Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

Guided by UU principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UUSC strives to advance human rights, dismantle systems of oppression, and uplift and affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all people. We center the voices and experiences of those most affected and strengthen those grassroots groups and movements who are organizing themselves to advance these goals. To accomplish this, we offer justice education and leadership development, engagement and mobilization for advocacy, and partner support and grantmaking assistance. UUSC aims to leverage our particular strategic assets and strengths to: disrupt criminalization and systemic oppression of people based on their identities; support self-determination and defend the rights of people who are or may be forced to leave the places they call home due to climate, conflict, or economic hardship, and address the root causes of forced displacement; and respond to humanitarian crises where people have limited access to aid.

We envision a world the values the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

Goal One: UUSC responds to natural and manmade disasters to address systemic inequity and human rights goals. We do this by partnering with affected communities as they rebuild their lives for a just recovery.

Goal Two: Climate Justice works to advance and protect the rights of those at risk of displacement caused by climate change, supporting the right to self-determination and relocation with dignity.

Goal Three: All people have the right to safety, dignity and a process to seek asylum. UUSC's Migrant Justice program works for systemic change to create a movement centered on the rights of people, not borders.

In addition to ongoing support for staff to pursue professional development (through allowing time to pursue course and funds to cover related costs) UUSC also works to develop leadership within our membership and volunteers. For example, this past year, we held virtual workshops and trainings to promote human rights advocacy, and worked with UU congregations to take social justice action. We also internally promoted several staff to leadership roles, and created committees and help all-staff trainings to promote increased diversity, equity and inclusion within our institution.

Many of UUSC's dedicated program staff hold leadership positions among several human rights networking groups, often conducting joint research, leading presentations and workshops. Our congressional outreach staff liaise with UU churches to conduct advocacy trainings. The core of our work is to partner with global grassroots groups to promote their work, through eye-to-eye partnerships. Our fundraising team leads trainings with smaller groups and presents at conferences. we have an active social media presence and engage with our members to promote our work through a vast network or Unitarian Universalist state advocacy and legislative networks.

Of course, this past year has been a challenging one. At the start of the pandemic, UUSC postponed all in-person meetings and events, all trips and travel, and instituted remote work. The staff were quick to pivot their activities, and develop remote work plans, so that we did not loose connection with our members/donors, with our programmatic partners and with each other. The Board was equally quick to support the needed adaptations, providing staff flexibility and funding. Facing a recession, we scaled back spending while maintaining two critical expenditures: employing the full staff and keeping our grant commitments for partners. As the pandemic continued, and knowing that our partners were facing even greater challenges, the Board approved supplemental grants so that they were better positioned to manage thier increased challenges. The quarantine also required that we cancel several significant events, such as partner convenings, an 80th anniversary gala, an annual membership meetings. We quickly moved the events to an online platform, allowing us to include even more people that we could in person. The 80th anniversary event, for example, attracted more than 600 guests and donations surpassed the goal. To keep in touch with members and activist, we regularly held online workshops, "action circles", cultivation calls, partner check-ins, and even led remote church services--holding more this past year (virtually) than ever previously held (in person). Our members responded quite positively by maintaining their support of our work. Staff meetings--large and small--continued to take place over Zoom. We conducted special "team time" for fun enter to connect folks across departments. We kept on scheduled with our diversity, equity and inclusion work, through a series of trainings, which continue. We look forward to being with all of our stakeholders in person soon. Until then, we will keep creating innovative ways to remain connected.