Important work and motivating actions are happening at Chalice. We now have four justice areas of focus. They are: (1) economic, (2) racial and cultural, (3) gender and reproductive, and (4) climate. Thank you to all the interested and involved people who attended our Nov. 3 Semi-Annual Social Action Meeting with Rev. Nica. If you have questions, would like to be involved, or want to receive emails related to particular groups, please visit our Social Action table in the Fellowship Hall. Our next semi-annual gathering is scheduled for April 5, 2020. Here are actions and opportunities to consider:
Economic Justice – meetings have been temporarily suspended. Future discussion and planning may include a Habitat project or longer-term plans for housing our houseless people in Conejo Valley. Fairtrade chocolate and coffee sales are organized during coffee hour by Howard Bierman who also collected winter clothing during November. December 2nd is the next Feeding Hands opportunity to prepare food for the free community meal at Calvary. Lisa Portman coordinates participation.
The economic justice group was suspended. We are hoping a new group will form and we encourage Chalice members to get involved. This community needs our active advocacy for fairer wages, and relief from hunger and homelessness.
Racial and Cultural Justice – meets 2nd Wednesday, 5:30 to 7pm. Projects include:
November 23, 8am to 1pm – Citizenship Fair in Simi Valley – volunteers were trained and helped people fill out forms for DACA, green card renewal or citizenship application. Contact Randall Edwards for information. January 20 – the 34th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Oxnard. Join with others from Chalice to attend this important event. Perhaps you can be part of a Chalice table while listening to the program. February 8 – partner with Buen Vecino for an evening event in Simi Valley to help gather progressives.
Gender Equality and Reproductive Rights – recent activities include a Community Forum on “Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights in an Uncertain America” and a well-attended, informational meeting for parents about O.W.L. This stands for Our Whole Lives, a secular, comprehensive sexuality education program for separate age-appropriate classes administered by Robin Lindsey. You may have noticed Personal Care baskets in Chalice bathrooms. Other projects may be developed in the coming months. We have information about a Safe Zone Training program that may be possible in the near future. If you are interested, please let me know.
Climate Action Team is growing. – In December, 21 people gathered to hear John Brooks of the City of T.O. Sustainability Division. He spoke about the City’s General Plan 2045 which is currently under development, and the separate but intertwining Climate Action Plan that is being developed by the Sustainability Division. Since Ventura County has had the highest average temperature increase in the lower 48 states, we need to pull together to work on creative plans for resiliency and sustainability.
You can be involved. Go to https://toaks2045.org/ to take the community member survey regarding the General Plan 2045. Contact Gordon Clint or Katie Morgan to sign up for the Chalice Climate Action Team email list and receive updates. Come to the next gathering of the Climate Action Team on January 26, 2020 at 12:30pm. Let’s do what we can, while we can.
The group is still forming and considering a model of shared leadership, with a focus on education, civic engagement and use of a climate action team (CAT) email list to keep each other informed of actions developing. You can sign-up for this list at our Social Action table, or by contacting Gordon Clint or Katie Morgan.
Community Forum is an ongoing series of speakers, films and socially relevant entertainment events. Planning takes place the second Sunday each month at 12:30pm with Randall Edwards and others. Friday, December 6th at 7pm we showed the award-winning documentary, “The Need to GROW,” followed by a discussion with local activist, Ron Whitehurst, Specialist in Biological Ecosystem Management. We saw some hopeful ways to localize sustainable food systems and regenerate Earth’s dying soils.