Before the COVID pandemic the Social Action Committee [SAC] held monthly in-person meetings over a light lunch after Sunday Service. Typically 20-30 FUUSN members attended [over 80 people are on the SAC e-mail list]; often more congregants came if a speaker was scheduled.

Social action activities are divided into eight subgroups, each followed by a subcommittee or task force. Leaders of each task force would update the general group at the monthly meetings, including consideration of possible support for new agencies or initiatives. Allocation of the SAC’s budget was discussed in these gatherings. The number of FUUSN members who care about an issue and are involved in work on it influences and guides us in deciding how the money is distributed.

In the absence of in-person meetings since March 2020, discussion about funding distribution have taken place remotely, with the task force leaders and committee co-chairs as the main participants, but other stakeholders have sometimes been included if an issue was important to them.

In fiscal year 2021-22,1.5% of FUUSN’s budget, $8701, was provided to the Social Action Committee and distributed within the task forces as follows:

Hunger and Homelessness

– Women’s Lunch Place ($1250)

– WATCH-CDC ($200)

– Waltham Community Day Center ($1236)

– Habitat for Humanity ($215 added to last year = $750)

Racial and Economic Justice

– Eastern Service Workers Association ($250)

– UU Urban Ministry-multicultural Programs ($1600)

Criminal Justice – Partakers ($500)

Health – Alliance for the Mentally Ill ($300)

Environment – Green Newton ($100)

Advocacy – UU Mass Action Network ($1200)

Global Community

– Communities Without Borders ($1650)

– UU United Nations Office ($100)

Welcoming Immigrants/Refugees (Has private donors)

– Newton-Brookline Asylum Resettlement Coalition

Details of the missions and activities of each of the funded groups will be found in the SAC’s Annual report, available at Annual Meeting.

Respectfully,

Social Action Co-chairs:

Peter Smith 617-233-6071, psmith@igc.org

Eileen Kurkoski 617-928-0958, eileenkfoto@gmail.com