LIVING OUR MISSION
Purposes and Principles
We the Member Congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association covenant to affirm and promote: The inherent worth and dignity of every person; Justice, equality and compassion in human relations; Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; A free and responsible search for the truth and meaning; The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; The goal of the world community with peace, liberty and justice for all; Respect for the Interdependent Web of all existence of which we are a part.
Our Sources
The living tradition we share draws from many sources. Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces that create and uphold life; Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love; Wisdom from the world's religion which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life; Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves; Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit. Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.
Order of Service
Our regular Order of Service for our Sunday morning Worship includes Greetings and Brief Announcements; Prelude: Call to Worship; Hymns; Chalice Lighting, Doxology; Greet Your Neighbor; Offertory; Story of All Ages; Candles of Joy and Concern; Meditation and Prayer, Musical Selections; Readings, Morning Message; Postlude and Benediction.
Community Meals
The Open Door serves free dinners in a clean, pleasant, and friendly atmosphere. Four Saturday's a year members of UUSR are pleased to prepare and serve dinner at Open Door to anyone who is hungry or lonely.
Emergency Homeless Shelter
Action's Emergency Homeless Shelter provides a limited number of beds and hot meals to homeless adults (ages 18 and older) on a nightly basis. Prior to leaving the Shelter in the morning, guests are also provided with bag lunches. Members of UUSR prepare over 30 of these bag lunches on Wednesdays, twice monthly.
Fair Share
UUSR supports the Fair Share cause by only using fairly traded and organic coffee, tea, cocoa, and chocolates.
Help for Haiti
Member Mary Ann Camp is a volunteer nurse at a Partners in Development medical clinic in Blanchard, Haiti. Partners in Development (PID) is a nonprofit organization that provides child sponsorships, employment opportunities, adequate housing, medical care, clean water and sanitation to thousands of people each year in Haiti and Guatemala. Since the earthquake in Haiti in January, 2010, PID's medical clinic has been transformed from a quiet outpatient facility to a bustling emergency room/triage/care center.
A registered nurse who also does volunteer work for the Red Cross and the Massachusetts Medical Reserve Corps, Mary Ann donates her expertise, time, and energy to working with the thousands of adults and children who seek help each month at the PID clinic.
In the wake of the recent outbreak of cholera in Haiti, Mary Ann organized efforts to collect such much-needed items as soap and hand sanitizer, which she arranged to be sent to the clinic. She also created a network of knitters in Gloucester and Rockport who have created hundreds of hand-knit "comfort dolls." These small, cuddly dolls, knit in colorful Haitian clothes, have been "adopted" by many Cape Ann residents for a donation of $5. The dolls are distributed to Haitian children and the money is used to buy supplies for the clinic. Dolls are available for adoption and contributions of soap and/or hand-sanitizer are welcome.
Helping a New Orleans School
When Bob Beattie and our retired minister Rev. Katherine Reis where in New Orleans after Katrina in 2007, they tutored some great kids, 4th and 5th graders at Sarah T. Reed Elementary School in the 9th Ward. Reed School was meeting in the RE wing of a Baptist church and, like the rest of the struggling New Orleans school system, needed all the help they could get. At the end of the day, they looked around at the sparsely-stocked shelves in the school "library" and asked Danielle Vappie, the remedial teacher who was directing them, if Reed School could use some books. Danielle laughed in a weary sort of way and said, "What do you think?"
What they thought was, "Here's a way that UUSR and our friends can make a worthy contribution toward rebuilding New Orleans."
Thus, UUSR's Books to Reed Project.
Before the start of the new school year that September, Bob and Rev. Kathy wanted to send to New Orleans a substantial library of new and gently-used children's books, suitable for grades 1 through 6. Hundred's of books were donated by members and friends and sent down to the school.
Rebuilding the public schools was an essential step toward rebuilding New Orleans -- families could not come back to re-populate the city until there was a functional school system. Sadly, government help is agonizingly slow in coming and much depended on volunteer efforts like ours.