To form an Issue Team: If you would like to join with others and form an Issue Team to address an issue for which you have passion, please contact Rev. Erin Gingrich, Associate Minister of Social Justice at sjminister@ucdsm.org.

AMOS (A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy)

There are several Issue Teams working through the community action group of AMOS: Project Iowa – Workforce Development Team, Healthcare Team, Mental Healthcare Team, and the Juvenile Justice Team.

Anti-Racist Collaborative of Des Moines (ARC)

The Anti-Racist Collaborative of Des Moines is the relational hub of White Anti-Racist work. Our purpose is to move ourselves and anyone who wants to join us along a spectrum toward a radical white identity. We do this by providing space for authentic reflection on the impact of white supremacy on our lives and communities and to transform whiteness through healing and anti-racist action. Questions? Contact Kate Allen, Linda Lemons, Petra Lange or Krys Lange.

Days for Girls

Days for Girls, an international nonprofit that creates sustainable feminine hygiene products to grant girls access to schooling year round. This issue is a surprising but instrumental key to social change for women all over the world. The Day for Girls team meets for a “work day” the first Sunday of most months, to sew and compile feminine hygiene kits to send to other countries. Sewers and non-sewers are welcome to attend. Questions? Contact Krys Lange.

Death with Dignity Action Group

Each year in Iowa, thousands of terminally-ill patients die only after enduring unnecessarily prolonged pain and suffering. The Human Rights Action Group at First Unitarian Church is currently working to pass a Death with Dignity law in Iowa to protect the rights and choices of terminally ill people to reduce their own suffering and control the timing and manner of their own death. If you are also interested in learning more about or working on this issue, then please join us the first Sunday of every even-numbered month in the church conference room. Questions? Contact Kay Becker at robertabecker310(at)gmail(dot)com.

Energy and Justice for All

Are you concerned about global warming? The Energy and Justice for All committee is concerned, and they are taking action to organize the church to do something about it. Energy and Justice for All committee members strive to encourage UUs and the broader public to take personal and political action in response to the crisis of climate change. They hope that together we will be able to envision and create a new more just, greener local and global economy. For information contact Roger Lemons, rlemons(at)iowarealty(dot)com

FEDS (Feed Every Deserving Soul)

The Social Justice task force concerned with hunger and hunger issues (commonly identified as the FEDS: feed every deserving soul/stomach) attempts to identify, pursue and facilitate projects for church members interested in helping to alleviate hunger in central Iowa. Activities since the FEDS inception in 2008 have included regularly preparing and serving dinner at the Central Iowa Homeless Shelter, collecting for the DMARC food pantry, and helping survey food sites in the area. Contact Bruce Martin at brucekmartin85(at)gmail(dot)com