Community Outreach
The Social Justice Committee aims to help congregants build their faith and act on it more effectively, encouraging Unitarian Universalists of all ages to respond to human need and work to alleviate social injustice through activities which promote justice, equity and compassion in human relations. All are encouraged to join us in these worthy endeavors. For ways you can get involved, contact Judith Wylie-Rosett, Chair of the Social Justice Committee.
Affordable Housing
Currently, this task force is involved in several projects including working with leaders in the town of North Hempstead to make accessory apartments legal, and working with Family Promise in initiating and organizing the Interfaith Housing Network program which establishes a network of congregations on Long Island. This congregational network then serves pre-selected homeless families by providing food & shelter at the network's member congregations on a rotating basis. The task force is also working to initiate a 50/50 condo or duplex plan in coordination with the Shelter Rock Socially Responsible Investment Committee in which Shelter Rock and low-income families would share ownership, as well as working with the Kimmel Foundation and others, to develop prototype housing, where individuals can share a single family home. We welcome additional committee members those with legal or building knowledge are especially needed.
Contact: Ron Roel, Affordable Housing Task Force
Interfaith Alliance
Interfaith Alliance was founded in 1994 by an interfaith group of religious leaders to protect freedom of religion and freedom from religion. It is the national non-partisan advocacy voice for the interfaith movement. It has over 150,000 members from our diverse religious & spiritual traditions, 70 in all, as well as many agnostics & atheists. There are now 47 Chapters, including our L.I. Chapter. We are united to promote democratic values, challenge hatred and bigotry and reinvigorate civic participation. We work to protect separation of church and state and are at the intersection of religion and politics. Our national staff works on Capitol Hill and with the White House. We are currently at work on threats to public education and stem cell research. For more info, visit www.interfaithalliance.org, listen to our radio program "State of Belief" on Air America 1190 am Sunday's 5-6 pm. Our Long Island Chapter is growing and enthusiastic and we welcome all newcomers. Look for notices of meetings in the Quest!
Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN)
The INN administers many soup kitchens on Long Island. They also maintain two family shelters, as well as two shelters for Veterans in Nassau County. Shelter Rock members, along with adults and children from the surrounding community prepare meals in our kitchen (currently held on the first Thursdays & third Saturdays of each month) and deliver them to the shelters. In addition, foods & sundries are collected/delivered to the soup kitchen in Glen Cove. We invite you to join in this fun-and delicious-volunteer work activity aiding those families the INN supports. Food preparation calls for all types of assistance (shopping, prep, cooking, baking, clean-up, etc) and no experience is needed!
Contact: Verna Livingston or Estelle Henrich, Co-Chairs (INN)
Nifty Thrifty
The South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Congregation operates a Thrift Shop (SNUUC Thrift Shop) in Freeport, Long Island. Serving the local community by providing low cost items on a need basis, the proceeds from the Thrift Shop are used to help support the South Nassau congregation. They need our help supplying additional inventory. Men's clothing is highly needed; household items and small appliances are also in short supply. We'll be collecting your items regularly in the UUCSR Social Hall after service.
Contact: Elizabeth Tilton, Nifty Thrify Task Force
Socially Responsible Investing
A subcommittee of the Investments Committee, SRI seeks to involve the financial resources of the congregation directly in promoting Unitarian Universalist values. We accomplished this in two ways:
- We offer low-interest loans to non-profit organizations which use them to advance entrepreneurship, affordable housing, and other types of community development. Special consideration is given to groups that work with individuals who would not qualify for a loan from a regular bank
- In partnership with the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (www.uua.org/finance/investment/sri) and the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility (www.iccr.org), we seek to influence the behavior of public corporations. We vote our shares of common stock in a way that promotes our values, we actively lobby business leaders, and we co-sponsor shareholder resolutions, which are then presented for a vote at annual meetings of stockholders.
Contact: Richard Guilbert, Chair, SRI
UU United Nations Office (UU-UNO)
The United Nations provides an arena for enacting the Sixth Principle of Unitarian Universalism: "To affirm & promote the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all". The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office depends on its members individuals, youth, and whole congregations to be UN advocates in their communities. Through education, advocacy and action, the UU UNO provides a voice for Unitarian Universalists in global affairs, and keeps UU congregations current on UN activities. Task force leaders attend weekly sessions at the UN & UN conferences during the year. We keep our members up-to-date on UN happenings and the activities of our organization through our newsletter, and regular updates are posted at www.uu-uno.org. To learn more, please contact: Jim L. Nelson, office@uu-uno.org.
Contact: Dotty Prunhuber, UU-UN Task Force
Shelter Rock Forum
The purpose of Shelter Rock Forum is to provide a platform for well-informed opinions on current issues of significance by presenting distinguished speakers on a variety of social and ethical topics. The programs of the Shelter Rock Forum aim to serve the needs of the congregation and of the community as a whole.
Hadley House
Located in Port Washington, Hadley House is a senior residence owned and operated by the congregation.
Contact: Carol Gabarino, Chair, Housing Board
Our Green Sanctuary
Under the auspices of the UU Ministry for Earth, we have been charged with making our congregation "green." This means being aware of environmental issues, making appropriate lifestyle changes, and promoting a "green" and non-toxic process through various projects at Shelter Rock and linking us to the interconnected web of life through the
"Three R's": Reduce, Recycle, Reuse.
Contact:
Elaine Peters, Green Sanctuary Committee
- Provides a framework for the exploration of what it means to live today within a religious community on an imperiled Earth.
- Helps join our efforts, both symbolically and explicitly, in becoming stewards of the Earth.
- Encourages and facilitates our congregants to live in ways that are consistent with these values. We work towards a future in which ecological values are the guiding principles for all our relationships. Our congregations can be like gardens where the seeds of a just and sustainable future are planted and nurtured.
As a Green Sanctuary, the UUCSR is a Congregation that...
- Has received official recognition for completing the Green Sanctuary Program
- Lives out its commitment to the Earth by creating sustainable lifestyles for its members as individuals and as a faith community.
- Is committed towards creating a religious community that has a fundamental, bottom-line, commitment to living in harmony with the Earth.
- Has designation from the National Wildlife Federation for a campus that is Certified Wildlife Habitat.
Green Sanctuary Materials
Unitarian Universalists Green Sanctuary Websites
www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/greensanctuary/
Other Websites with Information for Protecting Our Environment
Information about recycling a variety of products including ink cartridges, compact florescent bulbs: http://www.ourearth.org/recycling/national.html
For a global grassroots campaign to stop the climate crisis, go to www.350.org/
The Garden City Bird Sanctuary is a 9 acre community nature preserve at Nassau County Stormwater Storage Basin in Garden City http://www.gcbirdsanctuary.org/
For organic lawn care tips and a listing of organic lawn services: www.longislandnn.org/pesticides/lawn_tips.htm
The Long Island Sound Study (LISS) is a cooperative effort involving researchers, regulators, user groups and other concerned organizations and individuals. www.longislandsoundstudy.net/
The National Wildlife Federation website provides wildlife habitat information that can be applied to an apartment balcony or a 20-acre farm: http://www.nwf.org/
The Cornell Cooperative Extension for Suffolk County prides itself on being a steward of our good Earth. Our educators, researchers and scientists are working with other agencies to promote public awareness of environmental issues that threaten the health and welfare of our Island and residents. http://ccesuffolk.org/environment/
There are many ways in which you can tap the sun as an energy source. http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/healthynassau/air/solar/intro.html
List of local Long Island farmers' markets selling organically grown fresh produce. http://ligrowersmarket.com
