SOCIAL ACTION
Click on the following social action initiatives
at Buxmont to learn more:
Split Plate Program
The Green Sanctuary Committee
The Peace and Justice Committee
Apartment Partners
SPLIT PLATE PROGRAM
The split plate program was initiated at BuxMont in October 2004.
Fifty percent of the offertory donations (not including operating
pledge money) taken on Sunday go to help organizations in BuxMont's
community who serve those in need. A different organization is chosen each
month. If you have any suggestions for organizations that you would like to
see BuxMont help in this way, please contact Alisa Brownlee.
February Split Plate
Split Plate Program Recipient for February
The Split Plate recipient for February is LIHEAP
(Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
Program) for Bucks County. LIHEAP
helps low-income families pay their heating bills by offering
both cash and crisis grants which do not have to be
repaid. General information about this program can be
found at http://www.liheap.org/. For information concerning
Bucks County LIHEAP, please contact the Bucks
County Assistance office at 215-781-3393
Split Plate Program Thank You
BuxMont donated $775.55 to the Montgomery County
Mediation Center (MCMC) in October 2011. The letter
received from MCMC included the following comments:
“We will see that this generous financial donation will be
put to good use in furthering our mission of facilitating
conversation among people in conflict, so that they can
arrive at resolution of their disputes. Please thank all your
members who so generously contributed to this donation.”
Click HERE for more information about split plate and to see a list of past recipients.
GREEN SANCTUARY REPORT
2012 is the year that energy analysts
and other experts predict that we could
see the end of spare global oil capacity.
Prices per barrel have been hovering
around $100. A friend of mine who just retired recently
spent $920 for her first oil fill-up of the year. Her tank
only holds 250 gallons, and she needed less than that.
She'll do this at least twice more unless the warm weather
holds up.
With tensions in the Middle East escalating as this is
written, and with other energy issues, it is not unreasonable
to expect another run at $150 a barrel oil and $5 a
gallon heating oil before the year is out.
I’m not sure how much our tanks hold at the Fellowship,
but Green Sanctuary continues working on efficiency
with our heating and cooling. So far, global warming
seems to be on our side. We’re far from what’s possible,
but improving. Our temperatures had been hovering in
the mid-60s. THIS IS MID JANUARY! What's going on
here?
So, how do you know if you have an energy-efficient
home? A simple test is to determine what your annual
energy costs are per square foot of total floor space. A
home built to current minimum standards will cost you
about a dollar per square foot. If you are below fifty cents
a square foot you have a pretty efficient home. At under
ten cents a square foot I’ll get your home on the next
green building tour. Of course, if there is no winter anymore,
who cares?
A big thanks to Aaron Rosenbaum from Buildings and
Grounds. We will be installing a donated photo-cell proximity
sensor on one set of entrance lights. The two interior
occupancy sensors donated at that time have gone
into hiding since the flood. We’ll install them (when they
reappear) and other upgrades in the near future. The set
of four LED ceiling lights for the area outside the kitchen
will also be installed. LED costs are coming down and
they are the new standard for efficiency and well worth
the cost. More of Aaron's ideas are cooking and we hope
to make a big dent in our energy costs.
The book of the month is Overshoot, by William Catton.
If you really want to know how we got into a triple-threat
perfect storm of challenges (energy, environment, economy)
you’ll find answers in this thirty-year-old classic.
I’ve read a lot that was essential reading, but this one tops
the list. It will likely surprise you as it did me, and provide
clarity. I'm pleased to report that Dan Schatz was
very helpful for getting me through the existential crisis
the reading aroused.
Larry Menkes
Click
here for Green Sanctuary Resources.
PEACE
AND JUSTICE NEWS
Usually, the UUA spotlights a
social justice issue each calendar
month, but decided to spotlight
Standing on the Side of Love
from January 16 through February
14, proclaiming NATIONAL
STANDING ON THE SIDE OF
LOVE MONTH focusing on
THIRTY DAYS OF LOVE, “a collective visioning
process about making sense of the present moment, and
what we are called to do. We aim to accomplish this
through self-reflection, active listening, sharing personal
and community stories, and celebrating our lives and our
heroes for their courageous love.
THIRTY DAYS OF LOVE offers daily,
direct actions for love, and the calendar is a
template to guide you through a meaningful
THIRTY DAYS. But your participation is
envisioned as a process, not an event.
While there is great power in collective action,
the beauty of Standing on the Side of
Love is its “open source” spirit, so bring
your own ideas, actions, and traditions with
you for this journey.” Please check out the web site http://
www.standingonthesideoflove.org/ to discover how you
can become part of this journey!
Occupy Movement
On December 5, the Peace and
Justice Committee voted to sign
the UU Service Committee’s
“Open Letter of Support for the
Occupy Movement.” Individuals,
groups, and/or UU congregations
are invited to sign this letter. The
“Letter of Support” and a sheet
for adding your name to the list of more than 4,500 people
who have already signed are located in front of the
Peace and Justice bulletin board - or visit http://
actnow.uusc.org/site/PageNavigator/
occupy_open_letter.html to sign.
Food Pantry - Bucks County Housing Group
The Peace and Justice Committee continues to encourage
your donations of food and other items needed at the
Food Pantry. There is often a drop in donations following
the holidays, so all items are needed. If you are not sure
what to donate, please see the lists of needed items that
are posted on the Peace and Justice bulletin board in the
Social Hall. The basket for your donations is located under
the Peace and Justice table in the Social Hall. All donations
are appreciated!
Ethical Eating and Environmental Justice
We are as vulnerable
as the eroding topsoil
if we do not enrich ourselves with
knowledge about our food system, and then share and
support such knowledge with others.”
— Wes Jackson
In accordance with the Ethical Eating Statement of Conscience
call to action, the Ethical Eating and Environmental
Justice group within the Peace and Justice Committee
will continue to offer educational programs that
address the issues of environmental justice, world hunger,
gardening, food preparation, and nutrition.
During 2011, the course Menu for The Future was offered.
Because of the popularity of that course, the Peace
and Justice Committee has scheduled another presentation,
Hungry for Change, a six-session discussion course
developed by the Northwest Earth Institute. It will be
held on six consecutive Thursday evenings, March 22
through April 26, from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. The themes for
the sessions are The First Bite, Politics of the Plate, A
Healthy Appetite, Just Food, Eating for Earth and Hungry
For Change.
Hungry for Change explores the true meaning of the
phrase "you are what you eat." This discussion course
challenges participants to examine their roles, not only as
consumers of food, but also as creators – of food, of systems,
and of the world we all live in. Each session includes
readings, short assignments and accompanying
discussion questions that address the impact of individual
food choices on a range of issues, including ecosystem
health, the treatment of factory and farm workers, and the
global economy. Hungry for Change helps participants
commit to lasting change by developing and sharing personal
Action Plans with each session.
As this is a discussion course, participants will need to
purchase the discussion guide for $22.00 from Jeanne
Kane and read the relevant material prior to each session.
More information about Hungry for Change and the sign
-up sheet are located on the Peace and Justice bulletin
board in the Social Hall. BMUUF members, friends, and
any others interested in the discussions are invited to attend!
Participation in all six sessions is encouraged, but
not required. If you are unable to attend the sessions, you
may be interested in just purchasing the discussion guide
that contains many interesting, informative articles! The
deadline for signing up for Hungry for Change and/or
purchasing the discussion guide is Wednesday, February
29, so that the discussion guides can be purchased, distributed,
and the relevant material read by participants
prior to the first session to be held on Thursday, March
22.
Childcare will be provided if a request for childcare is
made at least one week prior to each class. Contact
Jeanne Kane for more information or to request child
care.
Peace and Justice Committee Meetings
The mission of the BuxMont Peace and Justice Committee
is to uphold the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism
by supporting economic, environmental, and social
justice issues locally, nationally and globally through
education, advocacy and action. The committee meetings
are held on the first Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m.
in Room 104. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday,
February 6. All members and friends of BuxMont
are welcome – and encouraged – to attend!
ONGOING PROJECTS
Apartment Partners
Doylestown Food Pantry
We have an ongoing collection of items for the Doylestown Food Pantry (also by the Social
Action bulletin board).
Other Projects
Other ongoing projects supported by the committee include donations of eye glasses to
Volunteer Optometrists Serving Humanity (there is a box in the social hall to
drop off donations) and collection of used printer cartridges and cell phones
that are donated to A Woman's Place. (A collection box for these is next to the
Social Action bulletin board outside of the kitchen.)