Bennett Award
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| 2006 Recipient: The Winchester Unitarian Society in Winchester, MA |
The
Bennett Award for Congregational Action on Human Justice and Social Action,
instituted in 1999 by James Bennett to honor the congregation that has done
exemplary work in social justice, is accompanied by a $500 cash award that is
presented at General Assembly. Dr. James R. Bennett is professor emeritus of
the University of Arkansas and he is the former director of the Gustavus Meyers
Center of Human Rights in North America, founded in 1984. Dr. Bennett is a member
of the UU Fellowship of Fayetteville AR. Past recipients are the Allen Avenue
UU Church in Portland, Maine, the UU
Fellowship of Laramie, WY, the University UU Church and the Rainier Valley UU
Congregation in Seattle, WA jointly, UU Congregation of Atlanta, and the Bismarck-Mandan
UU Fellowship in North Dakota.
Nominations are due March 1st and should include:
- a 1-4 page report on the social justice action or program,
- a testimonial from partner organizations or community members where applicable,
and
- any relevant documentation and media generated about the effort.
| Send entries to: |
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Unitarian Universalist Association
Office for Congregational Advocacy & Witness
25 Beacon Street
Boston MA 02108
Fax: (617) 742-0321 Email: social_justice@uua.org  |
2006 Recipient: The Winchester Unitarian Society in Winchester, MA
On Labor Day weekend 2005, Rev. Mary Harrington, minister of the Winchester Unitarian Society  and members of the worship committee, replaced their scheduled worship service with a special service and sermon devoted to Hurricane Katrina survivors and a call to action. What followed included six trips to the Gulf Coast by intergenerational teams from the congregation who joined relief efforts. A partnership was established with the North Shore Unitarian Universalists in Lacombe, Louisiana. Seventy members of the congregation (a full half of their members) including thirty-two teens participated in one or more of the three week long service trips. Volunteers provided general assistance as needed: paperwork, clean-up, child care, carpentry, painting, yard work, tutoring, errand running, and support.
A 'New Orleans Nite' fundraiser featured food and music from New Orleans and raised over $4,000. Individual members also contributed generously to the UUA-UUSC Gulf Coast Relief Fund.
The Youth Group produced a documentary "With Our Eyes Shut" about their experiences and the ongoing devastation that continued six months after the hurricane.
For more information Contact: Youth Director Jessica Rubenstein at jessica.rubenstein@comcast.net .
Social justice work consists of service, education, advocacy, organizing and public witness. It should when possible bring people together across race, class, age, and other differences. The Winchester Unitarian Hurricane Relief Project involves all of these elements. It is an excellent recipient for the Bennett Award.
Rev. Harrington writes, "We provided physical labor, pastoral care, worship services, supplies, funds, friendship, witness, meals and love. We received the gifts of community. It helped draw us together and strengthen us. And in the midst of so much trauma, we were reminded of how it really it is better to light just one candle than to stumble in the dark."
2005 Recipient: First Parish of Sudbury Unitarian Universalist of Sudbury Massachusetts
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2005 Recipient: First Parish of Sudbury UU, of Sudbury, MA
For more pictures, see their Photo Montage  |
First Parish of Sudbury Unitarian Universalist of Sudbury Massachusetts for their "Take it to the World" program. Linking service to advocacy the congregation has worked to feed the homeless and establish affordable housing; contribute to a renewal house for families affected by addiction and advocate for universal single payer health care; support the local high school gay-straight alliance and struggle for marriage equality; passage of a city wide civil liberties safe zone resolution, support to prisoners and much more.
For more about this project:
2004 Recipient: Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in St. Joseph,
MI
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| 2004 Forum Collage |
The Bennett Awards Panel is awarding the 2004 Bennett Award for Congregational
Action on Human Justice and Social Action to the Berrien Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship in St. Joseph, Michigan. This small fellowship of 42 adult members
co-sponsored with a local radio station a city-wide public forum for criminal
justice reform in response to outrage in the community sparked over the death
of a young African American man killed in an accident during a police pursuit. “Weighing the Scales of Justice” brought together a wide array of criminal justice
officials—from a Circuit Court Judge, two criminal attorneys, the County Sherriff,
the Police Chief, an officer of the State Parole Board and others--with leaders
and members of the community to examine strengths and weaknesses in the justice
system. Much needed reforms were identified collectively, including jury recruitment
and selection, the judicial electoral process, racial profiling and racial imbalances
in sentencing, overly harsh sentencing, setting of high bonds, lack of training
for indigent-defense lawyers, issues of venue, and a history of wrongful convictions.
The forum provided an opportunity for honest dialogue and accountability for
instituting reforms was established. Thank you to the Unitarian Universalists
of Berrien UU Fellowship for their courage in standing up and putting their
faith and beliefs into action. Their work for the community serves as a model
and inspiration to our association of congregations.
For more about this project:
Update: BUUF celebrates
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 2005
2003 Recipient: Allen Avenue UU Church of Portland, ME
The Bennett Awards Panel is awarding the 2003 Bennett Award for Congregational
Action on Human Justice and Social Action to the Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist
Church in Portland, Maine. This small congregation has an outstanding social
justice program that deserves this recognition. Allen Ave. UU is working on
a number of issues. They are part of the green sanctuary program. Other elements
of their social justice program include church-wide participation and intergenerational
involvement, connections between service and advocacy efforts, and interfaith
cooperation, particularly wih the Maine Council of Churches and Maine Interfaith
Power and Light. This past year the social action committee organized broad
congregational participation at rallies to prevent war with Iraq. On Jan. 11th
church members attended the Many and One Rally in Lewiston where a hate group
had targeted the Somali community. The Allen Ave. congregation also has an outstanding
partnership with the Sudanese community in which they have been good allies
and helped build schools for children in refugee camps in Uganda. The social
action committee has focused on "making social action part of the programming
in worship services, religious education, adult enrichment programs, forums
and publications." Allen Ave UU was also chosen this year to receive the
Northeast District annual award for social justice.
2002 Recipient: UU Congregation of Atlanta, GA
UU Congregation of Atlanta was recognized as a church that has made social
justice central to their identity -- from their mission statement to worship
services to task forces that concentrate on a variety of issues -- including
racism, economic justice, and environmentalism, with an examplary mix of education,
service, advocacy, community organizing, and witness activities.
2001 Recipient: Bismarck-Mandan Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Bismarck-Mandan Unitarian Universalist Fellowship was recognized for creating
an anti-racist partnership with American Indians in their area. During the President's
(Clinton) Initiative on Race, the American Indians were protesting because the
initiative was being framed in terms of black and white. Fellowship members
invited the group to come to the church to explain their critique to the congregation
and to work for expanding the initiative. Following that successful meeting,
there were subsequent visits between members of the congregation and members
of the nearby reservation. This led to UUs working actively with the native
folks on legislative advocacy issues relating to their community.
2000 Recipient: University UU Church and the Ranier Valley UU Congregation
University UU Church and the Ranier Valley UU Congregation. These congregations
jointly paid for a full page ad in the Seattle Times to organize the protests
of the World Trade Organization. This partnership of a large and small church
worked together to organize for the event and to provide training to participants.
1999 Recipient: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Laramie, WY
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Laramie, WY received the Bennett Award
for the outstanding ministry they provided and the educating and organizing
they did after the murder of Matthew Shepherd. They provided a grieving space
for members of the GLBT community, education for the community, with an emphasis
on youth, and action steps and advocacy directions for GLBT folks and straight
allies.
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