Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

Sunday, February 11, 2024, at 10:30am

Worship Leaders: Rev. Mary Katherine Morn / Aubrey Connelly-Candelario / Judith Stein-Farrall / Linnea Nelson /

In the face of challenges and forces that undermine justice and equity, UUSC (Unitarian Universalist Service Committee) has, for more than eight decades, been resisting cynicism and refusing complacency. Through a model that embraces radical trust, UUSC advances human rights in partnership with communities impacted by oppression. The stories of faithful imagination and always-emerging learning create the journey of justice that we share in our work together.

Rev. Morn and team inspired us to think and feel the need by listing goals and needs and asking us to be “Be Bold” regarding the goals for our world. Rev. Morn, president of the UUSC team, joined UUSC as President and Lead Executive Officer in 2018 after 30 years in faith-based leadership. Post COVID, she and her team are trying to “catch-up” in their work to assist UUSC’s partners around the world. Sign up for their emails and learn about their intiatives here.

UUSC Ukraine Response Support – Congregational Collections
Since our beginnings serving refugees displaced by Nazi aggression during World War II, the UUSC (Unitarian Universalist Service Committee) has been called to respond to unexpected crises and provide resources to communities whose needs are urgent and access to aid is limited.

Donating to UUSC’s Emergency Response Fund ensures UUSC is always ready to provide relief, including our developing work to protect the rights of refugees fleeing Ukraine right now.

UUSC’s first step is to send emergency relief funding to groups who are working on the ground in Eastern Europe. This will happen quickly, as UUSC has existing partners in the area from our Syrian Refugee work. This includes partners such as the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, who are already responding to the current crisis by providing free legal assistance, counseling, and representation so that Ukrainian asylum seekers receive temporary protection immediately. Following the relief grants, UUSC’s team will develop a strategy for longer-term recovery alongside these same partners. UUSC knows that our partner organizations on the ground are best positioned to identify the needs of affected communities and to respond to the most pressing needs in a way that leads to an equitable recovery and honors the right to self-determination.

And just as UUSC is being called to aid those impacted by the crisis in Ukraine now, their commitment to their partners facing displacement and violence in other parts of the world, such as Haiti and Burma, remains just as strong as ever. They recognize that systems of violence and oppression intersect and that what affects one, affects all. They also know how important it is to look to communities that are often overlooked when tragedy strikes and center the needs and experiences of those most impacted in their responses. Thank you for your support in this time of great need.
Here is a link for support to UUSC’s work: https://donate.uusc.org/emergencyresponse.