Snack Sacks for Needy Students

NWCUUC Outreach is collecting funds to purchase nonperishable foods for needy middle school students in the local area. There will be a blessing of the sacks on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and the items will be delivered to a school district social worker for distribution then and during the week before the winter break.

The You Matter Project Sack Lunch Program for the Homeless

NWCUUC Outreach/Faith in Action team supports The You Matter Project as one outreach effort. Look at our Calendar for a list of dates for getting together to make sack lunches for the homeless, generally the second Saturday morning each month. Lunches are then delivered to downtown Houston to 100 homeless persons.

Happy Hands

Happy Hands is a multigenerational group that meets on the last Friday of the month in someone's home. The individuals work on crafts and also help to decorate the paper sacks for the outreach projects described above. See the page for Our Current Newsletter and also the Calendar for details and contact information.

About Faith in Action

We UUs often say that deeds are more important than creeds. Outreach is the faith-in-action committee of our Church that seeks to facilitate social action in accord with our faith in the power of love giving life the shape of justice, our hopes, and the seven ethical Principles that we hold in common:

1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;  
3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; 
4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;  
7. Respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part.

For more information on the Faith in Action committee, and how you can get involved, please contact Dana Ashrawi - faithinaction@nwcuuc.org

Here are some of what our Faith In Action Committee is planning or working on recently:

• Accepting the UUA Ministry for Earth Ten Tree Challenge in support of the environment.
• Various projects for the homeless and displaced persons such as in relation to Hurricane Katrina (we were organized and well represented at the G.R. Brown and elsewhere), a soup kitchen, a women’s shelter, marsh grass planting and other worthy charitable endeavors.
• Houston Gay Pride Parade presence every June, and hopes to also begin marching in the local Martin Luther King Day Parade in support of civil rights and in affirmation of the inherent worth and dignity of all individuals.
• Prison ministry of some kind, as this is a focus of two other UU congregations in Houston.
• Explore how to coordinate efforts with the UU Network of Houston.
• Develop ties with interfaith public policy advocates such as Texas Impact.
• Promoting Compassionate Conversations positive communication skills.
• Civic art happenings such as the recent Painting For Peace mural project held at Iman Academy Islamic School in Houston. We will have a similar mural project at our Church in cooperation with organizations like Decade of Nonviolence, the Peace Hour and the Peaceful CoExistence show on KPFT 90.1 FM, and Art Miles (mile of murals for Peace, Unity and Healing) in May of 2007. The free form murals will be available to various exhibitions on themes of peace, unity, healing and human rights in addition to being on display at the Church for the next two years, at which time they will be given to the Art Miles exhibition. The landscape mural will be installed at U Bar U Retreat near Kerrville and the Labyrinth Floor Cloth mural will be used by the church for rituals (or by others on loan).

We are now compiling information on approved civic and charitable organizations (see below). Consultation of our Church’s calendars and discussion/announcement e-group is also recommended to stay abreast of the latest events and happenings. Also, There is a City-wide Yahoo Group called Houston Area UU Social action that you can join here. You have to give your name, number and email to join. It is an active List with lots events and happenings announced there along with organizational discussion about cooperative efforts among the local UU congregations.