Congregational Action and Involvement News from 2003
Here’s news from a number of UU congregations currently involve
in voter registration and get out the vote drives.
- First
Unitarian Church of Portland, Oregon
launched what they’re calling a “voter registration,
education and mobilization drive” on Sunday, September 14th,
2003. The idea grew out of the work of their Peace Action Group
and has since spread to the congregation-based community organizing
group Metropolitan
Alliance for Common Good
of which First Unitarian is a member. The church has a goal of
registering 4,000 people and is creating a thermometer display
to track their efforts. Contact Kate Lore, klore@firstunitarianportland.org
 ,
Social Justice Coordinator at First Unitarian Church.
- On Tuesday, September 30th, 2003, a Kansas City Board of Election
Commissioners official will visit All
Souls UU Church
at 5:30 p.m. to deputize Kansas City residents for the purpose
of registering people to vote. There is an upcoming election on
November 4th in Kansas City to increase the transportation tax
to support Metro bus service. The congregation plans to have deputies
at some of the major bus stops and riding some of the buses to
register people to vote and remind registered voters of the upcoming
election. The congregation hopes this effort will allow them to
reach people that are directly affected by the outcome of the
election, and also increase voter participation.
- The All Souls Social Responsibility Board is working with a
community political action committee that was formed in support
of this proposition; Contact: Paul Posner, Ad Hoc Committee on
Voter Registration, Social Responsibility Board, pposner@kc.rr.com
.
- At Arlington
Street Church ,
Boston MA’s Patriots for Peace group chose voter registration
as one of three initiatives for this year’s agenda. They,
along with the Social Action Committee and the Young Adults Group,
are having their first meeting on Sunday, September 27th at noon
following the Sunday service. The group has obtained voter registration
forms, developed a poster, and is planning to have a voter registration
table outside the church every Sunday. Community outreach plans
include partnering with the League of Women Voters, and local
community groups already working on voter registration such as
Dunk the Vote, Rock the Vote, and Boston
Vote .
For further information, contact Aileen
Montour, Social Action Chair.
- The New Hampshire District of the Unitarian Universalist Social
Concerns Committees were part of the organizing committee of the
“Rolling
Thunder Down Home Democracy Tour Rocks the Granite State”
effort, held on Saturday September 20th in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Michael Moore was the keynote speaker to an audience of 1200 people.
The tour provides a fun way to engage people in reclaiming democracy
and includes a voter registration component.
The UU Church of Manchester’s Social Responsibility Committee,
and the Social Action Committee of the Congregational Society
(Unitarian) in Peterborough played key roles in organizing the
event. Contact Doug Grant, dgrant116@comcast.net
,
District Social Justice Coordinator for more information.
- The
Oakland Coalition of Congregations (OCC)
reports that they kicked off their own Rolling Thunder event in
Oakland on July 15th, 2003. First
Unitarian Church of Oakland
will be involved in the planning and implementation of that event.
The congregation also plans Voter Registration and Get Out the
Vote activities and has had some recent experience with the upcoming
special election in California. Contact Sherry Larsen-Beville,
sbeville@pacbell.net
,
Social Action Chair for more information.
- The First
Unitarian Society of Madison, Wisconsin is
in the planning stages of a voter registration project that will
be inaugurated during the first week of November, 2003. The congregation’s
Social Justice Council will be incorporating this effort into
other social justice activities and working in partnership with
community groups. Voter registration and turnout will be one of
the issues addressed on November 1st, 2003 at the interfaith Industrial
Areas Foundation community assembly of which FUS is a member.
Contact Wendy Cooper, wendyc@fusmadison.org
,
Social Justice Coordinator for more information.
- Throop Memorial
Church Unitarian Universalist, in Pasadena, California
reports that their Social Action Committee is working
with the League of Women Voters and Working Assets to promote
voter registration and on “turn out the vote” projects.
They have posted information and activities on their website as
part of their social justice efforts. Contact Chris
Delacruz, cruzer10@earthlink.net
,
Social Action Chair for further information.
- The Unitarian
Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley ,
part of the Lehigh Valley Peace Coalition, is holding a one-day
peace and justice conference in Bethlehem, PA on October 25th,
2003 called "Working for Peace and Justice -- seeking a world
without war". The local League of Women Voters will have
a voter registration table during the lunch break and during the
afternoon. The Lehigh Valley church and their coalition partners
plan to have a voter registration component at all their upcoming
events. Contact Kerry Jones, Social Concerns Chair, kerryj@ptd.net
.
Information complete as of September 25, 2003.
If you have a congregational story relating to voter registration
or get out the vote activities, we want to know about it! Please
contact Susan Leslie, sleslie@uua.org
,
Director of Congregational Advocacy and Witness.
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