Are you Worried about Our Democracy?

May 6, 2024May 6, 2024 / Martha H / Leave a comment

Screenshot

YES ON 4 – Saturday, April 13 Lake Eola at Noon

April 2, 2024April 8, 2024 / Martha H / Leave a comment

Starting at Walt Disney Amphitheater at Lake Eola Park at 195 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL 32801

Parking:Downtown Orlando hosts ample paid street parking and paid public parking garages. Costs and availability will vary. It is recommended that attendees arrive early with enough time to find parking. There are a few nearby paid parking lots/garages that are within 2 blocks walking distance to the Walt Disney Amphitheater at Lake Eola Park.

Signs and Posters:

From the Promoters of the Amendment:

We welcome and encourage our supporters to bring their signs. We will have a limited number of printed signs to offer to folks who are unable to make their own signs. It is extremely important that any homemade signs remain on message and absolutely no partisan messaging or coat hanger imagery will be permitted at our rally. These are losing messages and we have a responsibility to 84k patients to WIN. If you bring an off message sign, our staff will ask you to put your sign in your car and will give you a printed placard to use. Please keep the following messaging points in mind as you craft your signs.

Key Sign Making Tips

Labels do not work. Don’t use “pro-choice” or “pro-life” Lead with empathy- we don’t know a person’s situation.

Stress that the government should not interfere with medical decisions between patients and doctors

Don’t focus on partisan politics, focus on removing governmental interference with abortion

Do’s

Vote Yes on 4

Limit Government Interference With Abortion

Stop Political Interference Doctors Not Politicians

Don’ts

Don’t say Anything about EITHER political party or candidates. Example: NO signs for or against Trump, DeSantis, Biden, Debbie Mucarsel Powell, etc. or anything about candidates running for any level of public office.

No coat hanger/ violent imagery

Keep the Government out of our healthcare.

No handmaids tale costumes

No antiquated labels like “pro-life” or “pro-choice”

Agenda:We will be beginning our rally promptly at 12 PM. We will gather at the amphitheater where we will hear directly from patients, providers, and partners that have been negatively impacted by Florida’s Abortion Bans. After our speaker rally we will grab our signs and march and chant around the park to show our strength in numbers. We anticipate our rally to end around 2 PM. Absolutely no elected officials or partisan leaders will be invited to speak at our rally as we believe ALL politicians should be removed from interfering with abortion.

Safety & Security:By attending this rally, you are agreeing to abide by Yes on 4’s non engagement policy. This means that regardless of what sort of presence we might have at our rally by anti’s, you will not engage visually, verbally, or physically.If you choose to engage with any opposition, you will be removed from our event.

We will have safety marshals, private security, and uniformed police officers present at our rally to ensure everyone’s safety. We ask for all of our attendees to remain alert and if you see something, say something to our team which will be identifiable by their bright yellow safety vests.

Help us get word out! Help us grow our rally, utilize resources from our partner toolkit to invite your networks to join us as we rally to end the 6 week abortion ban.

Gmail – How to prepare: Rally to End the 6-week Abortion Ban

If you have any questions, please reach out to volunteer@ floridiansprotectingfreedom.com

Side with Love T-shirts

March 28, 2024April 2, 2024 / Martha H / Leave a comment

We’re now taking orders between now and April 14 for these new “stand out in a crowd” T-shirts that that tell others that 1Us SIDE with LOVE.

Link to this ORDER FORM to see the sizes/measurements. (Note that these are not the “usual” shirt size measurements — they’re the measurements of the width and height of a shirt lying flat on a table.) The cut is “slim,” so you might want to order a larger size than usual if you want a looser fit, especially in the hips.

There are two options for ordering your T-shirt(s):

Fill out the online order form (link above) to speed up the process or
Fill out a paper copy of the online order form in Gore Hall on Sunday after the service

Either way, you’ll need to go to the Justice Table in Gore Hall after church on April 7 or 14 to confirm (or place) your order and pay for it with either cash or a check.

Prices: $16.00 (adult sizes) and $10.00 (youth sizes).

One more detail: the shirt printers require a minimum order of 20 paid shirts before they will start printing.

A Bit of Background Information on these Shirts: For those new to Unitarian Universalism, the following is the history of the Side with Love initiative. As you can see, the color shows up in a crowd and the shirt bears a wonderfully positive message of support.

“What is love calling you to do?”

Side with Love is a public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love’s power to stop oppression. It is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and all are welcome to join

At this time, four Side with Love initiatives are: the Create Climate Justice, UU the Vote, Love Resists and UPLIFT action. To learn more, visit this link at UUA Action Center.

History

Side with Love is an interfaith public advocacy campaign promoting respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Side with Love confronts issues of exclusion, oppression, and violence based on identity. With the goal of creating beloved community, the campaign pursues social change through advocacy, public witness, and speaking out in solidarity with those whose lives are publicly demeaned.

The broad message, “standing on the side of love,” emerged as a rallying point for people of faith in 2004 in Massachusetts during their early efforts for fully inclusive marriage, and later during the effort to keep the marriage equality law and block Proposition 8, in California in 2008. Originally entitled Standing on the Side of Love, born out of that slogan and song by Rev. Jason Shelton of the same name, was launched after the 2008 shooting at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, which was targeted because they are welcoming to LGBTQ people and have a liberal stance on many issues.

The Knoxville community responded with an outpouring of love that inspired the leadership at the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) to launch our campaign in 2009, with the goal of harnessing love’s power to challenge exclusion, oppression, and violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, race, religion, or any other identity. A video produced at the 10 year anniversary of the call to love can be seen here.

The words were changed to “Side with Love” in expand the message beyond a specific physical action.

Black History Month Teach-In Sunday, Feb 25, 1:30 pm.- 4:30pm. Denton Johnson Community Center

February 24, 2024March 1, 2024 / Martha H / Leave a comment

Sunday, February 25 from 1:30 to 4:30 pm

Denton Johnson Community Center, 400 Ruffle Street, Eatonville, FL

Join Congressman Maxwell Frost and Florida legislators for a FREE event on how to combat right-wing censorship!

Learn from elected officials and local advocates how to fight back against Gov. DeSantis and right-wing attempts to censor content in Florida!

Join a free block party and training to learn from advocates how to fight MAGA censorship!

Continue reading →

The Coalition of the Immokalee Workers(CIW) heads to Palm Beach March 8-10

February 20, 2024 / Martha H / Leave a comment

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) writes:

On the second weekend of March, in the streets and parks of Palm Beach, the Farmworker Freedom Festival will pose this simple question: How much longer will the men and women who harvest our food be forced to face unimaginable abuse when a proven solution is just an agreement away?

Farmworkers across the country deserve to work in fields and greenhouses where they no longer have to fear being beaten, raped, or robbed by their bosses, and where consumers know that the workers who picked their produce were treated with dignity and respect. Only when all large buyers of produce are part of the Fair Food Program will freedom and safety for all farmworkers be possible – and in Palm Beach, there is only one person with the power to bring the final fast-food holdout, Wendy’s, to the table.

The CIW invites you to a 3-day celebration of farmworkers’ human rights featuring the CIW’s mobile Modern-day Slavery Museum, a benefit concert, and original farmworker theater and art, including a two-story tall, life-like farmworker puppet walking the streets of Palm Beach, giving voice to the country’s farmworker community in their ongoing fight for fundamental human rights

Why Palm Beach: Wendy’s CEO lives there and Wendys has not yet signed on with CIW to agree to using products produced at Fair Food farms.

When, Where: March 8-10, 2024, Palm Beach, Florida at Bradley Park

More directions about the March through the streets and events at Bradley Park will be sent to you after you register.

Register here by clicking this link

Orlando County MLK Day of Service Volunteer Opportunity with US Hunger-Jan 15, Monday

January 9, 2024January 9, 2024 / Martha H / Leave a comment

MLK Day of Service – Sign Up Today

Monday, January 15 | 9am-11am, 12pm-2pm, 3pm-5pm
Orange County Convention Center – West Concourse 9800 International Drive
The Orlando Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission is hosting its’ annual MLK Day of Service volunteer opportunity on Monday, January 15, 2024. This year, we are collaborating with U.S. Hunger and the Orange County MLK Initiative to package 1 million healthy meals at the Orange County Convention Center.

Meal packs are high-energy, family-friendly volunteer events that benefit the local community and engage thousands of volunteers. All meals will be distributed in Central Florida. There are multiple 2-hour shifts available throughout the day. Community and corporate groups are encouraged to volunteer together for this impactful activity.

U.S. Hunger’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Million Meal Pack is a testament to the power of communities coming together in the spirit of service and volunteerism to make a difference through community service. In collaboration with The Orlando Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission and the Orange County MLK Initiative, Volunteers will pack and distribute 1 million healthy meals of food relief throughout the Central Florida region; and provide a high-energy, family-friendly volunteer event for up to 5,000 Central Florida volunteers.

Our community events are family-friendly! We invite all ages to participate, but we ask that those under 18 years and under be accompanied by an adult who is also volunteering.

RSVP here.

For more information, contact Orlando Cares Coordinator, Bailey Clark at bailey.clark@orlando.gov or (407)246-3507.

Remembering Rosewood and Ocoee at Welcoming Wednesday on Dec 13 Time: 7 pm -8:30 pm

December 6, 2023December 12, 2023 / Martha H / Leave a comment

Come to the Gathering Place and renew your knowledge of these two events to give context and content to conversation when these events or places are discussed. Discuss how the feelings and attitudes that motivated the participants in these massacres may still affect the present day.

Words that are used in connection with these events and other similar events: Massacre, Riot, Reparation, Compensation, Election, Voting, Poll Tax, Avoidance, Intimidation, Generational Wealth, Whitecapping, White erasure, Denial, Fear, Exploitation, Innocent until proven Guilty. Reconciliation, Community Healing, Terror, Lynching

The Green Team invites you to a tour of the Orange County Landfill

November 25, 2023November 27, 2023 / Martha H / Leave a comment

The Green Team invites you to a tour of the Orange County Landfill on Friday, January 5 at 10:15 a.m. Check in time is 10:15am at the green Solid Waste Administration building located at 5901 Young Pine Road in east Orlando. Free parking is available in front of the building.

Van starts tour at 10:30am.
Optional lunch at Don Julio’s Mexican Kitchen, 551 S. Chickasaw Trl., Orlando 32825

o Vegan and gluten-free options are available.

o Located approximately 15 mins. /7.5 miles from the landfill

RESERVATIONS NECESSARY – Space is limited. Register here.
PLEASE NOTE 2 Things:

*Children on this trip MUST BE 7 years or older.

*There is limited room on tour vans. If we exceed the limit, we will let you know AND will maintain a waiting list. If you sign up and you cannot attend, please notify Green Team.

And, on Feb. 12 join the Green Team at 11:45 for a short discussion of “Zero Waste” in Gore Hall Room A.