Social Justice at UUCY

Commitment Through Consistent Service and Partnerships

Our Mission: The UUCY Social Justice Committee, fueled by our commitment to love, recognizes that diversity, inclusivity, and equity strengthen our democratic society. Our purpose is to facilitate the congregation's work on racial, economic, environmental, and other social issues while building bridges through volunteer work in York and our statewide organization, UUJusticePA. We also manage financial support of church contributions through our Share the Plate program, which typically donates over $10,000 to local non-profits.
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Meeting Time/Place: The UUCY Social Justice Committee holds monthly meetings that are open to the congregation and community. Meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30-8:00 PM over Zoom.  To have your topic added to our upcoming agenda or for the Zoom link, please email [email protected]

“There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary, and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair and disrespect.”  ― Nikki Giovanni 

Ongoing Goal: Create a More Equitable World by Engaging in the Work of Social Justice 

• Conduct analysis on community needs so we can narrow our focus on how to meet our mission
• Partner with community groups and programs to support social equality​
  • PFLAG and Rainbow Rose Center on matters of LGBTQIA+ Equality issues
  • Our Daily Bread and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church along with our Food Pantry Garden on Food Security
  • UUJusticePA and March on Harrisburg on Good Government concerns
  • YWCA on Racial Justice
    
  • CASA on Immigration Justice
  • St. Paul's Lutheran Church for Reproductive Justice to distribute period products
    
• Promote Voter Registration and overcome voter disenfranchisement to ensure more voter representation in upcoming elections

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Our Commitment: Share the Plate Partnerships
 UUCY shares half of all our donation plates each month with a local community organization, what we call Share the Plate (STP).  Our Share the Plate partners are identified through input from the Congregation and decided upon by the UUCY Social Justice Committee. We use the STP to cement our commitment through generous donations to our local partners. 
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Do you have an Organization you would like Social Justice to consider for UUCY's Share the Plate Partnership program in the next fiscal year? If so, and you are a member or pledging friend, please click the button below and fill out the form. Hard copies of the form are available at the Visitors Desk or on the Social Justice Stand.

Share The Plate Suggestion Form

Social Justice Teams

Learn more about the purpose and work of each team below!
To get involved, email [email protected] ​of your interest.

LGBTQIA+ Equality

Through action and partnership, we make a commitment to welcoming and affirming individuals and families of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. Members helped to start the local PFLAG and Rainbow Rose Center.

Food Security

Through dedicated service and partnership, we help to lessen the plight of food insecurity in our local community through our pantry garden and helping at Our Daily Bread food kitchen.

Good Government

Fueled by our commitment to the democratic process, we celebrate and promote pro-democracy movements, joining with other UUs across Pennsylvania to affect needed government reform at the local, state, and federal levels. We actively support UUJusticePA and March on Harrisburg.

Racial Justice

Acknowledging America’s culture has undervalued and often mistreated people of color, we commit to addressing the systemic issues and raising awareness of personal biases and the patterns that reinforce white privilege.

Immigration Justice

Recognizing that we are a nation of immigrants, we work to ensure that those who come to the United States seeking refuge and a better life receive dignity, respect, and assistance. 

Environmental Justice

The Green Action Team is exploring a number of strategies to help the congregation address climate change by raising the temperature for action -- so more UUCY members and friends make consistent decisions that are good for the earth, and become advocates for the cause.

Reproductive Justice

We advocate for the ability of all families and communities to realize a sense of wholeness with regard to their sexual and reproductive lives. We work collaboratively with St. Paul’s Lutheran to distribute period products along with food from our garden.