Social Justice Committee

Committee Charter

The mission of the Social Justice Committee (SJC) is to provide opportunities in the community for our members to live out their commitment to the principles of our faith.  Our work includes members and teams engaged in areas such as racial justice and inclusion, LGBTQ+ justice, reproductive justice, immigration justice, Middle East justice, and democracy justice. We respond to the social justice concerns of our congregation members, Minister(s), and our Board of Trustees, and serve as a resource to other congregational committees to encourage aspects of social justice and anti-oppression in their work. We initiate and coordinate social justice activities for our congregation in the larger community and advocate for the marginalized and oppressed. The committee is accountable to the congregation through education and providing opportunities to put our members’ passion for social justice into action.

Job Description

Responsibilities of the Chair:

1. Plan the monthly agenda and gather supplementary information.
2. Distribute the materials prior to the committee meeting through firstuu-sa-social-justice@googlegroups.com
3. Be a member of First UU San Antonio.
4. Preside over the meetings.
5. Follow up to see that agreed-upon actions are implemented.
6. Serve as a delegate, or designate a SJC member to serve as a delegate to the Texas UU Justice Ministry (TXUUJM) Advisory Council and attend their online meetings.
7. Participate in monthly congregational Coordinating Team meetings, or designate a SJC member to attend.
8. Formally communicate as needed on behalf of the Committee to the Board of Trustees, Minister,  congregational representatives, and representatives of other organizations in the larger community.
9. Manage the church’s social justice budget. Review, approve, monitor, report, and submit reimbursement or payment requests for funds to cover individual expenses, and commitments of congregational social justice teams and for our partner organizations and groups for whom we provide financial support. These include: COPS/Metro, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), and TXUUJM.
10. Respond to requests from outside organizations, or those brought through members of the SJC or congregation, to “sign-on” to letters or petitions in support of justice related issues or actions. This includes research and vetting of requesting groups, and documentation of sign-ons, according to protocol and procedure.
11. Organize the reservation of church campus space for groups in the community requesting meeting or event space serving social justice goals.
12. Schedule and coordinate with First UU Worship Committee to sponsor a SJC themed service for the congregation once per year.

Responsibilities of Committee Members:

1. Support SJC monthly meetings by attending regularly. Members who are designated representatives of a team or sub-group of the SJC or a Partner organization in the SJC portfolio, are asked to provide regular verbal or written reports of the actions and needs of the First UU sub-group or team they represent, or of the Partner Organization they represent which are in the First UU SJC portfolio inluding: COPS/Metro, TXUUJM, Free Battered Texas Women (FBTW), and Interfaith Welcome Coalition (IWC). First UU membership is preferred for designated representatives of teams or Partner Organizations in the SJC portfolio.
2. Bring information to the SJC about the needs and actions of organizations that need intermittent volunteer efforts or funds, such as San Antonio Food Bank, Haven for Hope, and other groups that support and align with UU values, and/or that may help our congregation implement UUA Study/Social Actions Items or Actions of Immediate Witness.
3. Propose, gain SJC approval, and plan measures or activities to raise funds among church members, including organizing sponsorship of Partner Organizations, e.g., Planned Parenthood of South Texas and Healthy Futures of Texas , etc. and coordinate accounting for funds raised through the SJC and/or church administrator.
4. Plan educational events (films, book-reads, discussion, etc.) and organize drives for community partners as requested and approved by SJC, Director of Lifespan Religious Education, and/or church administrator. Encourage participation among church members.
5. Participate with Texas UU Justice Ministry (TXUUJM) efforts to educate our elected officials about TXUUJM’s areas of interest through visiting with them in their local or district offices and in Austin during legislative sessions.
6. Administer the Share the Plate program, with its Coordinator being an active Committee member. 
7. Bring forward to the chairs any calls to action e.g., to sign letters or petitions received by our congregation and/or proposed within teams of the committee 
8. Promote participation in the annual MLK March.
9. Administration of the Courageous Love Award,  following the protocol,  to San Antonio area social justice heroes.  Each year, on the Sunday before Martin Luther King Day, the SJC members nominates and selects individuals or organizations from our larger community that have shown courage and touched hearts in ways that exhibit UU values, and updates the history of awards document.
10. Participate in the UU Common Read sponsored by the Denominational Connections Committee.

For more information about the Social Justice committee, visit our Social Justice page on this website or contact socialjustice@uusat.org.