Social Justice

Share the Plate
We share half the cash and coins in our Sunday offering with designated charities. Recipients are selected by the Social Justice Team about every three months.

This quarter, we are using our Share The Plate funds with Friends of Ft Harrison. 

Recent past groups we have supported include the Community Cupboard of Lawrence, Planned Parenthood, Hancock County Hospice and Family Voices Indiana.
Pics from recent social justice activities
Assembling hygiene kits for teens in crisis, letter-writing for LGBT rights, creating Guest at Your Table boxes, marching in the annual Pride Parade, and more.


























































































































Picture
2019 gifts collected for our holiday families
KIVA
Participation in Kiva
As part of its efforts to alleviate hunger and food insecurity, the Social Justice committee has participated in food-related loans through Kiva. Kiva Microfunds is a 501c non-profit organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to low-income / underserved entrepreneurs and students in over 80 countries.

Over our five years as a Kiva lender, we have made 70% of our loans to women who spend 80% of their income on their children. The reason that so many of our loans are to women is that microlending began as an effort to empower women who were unable to participate in local economies because of gender bias. Additionally, the food-related loans are more likely to be held by women as well. The committee continues to look at which loans best match the mission of the group and is reviewing the gender imbalance with the loans.

Our newest loans:
  • Mary (Kenya) to stock her grocery store
  • Maria Mybel(Phillipines) for gardening tools and seed
  • Millicent (Kenya) to re-stock goods in her store
  • Imani (Kenya) for cloth and sewing goods
  • Reina (El Salvador) clothing to sell
  • Kiman’s group (Cambodia) for water filters

 Our lending history has been impressive.
  • 21 loans since 2010
  • 6 new loans (above)
  • 6 still paying pack
  • 8 paid in full
  • 1 default

We have joined  the UU lending team, which has 825 members who have collectively loaned over $650,000.

--March 2015




































































































































The Oaklandon Unitarian Universalist Church welcomes and celebrates the presence and participation of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer.
Connect with Social Justice
A deep dedication to social justice is rooted in the heritage and principles of Unitarian Universalism, and in our congregation. The Social Justice Team helps to guide the congregation's social justice activities. The congregation also frequently supports the passions and interests of individual members and families, as well as local and regional multi-church initiatives such as those sponsored by the Central Indiana Unitarian Universalists. In addition, Sunday morning services frequently feature speakers on various social justice topics.

Social justice activities in recent years have included food drives, adoption of a family at Christmas time, advocacy for GLBT rights including marriage equality, support for Kiva Project (small loans to people in developing countries), and support for the Interfaith Hospitality Network. 

If you are interested in participating with the Social Justice Team, contact socialjustice@oaklandonuu.org.