Greetings from UUs in Jamestown, New York! – First Unitarian Church of Honolulu

Greetings from the Social Action Committee of the UU Congregation of Jamestown, NY!

Would your church or Social Justice/Action Committee like a project that would bring your congregation together and help the children in your community?

Is there someone in your congregation who cares about kids or is passionate about children’s literacy or just plain wants to brighten children’s lives?

To extend our own social action, we’d like to share our experience with you!

In 2017, Ruby Wiles received our social justice award for her work putting books in the hands of children in our neighboring Warren County, Pa. After hearing her passionate description of the life-changing value of children having books in their homes—and learning that so many don’t have even a single book–-we have found a number of ways to bring books to kids.

We hadn’t anticipated how it would benefit us: coming together for a common cause, inspiring the participation of inactive members, receiving publicity in our local paper.

Our most satisfying endeavor has been adopting Ruby’s Halloween Read and Treat. When kids come by on Halloween, along with a treat, they go home with a book of their choice. (We’ve added simple crafts and books for parents as well.) Why Halloween? Because the neediest kids are out trick-or-treating on Halloween.

In addition to seeing the joy on the faces of the kids when they choose a book of their own, we are rewarded by working together on a meaningful project and increasing our visibility in our community.

Now we’re excited to help Ruby, a former Lutheran pastor who’s with us monthly, spread the word about this important program.

Click on Halloween Read and Treat to learn more about and become part of this adventure! Register, and you will receive all the information and materials you need to bring you and the children in your community the satisfaction and joy it has brought us.

With so many social justice needs in our uncertain world, it is heartening to know that such a simple commitment can yield such lifelong results.

Hoping you will join us in this rewarding effort,