The Social Justice Committee

To learn more about the work of our Social Justice Committee, please visit our blogs:

     Social Justice Committee Blog
     Green Sanctuary Committee Blog

The Green Sanctuary Project

The Green Sanctuary Committee has completed and submitted its Green Sanctuary Action Plan.  In the coming months, the Committee will be publicizing the ways you can become involved. Please review our complete Action Plan in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, learn more about the national Green Sanctuary Program, and visit our Green Sanctuary Committee's blog.

Green Sanctuary/Environment News & Notes

GREEN TIPS

• Sierra Club Activities at Smith Falls Sate Park.  First Unitarian Alan Vovolka and Second Unitarian Mary Bamesberger worked with other Sierra Club volunteers this past weekend to remove red cedar and other invasives at Smith Falls State Park.  6/25

• A New Green Business in Omaha: Blue Planet Natural Grill, 6307 Center Street. www.blueplanetnaturalgrill.com  6/25

• 4 More Green Groups First & Second Unitarians Are Involved in:
    - Heron Haven, a 25-acre inner-city wildlife sanctuary at 118th and Old Maple Road. Debbie Hunsberger works with Ione Werthman, founder of Heron Haven.
    - Loess Hills Preservation Society: www.loesshps.org.  Green Sanctuary Co-Chair Glenn Pollock, a longtime prairie conservationist, is on the Board of Directors.
    - Gifford Park Community Garden: 3416 Cass Street. First Unitarian Dana Freeman is Youth Garden Director and recently received an award for her work. The 2009 Youth Garden Calendar: www.giffordparkomaha.org/Youth_Garden.html
    - Dundee Community Garden: 49th and Underwood. Sharon Conlon and Mary Green are Directors and Ken and Helen Deffenbacher are volunteers at the garden. www.dundeegarden.org  6/25

• Farmer's Market.  Thank you to Ellen Shurson for creating our real local Farmer's Market and to all First Unitarians who have bought and/or brought things. All proceeds benefit our church.  6/25

• Fair Trade Coffee.  Thank you to everyone who has bought coffee at our Fair Trade table and to Susan Grande and Lynette Ryder who have volunteered to help Green Sanctuary Co-Chair Ken Deffenbacher sell the coffee.  6/25

• To read Paul Hawken's inspiring commencement address at the University of Portland in May, go to www.google.com and enter: "You Are Brilliant, and The Earth Is Hiring." (His book, Blessed Unrest, is in the Lemon Lending Library).  6/18

• Local green organizations to which First and Second Unitarians belong:
    - The Nebraska chapter of Nature Conservancy: www.nature.org/Nebraska
    - Green Omaha Coalition: www.greenomahacoalition.org
    - The Omaha area chapter of the Sierra Club: www.sierraclub.org/MissouriValleyGroup  6/18

• New Glass Recycling Site.  New recycling drop-off site at 75th and Corby Street (one block south of Maple). Accepts glass and all curbside recyclables.  6/11

• Recycle Bank. Earn points for recycling and redeem them for valuable products and services: www.recyclebank.com  6/4

• Gardening Classes at the City Sprouts/Orchard Hill Community House at 4002 Seward Street for adults and children. The teachers, Bob Green and Amy Smith are Master Gardeners. 11:00 to 12:30 on the following dates:
    July 18: Cooking from the Garden  4/2

• The Little Green Sanctuary Bookshop needs used books for all ages on nature & the environment.  All proceeds will be used to help make our church more energy efficient.  Our book sales will be on the last Sunday of every month after Sunday services in the Common Room.  We'll also sell new books on nature and the environment, including publishers overruns, at deeply discounted prices.  Contact Helen Deffenbacher.

●  Fair Trade Coffee - On Sale Every Sunday!
The Green Sanctuary program has teamed up with A Hill of Beans, a local coffee roaster, to make the coffee we enjoy during coffee hour available for home consumption in 1 lb. and 1/2 lb. ground or whole bean, regular or decaf bags.  1 lb. bags are $10, and 1/2 lb. are $5, with 30% of the proceeds benefiting the Green Sanctuary program.  Also for sale are 1 lb. or 1/2 lb. whole coffee beans from Timor, Peru, and Ethiopia, each reflecting a different roast.  These make a fine coffee and a fine gift, and support your local church, business, and planet with one purchase!  On sale during coffee hour - for more information, contact Shawna Foster.

Updated Jun 26, 2009 gae