Compassion & Choices
Compassion & Choices is a 501(c)(3) organization striving to expand options and empower individuals to chart their own end-of-life journey. C&C works nationwide in communities, state legislatures, Congress, courts and medical settings to educate and empower the public and to advocate for improved medical practice that puts patients and their values, treatment plans and quality of life first. We advocate for expanded options, including medical-aid-in-dying, and against efforts to restrict access to them. Check out Compassion & Choices Facebook page.
Our Central Iowa Action Team meets the first Thursday each month at 1:00 p.m. CT. Contact church members Steve and Karen Herwig at candc@ucdsm.org for current meeting information.
Environmental Justice
Green Sanctuary Designation
Since 2015, our church has been accredited as a Green Sanctuary by the Unitarian Universalist Association. The designation recognizes the work we’ve done in support of the UU Seventh Principle: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”
Our Green Sanctuary Team is focused on engaging church members with both environmental justice and related social justice issues, such as energy efficiency, recycling, composting, etc., for our building and grounds. The team also promotes outside activities that our members can get involved with to improve the greater Des Moines community.
Contact: Ron Heideman, Chair | Green@ucdsm.org
Housing and Hunger
FEDS (Feed Every Deserving Soul)
This 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 preparing and serving dinner monthly at the Central Iowa Homeless Shelter, quarterly at Children and Family Urban Movement (CFUM), and collecting for the DMARC Food Pantry.
Contact: Bruce Martin, Chair | feds@ucdsm.org
Immigration Justice
Legislative Action
Write Here, Write Now!
Each month members of First Unitarian Church partner with the Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ) and participate in this project. Write Here! Write Now! is a letter-writing campaign of the UUSJ Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps. The Corps members help make the UU voice heard on Capitol Hill by delivering letters from UU’s nationwide to members of Congress and their staff. Priority issues include defending our democracy, economic justice, environmental and climate justice, immigration justice and other pressing UU issues.
Since the first Advocacy Corps Day in February, 2017, Corps members have:
- Made over 1,827 visits to Capitol Hill offices
- Conducted more than 430 scheduled and drop-in meetings
- Delivered more than 9,868 Write Here! Write Now! UU constituent letters.
More than 550 of those letters came from members of First Unitarian Church!
Before the advent of COVID-19, letters were delivered in person. Until further notice, letters are being delivered via email.
Contact: Donna Jo Wallace, Chair | writenow@ucdsm.org
Iowa UUWitness Advocacy Network (IUUWAN)
The Iowa Unitarian Universalist Witness Advocacy Network (IUUWAN) is Iowa’s state action network, working to build relationships and engage Unitarian Universalists across Iowa. We work to experience and integrate our affirmations of the” inherent worth and dignity of every person” and the “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part,” two pillars of our Seven Principles. Representatives meet via Zoom at 6:00 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month.
Individual UUs can participate by paying a yearly $5 membership. We also request that congregations pay a yearly membership of $1 per member. Other donations and contributions are always appreciated.
Connect with us at IUUWAN.com or follow us on Facebook.
Contact: Linda Lemons or Terry Lowman | iuuwan@ucdsm.org
LGBTQ+ Justice
Welcoming Congregation
Since 1992, First Unitarian Church has been a Welcoming Congregation, a volunteer program to take intentional steps to become more welcoming and inclusive of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. After nearly two years of work we were one of the earliest churches in the Unitarian Universalist Association to earn this designation.
Our congregation identifies Five Practices of Welcome which guide our work. Welcoming Congregations should implement each of these practices annually.
- Becoming a Welcoming Congregation, or working to renew your designation
- Holding Welcoming Worship Services that include honoring a milestone or rite of passage for an LGBTQ+ member of the congregation
- Participating in Welcoming Days of Observance, which commemorate and elevate landmark days and seasons in LGBTQ+ communities (Pride Season, Transgender Day of Visibility, World AIDS Day, etc.), through worship services, public events, or other gatherings organized by the congregation
- Supporting Welcoming Faith Formation programming that highlights LGBTQ+ issues and topics for all ages
- Engaging in a Welcoming Project by providing monetary support to a local LGBTQ+ organization
Learn more about our work as a Welcoming Congregation, or talk about implementing a practice.
Contact: welcome@ucdsm.org
Transgender Action Group
The Transgender Action Group is working to increase awareness of transgender lives and issues within the church community, as well as provide a safe haven and resources for transgender people in need. Through education and speaking events, the group educates the congregation on what gender identity is, how it is separate from sexual orientation, and ways they can provide support and encouragement to the transgender people within our community.
Contact: Doug Aupperle, Franco Berardi, Sarah Chang | tag@ucdsm.org