TOPICS

• Social & Environmental Action
• LGBTQ Welcome&Equality
• Community Service
• Environmental Justice​
• Social Justice
  

Social &
Environmental
​Action

Our congregation’s members and friends work to make our community and world a better place. We have made Social and Environmental Justice the focus of our liturgical year for 2020-2021. We are active in UUJustice PA and have many projects that we work on. In 2020 we participated in UU the Vote, to get the word out about voting. We do regular food drives for our local food pantry and community outreach to local retirement communities. This year we did a river clean up in our local communities. We are active in education about racism and are working to spread the word. And we are involved with other Unitarian Universalist congregations as an active participant in social justice campaigns.

LGBTQ
Welcome&Equality

We pride ourselves in being a caring, open-minded faith community. A part of that mindset includes our congregation openly welcoming all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered individuals, families, and communities, to join our congregation in making our world a better place. We work to promote the overall equality of the LGBT community, not only in our own congregation, but within society as well.

In doing so, we are committed to protecting the civil and legal rights of the LGBT community. Through these efforts, Ginger Hill Unitarian Universalist Congregation has now been officially deemed a Welcoming Congregation, as recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Office of LGBTQ Ministries.

Learn more about what the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is doing on LGBT, immigration, human rights and other issues at http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/

Speak out for LGBT justice and equality. The Standing on the Side of Love Campaign asks for help in repealing the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. We’re asking Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight allies from Butler, Lawrence and Mercer Counties in Pennsylvania–and beyond–to click the link below for more information on how you can get involved.
​http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/lgbt/

​UUPLAN endorses Equality PA position on Metcalfe Marriage Amendment. Read more about the Unitarian Universalist Pennsylvania Legislative Advocacy Network (UUPLAN) and how you can get involved at http://www.uuplan.org/page/marriage-equality

Community Service

Slippery Rock Summer Lunch Program
During the school year, children from low-income families often receive two-thirds of their nutritional intake each day from their school breakfasts and lunches. Unfortunately however, for many children, summer vacation represents a hungry time in their households due to these meals being no longer available. In response to this need, a cooperative effort between the Feed My Sheep Food Cupboard and local churches and civic groups, has agreed to sponsor the Summer Lunch Program. The meals that are to be sent to each child will be prepared at a Church in Slippery Rock, and delivered to different sites in our local area. Since the program began, Ginger Hill UUC takes responsibility for one week of the program—preparing food, delivering it to the children at many different locations and cleaning up.

Food Pantry Collection
In the back of our church sanctuary there is a basket to collect donations of canned and nonperishable food items for our local (Slippery Rock) food pantry.

Environmental Justice

The Seventh Principle of Unitarian Universalism involves, “Respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part.” Ginger Hill Unitarian Universalist Congregation is committed to educating and encouraging our members and friends to act in ways that respect and protect the earth—in our building and in our own personal lives.

Ginger Hill UUC is also a recognized Green Sanctuary through the UUA and we are certified Carbon Neutral. 

Radon Testing Program
Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell or taste but it may be a problem in your home. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. According to the EPA, nearly 1 in 3 homes checked had levels over 4 pCi/L, which is the recommended action level for radon exposure.

Because of our commitment to maintaining a safe environment, we have created a free program to test the homes of our members, friends and the local community for radon. There are meters available at the church that will be loaned to individuals to test their own houses. The test takes about a week. Instructions will be provided so that the participants can set up the instruments and, if they wish, erase the results before returning the unit.

​If you are interested in participating in the program, or would like more information, please email us at gingerhilluuc@gmail.com

Social
Justice

Ginger Hill UUC organized a team to work with the UUA program UU the Vote.

The UUA created a program to help congregations “get out the vote” during the 2020 election cycle.  This program, titled “UU the Vote”, is designed to help every UU be “prophetic, not partisan” and gives concrete steps we can utilize in keeping with our non-profit, faith related values. 

Now that the election is over, we are working with UUJusticePA on many of their projects.

If you are interested in more information, please email us at gingerhilluuc@gmail.com