Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff


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Web This Site

Social Action

 


Love is the doctrine of this church …and service is its prayer.

The UUCOC Social Action Ministry meets the second Sunday of every month from 12-1:00 in the Hope building.  Our meetings are open to the public.  We are a diverse group of people working together to further the principles of our faith, including peace, non-violence, social justice, and respect for our environment.

The congregation is involved in a number of service projects, some of which are listed below.


Green Sanctuary


We are beginning our journey to become a "Green" Church and are actively working on raising
environmental awareness within our membership and community.  We are implementing programs to control our environmental impact and help educate ourselves and others on what can be done to preserve the resources of this planet.

Click Here for News from the Green Sanctuary Project

 


Welcoming Congregation


In November 2005 we were officially recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association as being a “Welcoming Congregation.” This means that the UUCOC underwent a voluntary effort to become more welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. The process involved a series of educational events, organizational assessment, and community outreach.
Special Events

Keep an eye on this space for special events and activities sponsored by the Social Action Ministry or affiliated groups:

Dallas Area Interfaith Workshop

Toward a New Politics of Equality

Saturday, February 23, 2008
2-4 pm
Raible Chapel, First Unitarian Church of Dallas

Mark your calendars now for one of the most important workshops in DAI history as we focus upon what more than three decades of supply-side economics have meant to the income and wealth of average American families. 

Has trickle down economics been the rising tide to float all boats? Is your family living the American Dream? What about the families living around you?

The 1968 minimum wage of $1.60 equals $9.34 in today’s dollars. So, why is today’s minimum wage only $5.85, going up to $7.55 in 2009?

Did you know that worker productivity in the U.S. increased by more than 250% since 1947 while real median family income, adjusted for inflation, has increased by only 150%? And, to achieve even those gains American families today are working 500 more hours each year?

Find out more, register to participate, get access to workshop materials, download a complete agenda and take an in-depth look at some of the materials we’ll examine. Point your browser to: http://www..bkmts.com/dallasai/workshop-2008-02-23.htm. 

Address any questions to Alan or Gwen Lummus, alan@bkmts.com, 972-733-4141, or Mary Lou Hoffman, mlhoffman3@sbcglobal.net, 972-231-3816.

Member Spotlight

Look at what one of our members is up to for his social action ministry! By Jase Donaldson

I have been making a conscious effort to get more involved in our community for a couple of years now, from volunteering with GLBT job fairs and food pantry operations for the Resource Center of Dallas, to organizing a spur-of-the-moment canned food drive during the influx of people fleeing New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, to the recent Winter Coat Drive that has proven to be such a success (thank you all so much!)

I say all that not to pat myself on the back, but to lead into what I'm up to now! I have decided to form an informal organization to help those “Regular Joe's” in our midst (such as me) find a way to do something to contribute to society and the betterment of our local community. It's called Central Dallas Community Outreach or CDCO.

CDCO is a grassroots informal nonprofit seeking to bring some change to growing and persistent issues that affect the areas of Oak Lawn, Oak Cliff, downtown Dallas, and West Dallas. It will be a central place under which to organize and carry out small gestures that hopefully will have a big impact on our brothers and sisters in Central
Dallas.

CDCO is a way for individuals who love and care about our city and our communities to have a chance not only to give back in a way that each person is able, but also exists to foster awareness and increase the mentality and prevalence of social action in Dallas.

I hope to achieve some measure of good through drives (food, coats, toys, etc.), fundraisers, partnering with individuals and local organizations (such as UUCOC), increasing social awareness and shedding light on problems our community faces such as homelessness, etc., and other means that will directly impact social services and citizens in the communities of Dallas' urban core.

To find out more, please visit CDCO at www.myspace.com/centraldallasoutreach. You may also e-mail dallasoutreach@gmail.com. There is much to do, and I'm making plans continually. I look forward to working with anyone who wants to help out, in any way they can. I truly feel I would not be able to do anything like this without the loving support and fostering spirit of this church.



 



First Tuesday Social Action Film Festival

CoSponsored by the Dallas Peace Center

The First Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm
the UUCOC hosts free screenings of socially relevant films followed by a (usually intense) discussion of actions we can take.  Please go to our Film Festival page for details of this month's featured film.

 



Photograph of folks clearing space for a compost pile as part of our Green Sanctuary Project

Clearing space for a Compost Pile as
part of our Green Sanctuary Project

 

Dallas Area Interfaith

November, 2007 - The congregation of the UUCOC voted to accept an invitation to join the Dallas Area Interfaith association; a group of 60 religious congregations in the Dallas metropolitan area.


Oak Cliff Churches for Emergency Aid (OCCEA)


This is a collective effort with many of the churches in the Oak Cliff area working together to meet the emergency needs of persons living in Oak Cliff. By combining resources, OCCEA is able to distribute food, personal items and financial aid to many people. Referrals are made to service providers who can help with long-term needs.

Our church highlights the third Sunday of each month as an opportunity to donate food and money to OCCEA. OCCEA is located in the Oak Cliff Presbyterian Church at 6000 S. Hampton. Their telephone number is 214 943-7757. Volunteers are always welcome!

Volunteers from our church include: Ernest Archer and Roy Pietsch.

Rev. Mark Walz addresses a peace rally in Dallas
Rev. Mark Walz speaks 
at a rally in downtown Dallas
to end the Iraq war. 


Labyrinth Walk Coffee House

Proceeds from donations at the coffee house are used to provide entertainment and support local charities. 

Bryan's House logo
Please click here to visit & 
support Bryan's House.


For our 2008 season, our proceeds will benefit Bryan's House, where families coping with HIV/AIDS as well as other serious medical issues can find love and warmth when they have no place else to turn. 

  www.labyrinthwalkcoffeehouse.com