Social Justice and Social Action Efforts
of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff


UUCOC Social Justice Ministry Logo

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


The UUCOC Social Action/Social Justice 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.

Please also check out our Links page for many websites of interest to our Social Justice Ministry members.

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.


 

Events for North Texas


Keep an eye on this space for special events and activities in the North Texas area and sponsored by the Social Action Ministry and other Social Action & Justice Organizations:

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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 Joes" 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 visit our Film Festival page for details of this month's featured film.


Link to a Pegasus News Article on the Film Festival
Check out Dee Stofko's Article:
"Oak Cliff church putting on social film series"
on Pegasus News.

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

 

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.

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.


Our 2009 season beneficiary is The Family Place,
the largest family violence service provider in the Dallas area. Please click The Family Place logo to visit their website and support their efforts to end family violence.

www.labyrinthwalkcoffeehouse.com

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.

OCCEA is located in the Oak Cliff Presbyterian Church at 6000 S. Hampton. Their telephone number is 214 943-7757. Click here to visit their website. Volunteers are always welcome!

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


The School of the Americas Watch Rally & Vigil



The Social Justice Ministry of the UUCOC and the Dallas Peace Center sponsor a trip to the annual November The School of the Americas (SOA) Watch rally and vigil as part of our ongoing work for human rights.

Located at Fort Benning, Georgia, and renamed as the "Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation" in 2001, SOA is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers whose graduates have consistently used their skills to wage war against their own people. The mission of SOA Watch, as a nonviolent grassroots movement that works to stand in solidarity with the people of Latin America and the Caribbean, is to close the SOA/WHINSEC and change the oppressive U.S. foreign policy that the SOA represents.

UUCOC BLOG

UUCOC Rainbow Chalice Logo
UUSC Emergency
Response

UUSC and the UUA have launched a joint relief fund to help the survivors of the devastating Haiti earthquake. Please see UUSC.org for more information and to donate online.


First Tuesday Social Action Film FestivalAristide
Mar. 2nd

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