Tell how you have addressed other economic issues

1st Unitarian Church of Chicago

  • The Social Justice Council organizes the Worship Service for the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, which always focuses on various issues of the American worker.
  • We have had forums on a variety of economic issues
  • many individuals in the congregation support groups such as the Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues, including periodic support for folks on strike

2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
Working with our community organization partners through grassroots public advocacy and direct service, Second Unitarian Church and 2U leaders have been able to lift up justice in the following:

  • Won the first ever balance development ordinance in the City of Chicago, expanding the availability of affordable housing city-wide.
  • Won for the first time ever the inclusion of $100 million dollars of funding for affordable housing in the Illinois State Capital Budget (The first time-ever money for affordable housing has been in the Capital budget).
  • Improved access to healthcare for the uninsured and the underinsured to local hospitals in Lakeview through the charity care program.
  • Help create the "Health Access Protection Initiative" ordinance that will provide financial protection to those without insurance. In short the ordinance will require a standard level of financial assistance that all hospitals in Cook County will have to provide to the uninsured.
  • On a monthly basis did food preparation, delivery and serving the homeless in Chicago's Lakeview community
  • Lobbied state legislators in Springfield, IL for education funding reform (property tax and income tax swap). Fought for a more progressive taxation system

Countryside Church UU

  • Special meeting of AFD film series: Bail-outs and Bankers, Money and People. Several short features and group discussion. Program: http://citizenstruth.info/afdfilms/Notes/bailouts.html
  • Public meetings on understanding issues and dealing with them together:
  • town hall on paid sick leave 11/24/08
  • Money Summit 1/18/09
  • Health Care Summit 3/28/09,
  • round table on Consumer Finance Protection 9/22/09.
  • We have formed our own job support group that meets twice a month.
  • We are a part of an 18 church groups that provides skill training on how to conduct a job search

Unitarian Church of Evanston

  • We've used Guest at Your Table as a way to raise funds for the good work that UUSC does locally and beyond.
  • The Heifer Project seems to be a good outlet that the Religious Education group utilizes. They had a very successful Hunger Project over a winter session that was based on the Heifer Project work

UU Church of Elgin

  • We sponsor a Winter Farmer's market to help support farmers and other small local agricultural and craft organizations through the winter months