Based on the “One Minute Social Justice Report” presented on January 5th, 2025
In May the UUCiL will celebrate its 68th year anniversary. The story that is told of our earliest beginning is that a family by the name of Brin were eager to adopt a child and being a member of a church would help facilitate that adoption. They being Unitarians, invited ten others to a meeting and the Livermore Unitarian Fellowship (LUF) was born. Always wanting to improve the lives of others, we as individuals and as committees have throughout our history worked toward social opportunities and social justice.
In the late 1960s, the LUF inspired by Rita Langhorst and Dick Ryon joined with 7 other faith communities and working together and combining resources created 54 low-income housing units for seniors. These were the first for Interfaith Housing Inc which now has 240 units and will soon be adding another 79. In the past Ralph Moir, Karen Crosley, Jocelyn Combs and Helen Meier served on the Board and today Arlen Rowe and Eric Serdahl continue with their guidance.
Chili Barlow, Dorris Lee, Claire Nelson, Maureen Hamm and Kathy Woofter were active members in the National Organization for Women (NOW) and were instrumental in creating a chapter in the Tri-Valley.
In 1976 Claire Nelson, one of our founding mothers organized a crisis hotline that was housed in a garage. Supported by Diane Jeronimo and later employing Helen Meier, Carolyn Steahle, Lynne Menon, Maureen Hamm and Kathy Woofter the crisis center thrives. The Tri Valley Haven, now, in addition to a 24-hour crisis hotline, receives some 4,000 calls, provides mental health counselling, homeless services, and referral services for adults and children who are victims of domestic violence sexual assault and human trafficking. There is a food pantry and defense classes and a 30-bed shelter. Over the many decades that this community agency has existed and grown, UUCil has given financial support and members have volunteered in various capacities.
In 1977 Church leaders expressed sympathy and support for the establishment of the Hindu Temple in Livermore which at the time was not generally welcomed.
Gerald Nordley, Gayle Wiesner and Claire Nelson provided escort service for patients to Planned Parenthood.
In the mid 1990s our first permanent minister Elizabeth Selle-Jones helped to start Open Heart Kitchen and with the help of Jane Staehle and later Joan Dickinson many of us worked as volunteers to cook and serve hot meals to those in need. The kitchen continued to grow and now as part of Vineyard Resource Center it is serving 450,000 meals a year.
In 2005 under the leadership of Shelley Covey the church reached out to the LGBT community and working with the UUA we became a Welcoming Congregation.
In 2007 our youth traveled to New Orleans to help in the post Katrina hurricane rebuild.
In 2009 Lois Dueltgen partnered with our Minister to redesign and more formally create social justice programs encouraging the continuation of our good works.
In 2014 Jacky Poulsen created the Laundry Ministry. UUCiL donated money to Asbury United Methodist church which then purchased 3 washers and dryers to be used by those that had no other way to do their laundry. UUCiL members were the primary volunteers to staff the laundry and continued to do so until this past year when the laundry moved the Vineyard Resource Center.
We held a parking lot demonstration against the war in Iraq, we have marched in demonstrations. We display the rainbow flag and a Black Lives Matter banner.
Many of these projects continue and many many more are presently happening and still more are planned.
Find out what it is you can and would like to do. Speak with a member of the social justice committee. Add your energy, ideas, time and help build a more just community.