We are a congregation which is dedicated to seeking environmental, racial, and social justice.
Our Land Acknowledgement
- We acknowledge that our church building sits on the traditional
land of the Wampanoag, Massachusett and Pokanoket peoples. - We recognize that this land was stolen from the people indigenous to this continent during colonization and we commit ourselves to working towards equity and justice.
- We extend our respect to the people of these Nations who live here today, their ancestors who have lived here for centuries, and to all Indigenous people.We also affirm that this acknowledgment is insufficient.
- It does not undo the harm that has been done and continues to be perpetrated against Indigenous people.
- May we keep the First Peoples of this land in our hearts and minds as we gather and worship on this sacred land.
Social Justice Work
Our Social Justice Committee meets monthly to discuss our congregation’s involvement in local, national and international justice issues. You can find the meeting link in our Newsletter.
Food Justice
Our Social Justice Committee collects non-perishable food items and paper goods for the local food pantry. We invite you to help support the Bridgewater Food Pantry by bringing these to the church.
Housing Justice
Our church volunteers provide 75 lunches for MainSpring House in Brockton, 25 for Evelyn House (a shelter for the homeless women and their children in Stoughton), and 35 for Conway House, a shelter for homeless families in Middleboro. You can help in many ways, including donating baked goods, other food items, and paper goods as needed, preparing some lunches or simply donating money toward the cost of the lunches, which is about $100 per month for 100 lunches.
The UUSC Coffee Project
In the world, coffee is one of the most heavily traded commodities. Coffee links our communities to farming communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Our participation in this project helps small farmers earn a fair price for their products and have access to affordable credit. We buy and serve Equal Exchange (EE) Fairly Traded shade grown coffee during our social hour every Sunday. The Social Justice committee regularly offers opportunities for congregants to purchase fair-traded products.
Racial Justice Juneteenth Celebration
Beginning in 2021, our church has co-sponsored the town’s Juneteenth Celebration with the Bridgewater Communities for Civil Rights (BCCR). Its purpose is to celebrate, commemorate and educate the public about the meaning of the Juneteenth holiday. Our large outdoor event features speakers, performers, food and craft vendors, youth and family activities. The program is supported in part by a grant from the Bridgewater Cultural Council. We are proud to be a part of this annual celebration of freedom.
Social Justice Films
Since 2018 the SJC has co-hosted a Black Lives Matter film series with BCCR (Bridgewater Communities for Civil Rights). We held a monthly film viewing and discussion, open to the public in our Sanctuary or Upper Parish Hall. Since March 2020 these were done remotely, with the viewing done individually prior to the discussion. As the program progressed, we decided it should include films about all marginalized groups: Indigenous, Latinix, Asian and Pacific Islanders and LGBTQA+ . So it has been retitled Social Justice Films to recognize the wider scope. Also, rather than scheduling monthly showings, we make monthly selections for viewing to the church community and BCCR. Discussions can be held as needed.
Read to Me, Father
A group of volunteers from First Parish and the wider community work at Old Colony Correctional Center in Bridgewater once a week in a program called Read to Me, Father. This is a program where incarcerated fathers and father figures can record the reading of a book to a child in their lives. The volunteers help select appropriate books which are paid for by committee funds.
Share the Plate
Share the Plate Charities
Each month a half of the undesignated plate collection is donated to a special community organization selected by the SJC with community input. These focus on area groups and specific emergency needs such as disasters.