Social Justice Council
PURPOSE: The Social Justice Council (SJC) of the First Unitarian Society of Ithaca exists to inform the congregation about important social and humanitarian needs and issues, and to provide avenues for constructive service and action. It also serves as the liaison between our church and the national Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), keeping members informed about, and facilitating participation in, UUSC projects.
MEETINGS are held monthly, generally at 7:15 PM on the second Monday of the month, in one of the church’s meeting spaces. Details are announced in the First Unitarian newsletter and on the church’s online calendar. Everyone is welcome to attend.
OFFICERS:
President and Treasurer: Martha Ferger <jhferger@pol.net>, 607-844-8184
Vice-president: Niels Schulz <nielss@worldnet.att.net>, 607-753-0325
Secretary: Fran Helmstadter, 607-272-3914
ACTION TEAMS can be formed by anyone who has an idea and can get five other people to sign up to participate in formulating the group’s goals and carrying out planned activities. These are the church’s current Action Teams:
Civil Liberties and Separation of Church and State (with emphasis on women’s reproductive issues)
Chairperson: Mary Schulz <nielss@worldnet.att.net>, 607-753-0325
Health Care Reform
Chairperson: Rebecca Elgie <erelgie@earthlink.net>, 607-272-0621
Green Sanctuary <http://unitarian.ithaca.ny.us/html/greenSanctuary.html>
Chairperson: Christian Nielsen <cnielsen56@aol.com>, 607-539-6786
Babies First Loan Program <http://www.fingerlakeswebs.com/babiesfirst/>
Chairperson: Jean Jordanek, 607-257-4857
This Action Team has been doing service in Ithaca for 13 years and even has its own web site.
End Poverty
Chairperson: Nancy Dytman <ndytman@clarityconnect.com>, 607-273-2241
OTHER ACTIVITIES
To benefit our local community, our members also participate in the following projects:
Providing bag lunches for the Red Cross Friendship Center once a month. Betty Powell <lpowell1@twcny.rr.com> (607-539-7524) organizes the volunteers.
Staffing Ithaca’s Kitchen Cupboard two or three times a month. Linda Olds (844-9672) organizes the volunteers.
The Social Justice Council is a member of the Tompkins County Living Wage Coalition, and we participate in their campaigns when requested.
We often participate in interfaith activities in the community, such as peace vigils, emergency relief work, Eyes Wide Open (the anti-war “Quaker Boot Exhibit”), the Alternative Gift Fair, and more.
To benefit the world beyond our own community our members are currently working on these projects:
Legislative advocacy work at the state level through our membership in Interfaith Impact of New York State. The Ithaca Interfaith Impact of NYS group participates, along with other progressive religious members, clergy, rabbis and members of Jewish humanist groups, in lobbying Albany for progressive reform in areas of social justice. We have frequent letter-writing tables on state and national issues at coffee hour on Sundays.
Cris McConkey <cmcc@lightlink.com> (607-387-9830) has a special interest in Cuba and Latin America in general. He often arranges evening programs around those region’s concerns and serves as our liaison to: Pastors for Peace and the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO).