Social Action
How Many More?
Huntington Beach, March 15: The Orange County Peace Coalition's "How Many More? Resist, Resist the War!" brought together about 300 Orange County peace activists to acknowledge the 5th anniversary of the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. This event included a silent peace march, a children's peace choir, a resource fair, Winter Soldier Testimonies, and an Arlington West Memorial service.
We (8 from Tapestry) SILENTLY walked in single file down Huntington Beach's busy Main Street, most of us wearing "How Many More" t-shirts with the number 3,987, representing the number of U.S. soldiers killed to date, in Iraq. Curious onlookers, shoppers, and restaurant diners were visibly moved by the long line of quiet PEACE marchers.
With Pacific Ocean waves crashing in the background, Sean McAllister, an Iraq Veteran for Peace, gave emotional testimony of his Iraq deployment. He urged all attendees to spread the word about Winter Soldier, 2008, testimonies. Maricela Guzman spoke of her horrendous experience of being raped while serving in the military, and the unwillingness of the government to acknowledge that she was, indeed, raped. Agustín Aguayo, a brave conscientious objector whose case is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, spoke of his reasons for resistance. Helga Aguayo, Agustín's wife, spoke of the extreme hardships experienced by family members whose loved ones are currently in Iraq.
The event concluded with an emotional TAPS being played by a lone bugler at the Orange County Veterans for Peace Arlington West memorial.
Great American Write-in, the 23rd Annual
Sat., April 5, 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Lakeview Senior Center at Woodbridge Community Park in Irvine, 20 Lake Road. FREE! Over forty local groups tabling for the causes you believe in. Postage, supplies and refreshments provided by Women For: Orange County. Remember your return address labels, & help the Earth by bringing your own mug.
UU Service Committee Human Rights Forum: Sat., April 12
See the announcement on the Community page.
Call to Action Regarding School Cuts
Sunday, April 13, 4:30-6:00 p.m. at Tapestry
Information, testimonials, letter-writing workshop, handouts, food.
Discussion led by Saddleback Valley School District activist parents.
Sample letters and help writing own letters. And we’ll mail them for you!
Sponsored by Social Action Committee
Environmental Action Group
Green Sanctuary
Tapestry is a candidate for Green Sanctuary Certification - Tapestry's application was accepted by the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for the Earth. That means that we have between one and two years to complete the action plan outlined in the application. We meet on the fourth Sunday of every month. We would welcome your participation. We are committed to activities in the following areas over the next year:
1. Environmental Justice
a. In collaboration with the Sierra Club and OCCCO, organize monthly hikes for young people in San Juan Capistrano who never get outside of the city. Drivers are needed for these events.
b. Support Habitat for Humanity in their green building projects
2. Worship
a. Enlist a dynamic Sunday speaker to discuss Green Sanctuary Program
b. Enlist a thoughtful Sunday speaker to encourage us to live simply
3. Religious Exploration
a. Plant a tree
b. Take field trip to San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary
c. Plant a garden
d. Weigh the classroom trash to see if it can be reduced over time
4. Sustainable Living
a. Hold an Annual Sustainable Living Fair
b. Provide Eco Tips in the monthly newsletter and weekly order of service
c. Show the film “Green is the New Red, White and Blue”
d. Implement recommendation of energy audit of facility to install tinted film on west-facing windows upstairs
e. Recommit to the reuse and recycling of paper
Environmental Justice Project Off to a Good Start
Green Sanctuary's Environmental Justice Group, in collaboration with the Sierra Club, Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO) and CREER, a San Juan Capistrano community organization, has started a series of environmental field trips for middle school children, who because of their economic situation, don't often get a chance to get out and enjoy nature.
The first trip was to Caspers. It included a beautiful spring trail hike, a visit to the Nature Center there, a picnic and a talk with one of the rangers about the path he took to get his current job. We're hoping to have these outings once a month and need drivers for future field trips. If you are so inclined, please check out the signup sheet on the social action board in the social hall.
Jan Meslin
Eco-Tips
Styrofoam, #6 plastic, is used to make disposable coffee cups, take-out containers and the trays that raw meat comes in. It takes a lot of energy to produce, and Waste Management, the local disposal company, won't accept it for recycling. How to eliminate some Styrofoam from your life? Bring your own coffee cup to Tapestry on Sunday morning. Get meat from the butcher counter at the supermarket. And patronize restaurants that pack leftovers in paper, cardboard or plastics other than #3, 6 and 7.
No time to spare. Play an active role in protecting the web of life that supports us all by getting involved in a conservation project. You could go it alone by creating some new habitats in your garden, or join in a bigger project run by the Green Sanctuary Committee. Ideally do both - the millennium Ecosystem Assessment estimates that 10 - 30 percent of species are under serious threat, so we need to get moving.BYOC (Bring Your Own Cup)
As part of the work of the Green Sanctuary Committee, we are recommending that you bring your own cup (BYOC) for coffee during the social hour. This should decrease the amount of trash generated and, as a secondary advantage, decrease the amount of money we pay for disposable cups. Your cups can be taken home for washing after each use, or they can be rinsed out in the sink and placed on the new shelves that Free Clarke has agreed to install near the sink. One way to remember to bring your own cup is to place it into a bag and leave it in your car. That seems to work for me, even though I sometimes need to walk back to my parked car to get the cup (or to get my cloth bags when I go to the grocery store).
We are also going to install new signs on the trash cans to clarify which ones are for cans and bottles, which ones are for paper and plastic and which ones are for trash. Hopefully, this will eliminate the need for the sorting of recyclables and, at the same time, increase our environmental awareness.
Even though these are small steps for each of us, if many folks participate, it can make a difference.
Ruth McCoy
South County Outreach
South County Outreach is a non-profit organization which we have been supporting through donations to their Upscale/Resale Thrift Store and their food pantry. SCO helps families in need through food, rent and utility assistance, and clothing. They also have a computer lab to help job seekers to upgrade their skills.
We have a collection tub in the social hall for thrift store donations. Shirley McGovern takes the donations to the store as needed. If you haven't been to their thrift store you may be surprised at some of the lovely merchandise they have. Not everything they have has been used.
Shirley has made arrangements with the manager and hopes to have a once-a-month schedule of their special sale items. There will also be a coupon for which you can receive 50% off of one item. The thrift store is located at 23501 Ridge Route #G (near Tuesday Morning). Call 949-855-4158 for more information. Or email Shirley at .
Brochure
You will find copies of our new brochure at the social action table.
Have You Been Wanting To Get Involved With the Social Action Committee? We Need You!
"...to support commitment to service in the wider world."
These words, taken from the UUCSC mission statement, describe the spirit and commitment that motivate the members of the Social Action Committee. We represent the aspects of Unitarian Universalism dedicated to making our world a better place to live. We need your ideas, your energy, and your help! We encourage each other's struggles with the hard questions. We are working together as a team to bring these questions to the attention of the larger community. Please join us at one of our meetings or events. Currently, Social Action has two subcommittees: Community Services and Events/Programs.
Jan Meslin, Chair ()
Events/Programs
Jan Meslin () and Shirley McGovern (), Co-chairs
We address the symptoms of violence and injustice in today's world through a once per month letter writing campaign, programs and events to educate the public on current issues, and demonstrations. We welcome newcomers to our planning meetings. Our mission is to provide current and credible information related to issues of peace and democracy through email, information tables, programs and events. We do these things in an effort to enhance our collective understanding of world events and foster compassion for those who are suffering. In the end, we believe that these things lead to greater peace and justice, both within our local community and beyond.
Not-So-High Over Southeast Fullerton
by Terry Black
This past Saturday, I hurt my shoulder. Cheated death, sort of. And wound up owing someone money, for something I took from the trash. All part of my commitment to Habitat for Humanity, building new homes for the people who need them.
Yes, I got roped into yet another church-group outing, this time in Fullerton, which is less grungy and certainly more accessible than my previous adventure, somewhere in Mexico. Actually, Fullerton is where my mom lives, so that sense of third-world desolation was really not a problem.
In fact, the biggest problem was that there were too many of us, and not enough to do. Tapestry fielded 23 volunteers for the excursion, including me and my beloved wife, and not all of us were fully employed. Some of the time was spent just standing around, waiting for instructions. But if you really wanted to work, you had an option:
You could join the roofing crew.
Which nobody wanted to do, except Gary and Alison Moe, Free Clarke and a couple of others, and of course the regular Habitat crew, who fear nothing. Personally, I fear everything, but somehow it didn't bug me to climb out onto the eaves of an unfinished house and nail ceramic roof tiles into the tarpaper. I think it's because, in my heart, I'm still Catholic.
See, I was a very religious kid, which is hard to believe now but it's true, I swear. And I had this game I played, whenever I watched TV or saw a movie. It went like this: You pick a character who gets killed, and decide based on the story if they go to hell or heaven.
Sometimes people you liked didn't make it. One slip at the climax and they'd be catching that DOWN elevator, sniffing brimstone. But the best characters all died nobly. It was kind of heartening. I used to go to confession and emerge with my sins washed clean, thinking gosh, if I kicked off right now the Pearly Gates would swing wide.
That's the feeling you get on Habitat for Humanity's roofing crew.
I don't know if it was all that dangerous; the roof was solid and survivable. But it was oddly comforting to know I'd be granted instant salvation if need be, standing there high over Fullerton with the morning haze like heaven’s ramparts, doing work that God Himself must admire, if indeed He's up there and paying attention.
One of my partners-in-pounding, Vickie, was a Habitat regular who hoped to qualify for a house of her own, after 500 hours of service to others. No handouts here — these homes are hard-earned, by folks working longer and harder than my own twice-a-year blown Saturdays. To them, repaid charity is not an abstraction. I salute them.
Sadly, all that hammer-pounding aggravated my shoulder, where I'd recently suffered a repetitive stress injury writing a thousand lines of dialogue for a Parisian video game (don't ask). The next morning, I needed an Advil. I thought about comparing my shoulder to the suffering of the great Catholic martyrs, but the metaphor (unlike that roof) won't carry the weight.
The other thing that happened, call it serendipity, was that I found a book from the LIFE World Library on the great countries of Eastern Europe, just sitting there in someone's trash can. If you're like me, that suggests a thousand stories. (If you're not, maybe it doesn't.) I snatched it, since they were throwing it out anyway, and stuck it in the car. Only later did realize that it had a $3.00 price tag on the back, hand-written. They must have had a garage sale, failed to sell it, and then threw it out.
The old me wouldn't care. But the new me — with my newfound sense of personal responsibility — is going to have to go back to that house and fork over the three bucks. That's what people do in a genuine community, I think, when they start to care about things beyond themselves.
I may have actually learned something from all this.
Terry
Yikes.
