Causes We Support

Our Congregation supports social justice causes in several ways. We give of our time and talent on the Social Justice  Team and in working for their activities. We also provide funds for projects that align with our UU principles through the Share the Plate program. And, we pass resolutions in our annual congregational meeting that express our support as a whole congregation for principles of social justice.

On a national level, the Unitarian Universalist Association in the annual General Assembly, sets Social Justice priorities for the UU movement as a whole.

Individual Support

Cordon Road Stewardship  

Our contract with Marion County is to provide a twice yearly cleaning of 1 mile of Cordon Road.  In exchange, two “Adopt-a-Road” signs are placed along Cordon Road; one for Southbound traffic at Center and Cordon and the other for northbound traffic at Cordon and Pennsylvania.  Marion County traffic studies show that more than 10,000 cars drive on Cordon each day.

Share the Plate  

At each Sunday service, during what UUCS calls “A Time for Generosity”, a basket is passed around to collect money. This voluntarily given money is then shared with organizations from the local community who have goals that align with Unitarian Universalist principles. Here are the organizations with whom UUCS will be sharing the plate in upcoming months. Contribute to Share the Plate.

Marion Polk Food Share 

During the “Time for Generosity”  we pull a small wagon up to the front of the sanctuary to accept donations of food or money for the Marion Polk Food Share If the wagon is filled, it will support a family of four for a week. Marion-Polk Food Share is the regional food bank leading the fight to end hunger in Marion and Polk counties.

Congregational Support

UUCS Supports Stop IP 22 Initiative

At the May 20, 2018 annual meeting, members voted to support “Stop IP 22” efforts. IP22 is an Oregon ballot initiative that will repeal Oregon’s “sanctuary state” statute (181A.820) that separates local law enforcement from federal immigration enforcement. The conservative organization behind Ballot Initiative 22 (IP22) must obtain 88,184 signatures by July 6, 2018 in order to place this initiative on the ballot for the November 16, 2018 election.

The proposal  requests the support of the UUCS congregation to not sign the petition and to vote against repealing these statutes if they are on the November 2018 ballot. 

UUCS Votes to Become a Sanctuary Congregation

At the May 21, 2017 Annual meeting, members voted to become a Sanctuary Congregation by an overwhelming majority. Details of the progress toward that goal are available under A Sanctuary Congregation.

UUCS Adopts the Transportation Equity Resolution in 2014

At the annual meeting of the UU Congregation of Salem on May 4th, 2014, the congregation voted to adopt a Transportation Equity Resolution. It is the hope of the authors of the resolution that other churches will adopt a similar resolution, putting pressure on local and county governments to provide adequate public transportation for those who cannot afford their own vehicles, or cannot or choose not to drive a vehicle. Read the full text of the resolution.

UUCS Supports “Move to Amend”

 Move to Amend is an effort to amend the United States Constitution to affirm that the rights guaranteed therein apply only to flesh and blood individuals and that money does not equal free speech which can, therefore, be regulated. UUCS unanimously voted to support this stance a couple of years ago and the folks at MTA have been diligently pushing for its adoption statewide.

There is a two pronged effort to achieve this goal. One is for two thirds of the United States Congress to propose an amendment. The second is a Constitutional Convention, which requires at least two thirds of the states to call for. If either avenue is successful, it will still require the ratification of the amendment by three quarters of state legislatures. Oregon has successfully passed a measure urging the US Congress to propose an amendment. This is a big step toward insuring the continuation of our democracy. Move to Amend continues to pressure the Oregon legislature to call for a Constitutional Convention.
Action is still needed to push this issue forward.

Support By Our National Association, the UUA

Three Actions of Immediate Witness  were added to the General Assembly 2018 Agenda by vote of the delegates, and affirmed by the delegates by a vote of two-thirds or more after an opportunity for the delegates to review and propose amendments to them in mini-assemblies and on the floor of GA.  These AIWs are entitled “End Family Separation and Detention of Asylum Seekers and abolish ICE“; “Dismantle Predatory Medical Care Practices in Prisons and End Prisons for Profit“;  and “We are all Related: Solidarity NOW with Indigenous Water Protectors.”

Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Adopted Three Actions of Immediate Witness in 2015

Though it eventually passed with overwhelming support, the most contentious debate of the 2015 General Assembly involved the AIW “Support the Black Lives Matter Movement.” Discussion lasted well over an hour, much of it centering on the appropriateness of including the phrase “prison abolition” in the text. The words were left in, but an explanation of the term—“which seeks to replace the current prison system with a system that is more just and equitable”—was included.
Climate justice, at the fore of General Assembly 2015, was the topic of the AIW “Support a Strong, Compassionate Global Climate Agreement in 2015: Act for a Livable Climate.” The resolution says, in part, “Unitarian Universalists have made a commitment to climate justice and stand in solidarity with first nation peoples, who are disproportionally affected by climate disruption.”

Calling “the recently enacted practice of family detention” to be “inconsistent with our Unitarian Universalist values,” the Assembly passed an AIW entitled “End Immigrant Child and Family Detention Now.”