Beverly Unitarian Church

We are called to:
         Live our faith in action,
         Earn a visible presence in the community,
         Offer a place of spiritual renewal.

It is the mission of the Social Action Committee to provide the congregation with the opportunities to “live our faith in action,” so that as individuals and as a congregation we can live our values in the world.  We are inspired by a vision of working for peace and justice rooted in love, and by the UU principle of justice, equity, and compassion in human affairs..  

To this end, we
•    provide volunteer opportunities working with disenfranchised and marginalized people,
•    devote the Sunday service offering to a community or international organization working for justice on the second Sunday of each month,
•    undertake annual food and glove drives to benefit people in and close to our own neighborhood,
•    offer forums and public advocacy opportunities on relevant issues,
•    lead Sunday worship services devoted to social justice,
•    and offer each year a project that can involve the whole faith community, including our children.  

The Social Action Committee meets on the third Sunday of most months, after the service.  We invite you to join us, and have a say in directing the congregation’s work for social justice. 

Second Sunday Collections

On the second Sunday of each month, the monies collected in the offering plate are donated to an organization that lives our values in the world.  All checks and cash (except for checks marked “pledge” in the memo line), are donated. 

The organizations we support are:

•    Jul.-Aug.:    New Neighbors
•    Sep.–Oct.:   South Suburban PADS
•    Nov.–Dec.:   UU Service Committee
•    Jan.-Feb.:    Morgan/Maple Park Food Pantry
•    Mar.-Apr.:    Green Sanctuary
•    May-June:   Natural disasters or
organizations nominated by members of the congregation.

If you have a non-profit organization that is close to your heart, particularly one with which you volunteer, please let the Social Action Committee know about it, so that we may consider it for the May or June Second Sunday Collection.

The Peace Pole Project and Peace Making

Bill Diana has found the wood for our Peace Pole, and we are ordering the language plaques for the kids to attach to the pole. In order to keep the project fresh in our minds, we are going to bring the unfinished pole into the church to display it in the sanctuary in the meantime. We are looking for people who enjoy doing crafts to join members of the Social Action Committee in making prayer flags to sell to raise funds for the Peace Pole. If interested, contact Marcia Curtis at (312) 431-0381 or .

We will have a workshop on Sunday, March 28 from 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm to get input about the Congregational Study Action Issue on Peacemaking, in preparation for the vote to be taken in June by the UU General Assembly, the national UUA decision-making body. Copies of the issue will be available in the sanctuary on Sundays, along with a place to write down your feelings about it. At the workshop we will have a chance to talk with each other, and to see how we feel about war and the times when war is justified.

Other Activities

In March, we will be collecting underwear and socks for the people in the South Suburban PADS homeless shelters. One of the most humiliating things about being homeless is that there are no showers, and no easy way to stay clean or keep clothes clean. Most people don’t think to donate underwear to the homeless, but it is always needed. We need both men’s and women’s underpants in a variety of sizes, as well as socks. We will gather the new underwear and socks in a basket in the sanctuary during the month of March.

Please take the time to fill out your 2010 census form, which will come to you in February or March. The census matters because government money is allocated to communities based on census data.

Concerning denominational affairs, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) holds its annual General Assembly each year the last week of June. This year GA will be in Minneapolis. If you’d like to be a delegate representing Beverly Unitarian Church, please contact Marcia Curtis at (312) 431-0381 or .

In these hectic times, the time we give is all the more precious.  Life is enriched by living our values in the world, and we provide opportunities to give of your time to those most marginalized and at risk in our faltering economy. 

Some of the volunteer opportunities include:
•    Whenever there is a fifth Thursday in a month, we provide the volunteers for the South Suburban PADS homeless shelter, held in Pilgrim Faith UCC Church in Oak Lawn.  Volunteers set up the mattresses and handle registration.
•    As a congregation, we support the work of New Neighbors, a non-profit organization that provides housing and assistance to one family making the transition out of homelessness each year.  New Neighbors is also expanding their mission to provide services to battered women.  We are committed to provide two delegates to the board of the organization.
•    We provide tutors for at-risk foster children in the Beverly neighborhood.

For those who can’t give of their time, we also provide the opportunity to participate by donating food for the Morgan/Maple Park Food Pantry in November, that families in need might have a joyous Thanksgiving, and gloves for the homeless men, women, and children at the South Suburban PADS.