellas (new & used)
Blankets (new)
Pillows (new/standard sized)
Bath Towels (new/gently used)
Silverware
Mugs & Cups

EMPLOYMENT SEARCH
Postage Stamps
Bus & BART passes
Gift Certificate for Barber/hairdresser
Gift Certificate for Payless Shoe Source
Copy Paper (colored & white)
Legal sized envelopes (white)

CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
11x14 Poster Boards ( for arts & crafts)
Colored Paper (Blue, Yellow, Pink, Light Green, Golden Rod, Orange)
Backpacks (Child & Adult size)
Coloring Books
Child sized Umbrellas
Child size Raincoats

WINTER RELIEF
Paper Goods ( plates, bowls, cups, napkins, paper towels)
Diaper Wipes (sensitive)
Low-Sugar Snacks ( i.e. crackers, peanuts, popcorn)
Safeway gift cards ( for the purchase of perishable items such as milk, fruit)
Walmart, Longs, Target Gift Cards( purchase of miscellaneous items, i.e. baby items)
Garbage Bags (Yard sized)
Ziploc Bags (sandwich & freezer storage bags
Powdered Juice (just add water)
Foil or Saran Wrap

Wish List for Afghan Widows' Project:

Pull-up disposable diapers
Shampoo (hotel samples ok)
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Reading glasses
Yarn and silk crochet thread
Fabric for scarves

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Last updated 5-7-2008