Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church puts the UU principles of "the inherent worth and dignity of every person" and "respect for the interdependent web of all existence" into action by sponsoring the following groups:
Beacon House, located in the northeastern part of Washington, DC, is a halfway house for single mothers with children on public assistance and is run by the Rev. Don Robinson. PBUUC supports this effort in such ways as tutoring the children, doing social activities such as arts and crafts with them, donating gifts at Christmas, and saving grocery receipts to help Beacon House acquire computer equipment. The mothers are helped with errands and shopping. Time commitment varies, depending on the project. Contact Nathan Rummel at NRummel@BANGATE.FDA.GOV.
Capital Area Interweave (a local chapter of the national UU Interweave organization) is a social/educational/discussion group, the members of which are concerned with the welfare of our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender congregants. The meetings are held at PBUUC on the fourth Sunday of each month in the Kelley Room (located in the Religious Education Building). Potluck dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. and is followed by a program of interest to the g/l/b/t community and their friends. Other activities include support for the Interfaith Fairness Coalition of Maryland functions, occasional lunches after church, bringing awareness of g/l/b/t concerns to the congregation, bringing awareness of PBUUC to the g/l/b/t community, and working to make newcomers from the g/l/b/t community feel welcome.
Community Ministry of Prince George's County (MD) is an interfaith, congregation-based organization that: 1) addresses the pressing human needs of people in the county through programs that improve the quality of life for all, and especially encourage dignity and foster greater independence and self-sufficiency for low-income persons, and 2) addresses social justice issues by involving congregations in the public decision of the county. PBUUC supports the Community Ministry's operations expenses and participates in three of its programs:
The Interfaith Fairness Coalition of Maryland (IFCM) is an organization of individuals and associations drawn from many religious persuasions that support the efforts to:
Social Action Committee oversees and supports social action efforts of the congregation, promoting individual and group actions and providing information about social action opportunities. Actual "hands-on" efforts take place in working groups, which produce such programs as Warm Nights and the annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Celebration. The committee also solicits and distributes funds for worthy causes through monthly special collections during the church year. The committee itself meets once a month, but the time commitment for working group activities varies widely depending on the program. Since the work and projects undertaken depend on people's interests, skills, and availability; there are many opportunities to get involved at a level appropriate to your schedule constraints.
Stream Monitors does visual checks on the Paint Branch (stream) and keeps track of the clean-up effort at the former Naval Surface Warfare Center. They work along with Gary Irby, a church neighbor whose water supply is directly affected by the pollutants in the stream. Contact Marj Donn at mbdonn@email.msn.com.
Unitarian Universalists for Free State Justice (UUFSJ), a sub-group of the The Interfaith Fairness Coalition of Maryland (IFCM) and a religious off-shoot of the Free State Justice Campaign, is a formal standing committee of the church whose function is to develop an interfaith coalition (known as the Interfaith Fairness Coalition of Maryland) to educate people in the state of Maryland on the need for equal justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons. Volunteers are needed to help organize and participate in workshops providing educational outreach to the general public, liberal religious groups, and individual non-UU congregaions.
Social Action Groups at PBUUC | Online Social Action
Search WWW Search www.pbuuc.org