SAC Announce - Vigil for Ferguson TONIGHT at 7 PM in Roxbury
bethany.fpsac
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):
- Vigil for Ferguson TONIGHT at 7 PM and Other Resources to Digest the Grand Jury’s Decision
- Volunteers Needed at Open Table in Maynard
- Holiday Gift Bags for Prison Inmates – Drop Off Between November 30th and December 8th
- Inaugural Theodore Parker Lecture on Sun., Dec. 7, at 2 PM at Theodore Parker UU Church
- GLBTQ Holiday Potluck Dinner at First Parish in Bedford on Friday, December 12th at 6 PM
- Seeking Volunteer for Bail Data Collection Project
Vigil for Ferguson TONIGHT at 7 PM and Other Resources to Digest the Grand Jury’s Decision
As some of you might have heard, last night the grand jury in Ferguson, MO released their decision to not indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO on August 8th. In response to this decision, vigils have been planned across the country to hold a space for our country to reflect on what this decision means and show solidarity with the community in Ferguson, MO, a community which is still grappling for justice.
There is a vigil for Ferguson at 7 PM TONIGHT in Roxbury at Police B2 Headquarters, 2400 Washington St., Boston, MA. Show up with signs, cameras, and a thirst for justice!
If you cannot make the vigil, but would like to learn more about how you can process this decision by the grand jury, and respond responsibly, here are some resources. Many of these resources do not come directly from mainstream media. These resources tell a bit of a different story and can help us open our hearts to the many different sides of the story which have come out of Ferguson, MO.
- For talking to kids about Ferguson, follow #FergusonSyllabus
- From Slate, powerful
photos from Fergeson
- From Quartz, on becoming
a white ally to the Ferguson community
- Reflection
from Karen Johnson, the Intern Minister at the UU Church of Groton, MA
- Reflection
from Adam Dyer, the Intern Minister at the First UU Church of San Diego
- Prayer
form Rev. Sue Phillips
- Spoken Word from Poet, Jared
Fitzer, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, OK on August 17th
(warning: content includes some profanity)
- Recording
of Vigil on November 24th from Church of the Larger Fellowship
Intern Minister, Brian Chenowith, will be preaching on what has come up as a result of this decision this coming Sunday. Come hear what he has to say at 10 AM on Sunday, November 30th.
Volunteers Needed at
Open Table in Maynard
Open Table in Maynard is looking for reliable,
adult volunteers who are available to make a weekly commitment either Monday morning
or early evening to assist with gathering food donations from area grocery
stores, re-stocking pantry shelves, or checking in guests during our Monday night dinner service. We are
also looking for people to fill various coordinator positions, as well as local
residents with social work, counseling, public health, or nursing backgrounds
to join our Guests Services Team. Please contact Suzanne Hogan at suzann...@comcast.net if you are interesting in learning more.
Holiday Gift Bags for Prison Inmates – Drop Off Between November 30th and December 8th
The Holiday Gift Bag Project of Concord Prison Outreach is a way to bring some hope and holiday cheer to each of the nearly 1700 inmates of Concord's two prisons. For a list of the gift items and their specifications required by the Department of Correction, go to www.ConcordPrisonOutreach.org, click on “Holiday Gift Bag Program 2014,” then click on “Drop-off dates and a list of items to donate.” OR, pick up a list during FP Café or social hour on November 30th or December 7th. Donations of approved gift items are welcome in any quantity. Many people donate multiple units of one of the gift items. Also, tax-deductible checks can be made out to Concord Prison Outreach, Inc., earmarked "Holiday Gifts", and mailed to CPO, PO Box 383, Concord, MA 01742. For more information, contact Don Miller (donald...@comcast.net) or 978-610-6298.
Inaugural Theodore Parker Lecture on Sun., Dec. 7, at 2 PM at Theodore Parker UU Church
Please join us for the first in a series of annual lectures that feature clerics or theologians whose work reflects Theodore Parker's drive to bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice. Rabbi Brian Walt will lecture on "The Prophetic Challenge: Breaking Silence, Speaking Truth" which addresses why Israel-Palestine is an issue that must engage all of us, despite the difficulties, despite the controversies. Music and Reception to Follow in the Parish Hall. The Theodore Parker UU Church is located at 1859 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA.
GLBTQ Holiday Potluck Dinner at First Parish in Bedford on Friday, December 12th at 6 PM
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer (GLBTQ) people and families from Bedford and our surrounding communities are invited to a Holiday Potluck Dinner at The First Parish, 75 Great Road, Bedford, Friday night, December 12th, from 6:00-8:00pm. This event is geared toward sharing good food and conversation, and celebrating who we are. We encourage you to bring an appetizer, salad, entrée, or dessert to share. Please note that this is not a religious event but a warm and welcoming place for support and connection. Help us spread the word! For questions or more information contact Rev. Megan Lynes at mly...@uubedford.org or call 781-275-7994.
Seeking Volunteer for Bail Data Collection Project
From our partners at the First Parish UU of Arlington, MA, Mass Incarceration Working Group: The Massachusetts Bail Fund is looking for volunteers all over Massachusetts to help with two research projects in December and January. The Massachusetts Bail Fund, a project of the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition, posts bail for individual clients and also works to reform the cash bail system. To be successful in our efforts, we need more data showing how bail is set and how pre-trial detention affects people's lives. You can help by:
(1) Working in pairs, visit courts and collect information from case dockets.
(2) Conduct in-person or phone interviews with criminal defense attorneys, their clients, and family members about how bail has affected their legal practices or lives.
Your help could be crucial in this project. If you are interested, please consider participating in the Mass Bail Fund's Data Collection Project, which will enable us to determine whether or not Massachusetts' cash bail system has a disproportionately negative impact on poor and minority defendants. This data will be used to inform our work for bail reform with the legislature.
Trainings will be held on November 23rd (3:00 - 5:00) or November 24th (7:00 - 9:00) at the Mass Bail Fund's office in Cambridge (2161 Mass Ave). If you are unable to attend a training session, Skype participation is possible and/or necessary information can be shared by email/phone.
If you are interested in volunteering for this bail data collection project, we thank you very much in advance, and ask that you please fill out the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1AzSo8MYbZEPxYnqn_JqvefK94oPr21-BrrrY6zvpB7E/viewform.