SAC Announce
Bethany L
In this email, you'll find information about some exciting events sponsored, supported, or promoted First Parish in Concord's SAC.
The announcement contains information on (red bold indicates new news items):
- ATTACHED: Poster for an Event on May 21st in Lexington on Affordable Housing in the Boston Suburbs
- Mother’s Day Walk for Peace on Sunday, May 10th at 8 AM
- Beyond Mother’s Day Events in May
- Amnesty International Group 15 Meeting on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 PM – Hear from SAC Grantee Dignity in Asylum
- Volunteer Opportunities at Open Table and Household Goods (formerly HGRM)
- Support First Parishioner in the NAMI Walk on May 16th
- Divestment Discussion on Sunday, May 17th at 11:30 AM
- Participate in Concord’s “Green Your Heat” Program
Mother’s Day Walk for Peace on Sunday, May 10th at 8 AM
“We hear and read about it every day. Needless and senseless violence in our schools, on our streets, in our neighborhoods. Please join us as Boston, and ALL of Massachusetts, comes together to make a statement: "It's time to unite, and together, stop the violence that impacts all of us!" (Tina Cherry, Founder of the LDB Peace Institute.
This Mothers' Day, Sunday, May 10th, 2015, thousands of caring and concerned citizens will rally and walk in support of creating a more peaceful and violence free community.
The Mother's Day Walk for Peace began in 1996 for families who had
lost their children to violence. On a day that we celebrate mothers and
children, the Walk became a place for families and friends to feel support and
love with thousands of others who pledge their commitment to peace. The Walk is
the primary fundraiser to support the work of the Louis D. Brown Peace
Institute.”
Please note ALL walkers must register at www.mothersdaywalk4peace.org. This year
First Parish Concord hopes to have enough folks participating so we can rent a
bus (or 2) and ride down together. Families with children are more than
welcome. My son Graeme, his wife Kelly and their daughter Anya (age 4) have
walked for the past 2 years and hope to do so this year. Starting Sunday,
April 5 and every Sunday until the Peace Walk, please visit the Mothers’
Day Peace Walk table during coffee hour – before or after the service - to
learn more about the walk, to make a donation, and/or to learn how to register
for the walk.
Also please come to hear Tina Chery, founder and executive director of LDB Peace Institute speak at the Sunday, May 3 Forum and learn first-hand about life-giving work of the Peace Institute.
I look forward to seeing you at coffee hour, or communicating with you on the phone or email,
Margie
Rev. Margie King Saphier
Beyond
Mother’s Day Events in May
Several events by and about women, peace and
justice, have been planned for the month of May! All members and friends of
First Parish are invited to join us for these thought provoking and celebratory
programs:
Saturday, May 2nd at 7p.m. - Deborah Jiang Stein, Author and Advocate for incarcerated
women will speak to us about justice for imprisoned women. She is founder of
the unPrison Project and author of Prison Baby, a personal account of life
changing events which have shaped her advocacy work in this field. State Representative Cory Atkins will join us this
evening, for discussions with Ms. Stein. Tickets are $10.
Saturday, May 9th, 7p.m. - Lunafest Film Series returns! Lunafest is an evening
of short films by women film makers. FP Mother/Daughter book group will make
popcorn! Films are entertaining and thought provoking. This is a fund raiser.
Tickets are $15.
Sunday, May 10th, 8a.m. – Mother’s Day March for Peace in Roxbury.
Mothers, dads, kids, all are invited to join the annual march of the Louis D.
Brown Peace Institute. Rev. Margie King Saphier coordinates this early morning
event for FPC. This is a family friendly event, which promotes the right of all
individuals to live in peace.
Wednesday, May 20th, 12 noon - Skyloom Dancers
at WPA luncheon! This creative group of women will dance a spiritual
celebration of women! Lunch begins at noon, followed by the Dance performance. Cost for lunch and
performance is $10.
Look for posters and sign-up sheets at coffee
hours in April and May. Events are open to all members and friends of First
Parish in Concord, and are part of a collaborative effort by the Social Action
Committee, Reproductive Justice, RE Council, Mother and Daughter Book
Group, and Women's Parish Association. For more information, please contact Lora Venesy at ven...@comcast.net
Amnesty
International Group 15 Meeting on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 PM
Did you know that asylum seekers can't work in
the U.S until they've been here six months? It's no surprise, then, that their
greatest unmet need in the Boston area is housing--in short supply in the best
of circumstances. That problem spurred two members of Group 15 to start a new
non-profit, Dignity in Asylum, that currently provides an apartment in Maynard
for women asylum seekers. Please join us at our May meeting to hear more about
this brand-new local project. AI Group 15 meets regularly on the third Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30. If you’d like more information about Group 15, please
contact Kathy Taylor, the group’s coordinator, at Kly.t...@gmail.com or 781-718-7640.
Volunteer Opportunities at Open Table and Household Goods (formerly HGRM)
Did you know that First Parish in Concord sends 4-6 volunteers once a month to Open Table (Maynard) and Household Good in Acton? You could be one of those volunteers. Contact Tricia Haut for more information.
Support First Parishioner in the NAMI Walk on May 16th
The NAMIWalks event will take place on Saturday, May 16th. NAMI stands for National Alliance for Mental Illness. NAMI works hard everyday to dispel misconceptions and educate the private and public sector by presenting facts and not stereotypes. 1 in 5 American adults experience some kind of mental health condition in a given year. Additionally, 1 in 20 adults are living with a serious mental health condition. Mental health conditions do not discriminate. Those living with mental health conditions experience stigma, which would likely lead to hiding the condition, and so even if you don't think you know anyone with a mental health condition, chances are you do. Funds raised at the Walk on May 16th will support NAMI's efforts. First Parishioner Kristin Stiles-Hall (kstil...@gmail.com) works closely with NAMI and can answer any questions you have. Kristin will also be walking on May 16th. To support her, or join her, go to: http://namiwalks.nami.org/KristinSH.
Divestment Discussion on Sunday, May 17th at 11:30 AM
Please join us on Sunday, May 17, at 11:30am to discuss the proposed warrant article on fossil fuel divestment that will be considered at Annual Meeting on June 14. This is the final gathering scheduled before Annual Meeting, so come find out what it's all about and share your thinking! This dialogue on social & responsible investing (SRI) and divestment is spurred by the fossil fuel divestment commitment adopted at the UUA General Assembly last June and other divestment discussions underway around the world. Questions & comments? Please speak with Bruce Blumberg, Laura Bernstein, Bob Andrews, Kate Crosby, or Bethany Lowe.
Participate in Concord’s “Green Your Heat” Program
Concord’s Comprehensive Sustainable Energy Committee, architect of the highly successful “Solar Challenge,” in Concord, is now offering great savings on energy and energy expenses through its’ “Green Your Heat” program. If you heat your home with either oil or electricity, you are eligible to participate in this program, which provides partial rebates for a variety of weatherization services such as insulation, sealing of air leaks, upgraded attic vents, and installation of programmable thermostats. With weatherization, most residents can save as much as 20-30% off of their energy bills.
In addition to saving you money, weatherization can make you and your family more comfortable in your home by reducing drafts. And reducing the energy used to heat and cool your home can reduce fossil fuel emissions that contribute to climate change by as much as 20-30%.
For more information about this great opportunity to become more energy efficient, click here.
Bethany L
In this email, you'll find information about some exciting events sponsored, supported, or promoted First Parish in Concord's SAC.
The announcement contains information on (red bold indicates new news items):
- Amnesty International Group 15 Meeting on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 PM – Hear from SAC Grantee Dignity in Asylum
- Bidder 70 Showing with Special Guest Tim DeChristopher on Tuesday, May 19th at 7 PM at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Lincoln
- New! Volunteer Sign-Up for Social Action and an Immediate Need
- Support First Parishioner in the NAMI Walk on May 16th
- Divestment Discussion on Sunday, May 17th at 11:30 AM
- Participate in Concord’s “Green Your Heat” Program
Amnesty International Group 15 Meeting on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 PM
Did you know that asylum seekers can't work in
the U.S until they've been here six months? It's no surprise, then, that their
greatest unmet need in the Boston area is housing--in short supply in the best
of circumstances. That problem spurred two members of Group 15 to start a new non-profit,
Dignity in Asylum, that currently provides an apartment in Maynard for women
asylum seekers. Please join us at our May meeting to hear more about this
brand-new local project. AI Group 15 meets regularly on the third Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30. If you’d like more information about Group 15, please
contact Kathy Taylor, the group’s coordinator, at Kly.t...@gmail.com or 781-718-7640.
Bidder 70 Showing with Special Guest Tim DeChristopher on Tuesday, May 19th at 7 PM at St.
Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Lincoln
Join us for a screening of "Bidder 70," the award-winning documentary about
33-year-old climate-justice activist Tim DeChristopher, now a student at Harvard
Divinity School -- who was sentenced to two years in federal prison for an act
of peaceful civil disobedience protesting fossil-fuel extraction on public
lands in Utah -- followed by audience Q&A with Tim. The evening
will be MC'd by journalist, activist, and St. Anne's parishioner Wen Stephenson of Wayland, a contributing
writer for The Nation and author of a forthcoming book featuring Tim's story. Hosted by the
Climate Justice Ministry at St. Anne's in-the-Fields, together with 350Mass
MetroWest, part of the statewide grassroots climate-action network 350 Massachusetts for a Better Future
New! Volunteer Sign-Up for Social Action and an Immediate Need
The SAC Council has a new way to distribute information about volunteer opportunities in the community. We have started a Sign-up Genius which allows First Parishioners to sign up for one-time and regular volunteer opportunities in the local community. You can sign up ahead of time, or we will intermittently send last-minute calls to fill specific direct service opportunities to anyone registered to our group. If you’d like to stay in the loop about these local volunteer opportunities, contact Tricia Haut (th...@mac.com) or sign up directly here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c44aaa82da13-first2.
On the Sign-up Genius, there is an immediate and urgent need for 10+ volunteers to help Household Goods collect small furniture and other household items on Boston College’s move-out day, Monday, May 18th. If you can volunteer that day, sign-up through Sign-up Genius or contact Tricia.
Bethany L
In this email, you'll find information about some exciting events sponsored, supported, or promoted First Parish in Concord's SAC.
The announcement contains information on (red bold indicates new news items):
- New! Volunteer Sign-Up for Social Action
- Participate in Concord’s “Green Your Heat” Program
New! Volunteer Sign-Up for Social Action
The SAC Council has a new way to distribute information about volunteer opportunities in the community. We have started a Sign-up Genius which allows First Parishioners to sign up for one-time and regular volunteer opportunities in the local community. You can sign up ahead of time, or we will intermittently send last-minute calls to fill specific direct service opportunities to anyone registered to our group. If you’d like to stay in the loop about these local volunteer opportunities, contact Tricia Haut (th...@mac.com) or sign up directly here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c44aaa82da13-first2.
Participate in Concord’s “Green Your Heat” Program