Justice
Our Mission
At Starr King Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, we cultivate more love in the world and nurture more love for the world.
Welcoming Congregation
​The Starr King Unitarian Universalist Fellowship became a Welcoming Congregation by a vote of 66 to 0 on May 22, 1999. This means that our Fellowship welcomes lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender persons into our congregation. It also means that we affirm different sexual orientations and are willing to make this affirmation publicly.
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Black Lives Matter
After a year of study to better understand ourselves and our feelings about being white in a culture of white supremacy, Starr King Fellowship installed a Black Lives Matter banner at the front of the building October 28, 2018. A lending library has been established to help understand the issues.
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Climate Action
The purpose of the Climate Action Committee is to help fulfill one of the missions and visions of our Fellowship which states: “We live and model our values, collectively creating social and environmental justice with direct action and financial support.”
Environmental justice is a key component of our Committee’s work. We recognize that marginalized communities who bear the heaviest cost of climate change, such as indigenous communities and communities of color, are often left out of the decisions and actions taken to address climate change.
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Our Climate Action Committee, with important input from the members and friends of the Fellowship, has identified five topics which enable individuals and groups to focus on actions that will help sustain our lives and families and that of the wider community as well: prioritize local foods; reduce the use of plastics; encourage local planting/local ecosystem care; reduce the use of fossil fuel; and support legislative actions that are determined to be effective and just.
Got Lunch
Initiated by Starr King UU Fellowship in 2012, Got Lunch! Plymouth has spread across the community to feed children during the summer and vacation weeks.
Using Starr King Fellowship storage space and classroom space for packing, the program volunteers pack groceries weekly to supplement the foods available to children in the Plymouth Community when they are not in school. We serve about 100 students each year.
Monthly Outreach
Since 2005, each month the Fellowship gives one week’s collection plate to a non-profit organization working on social justice needs. The organizations are usually local, working to assist those in need. Information on the organization is displayed on our bulletin board, in the newsletter, and in the literature rack. All cash and specified checks from the chosen Sunday's collection basket are given to the organization.
In the past, we have donated to the organizations including:
NH Food Bank, Plymouth Area Community Closet, UU Action NH, NH Bail and Bond Fund, PAREI, the Pemi Youth Center, CASA NH, Common Man for Ukraine.
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Compas de Nicaragua
Starr King Fellowship has a long-standing relationship with Compas de Nicaragua, a NH 501C3 organization whose mission is “promoting cultural exchange and improving lives through service-learning trips and sustainable community development.” Compas de Nicaragua supports Women in Action, a group that organizes health, education and income generating programs in the impoverished La Primavera settlement in Managua, and a farmers cooperative in La Paz, Carazo that provide sustainable living projects, such as bio-gas systems, gray water systems, tree nursery/reforestation and food security, using agroecology and regenerative agriculture with a focus on protecting the forest, soil and water. The Peaceful Nature Wildlife Reserve in La Paz is a unique education center supporting local farmers through technical assistance, workshops, sale
of produce, and more. Service trips and tourist trips emphasize local community connections and culture.​