ERUUF - Justice Action Groups

Our justice ministry is coordinated by the Justice Ministry Council in partnership with Kaleb Grave, the Justice Coordinator.

Durham CAN

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

Group description: Durham CAN (Congregations Associations and Neighborhoods) is a broad-based, non-profit organization that works to coalesce, train, and organize communities in Durham across religious, racial, ethnic, class, and geographic lines for the public good. It's primary goal is to develop local leadership and organized power to change the conditions that prevent low- and moderate-income families from improving their circumstances.

Overarching Goals: The overarching goal is to increase awareness of and participation in CAN actions among ERUUF members and ministers so that ERUUF is well-represented and supportive of community actions that have been organized in Durham through CAN.

Earth Justice

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

Vision: We envision a world that is healed and transformed: where respect for the interdependent web of all existence enables people from all walks of life to live without fear of human-caused environmental destruction and in harmony with each other and the rest of creation.

Mission: The mission of the Earth Justice Action Group is to transform the ERUUF community to fully engage in addressing the climate crisis as a moral issue that is inextricably linked to our commitment to work for justice, equity, inclusion. We seek to build awareness and knowledge of our material and spiritual interconnectedness, to initiate sound practices that benefit nature through projects and activities, and to direct congregants to efforts local-to-global that create a just, resilient, and sustainable world.

Earth Justice meetings are scheduled the second Sunday of the month, 1-2:30 pm via Zoom. To receive the Zoom link, please contact Betsy Bickel.

Forward Together: The UU Justice Ministry of North Carolina

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

“Forward Together” is the Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina–a progressive, faith-based, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to “give life the shape of justice” by

coordinating and supporting the social justice work of individual UUs and UU congregations in North Carolina,
building relationships with other groups who are working for social justice, and
giving voice to our Unitarian Universalist values with respect to important social, economic, environmental, and political issues in North Carolina.

Ways to get involved:

Contact Person: Kaleb Graves

Role: Liaison

Email:

Staff Partner: Kaleb Graves, Justice Coordinator

Lakewood Elementary Bag Packing Team

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

Group Description:

ERUUF partners with Lakewood Elementary School to provide bags of food each week for qualifying low income families with children at Lakewood Elementary. The Forest at Duke provides funding for this program. Lakewood staff and volunteers manage the procurement of food and the organization of the food pantry. ERUUF's cooperative effort in this project came about as a result of a Children in Poverty discussion group at ERUUF in 2014. The project has grown from servicing 15 families to the current 30 families.

Contact Person: Judy Moore

Role: Coordinator

Email:

Staff Partner: Kaleb Graves, Justice Coordinator

Partners for Advancing Democracy

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

Eruuf’s #ShowUpForDemocracy Action Team joins-invites-mobilizes-collaborates with other organizations and NC citizens to amplify the impact of public, non-partisan, grassroots’ events that bring voters and potential voters more closely into the democratic process and fight for citizens’ rights.

You Can Vote,
the NAACP,
UU Forward Together NC
Women’s March and March for our Lives,
the People’s Alliance
the Poor People's Campaign
UU the vote

and more!

Staff Partner: Kaleb Graves, Justice Coordinator

Pride+ Action Team

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

Group Description: Pride+ is a group of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, agender, and allies who are a part of the ERUUF community.

Overarching Goals: We are committed to:

Creating a safe, welcoming and engaging environment for LGBTQIA members, significant others, families, guests, and all who enter our doors or engage with ERUUF in the community.
Supporting issues of equity, equality and justice impacting LGBTQIA people within the congregation, in North Carolina, and nationally– especially those issues impacting the most marginalized.
Strengthening the bonds of the Beloved Community within and beyond ERUUF by reaching out to organizations and communities committed to uplifting LGBTQIA people. (For example, we participate in Pride: Durham, NC which is held each September.)

Trans Inclusion in Congregations Course - FREE to ERUUF participants. Click the Read More button for details.

Protecting Separation of Church and State

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

Group Description: We plan to raise awareness at ERUUF and beyond about the existential threats to this fundamental right that is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. We promote a framework that shows that many issues that ERUUFians deeply care about (for example, LGBTQ+ rights, access to abortion and birth control, a strong public school system) fall under the umbrella of separation of church and state. We want to encourage and enable folks to engage in actions that address the dangerous fact that one narrow interpretation of one religion is being given preference in our state legislatures, schools, and federal government. We also hope to foster hope and inspiration by creating community with other local groups that support this principle and by raising awareness about the incredibly competent national groups that are committed to protecting separation of church and state.

We meet on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in Room 1, CARE Building. We are experimenting with hybrid meetings, so a zoom link is available. (Email for the link.)

Contact Person: Helen Wolfson

Role: Coordinator

Email:

Staff Partner: Kaleb Graves, Justice Coordinator

Refugee and Immigrant Justice

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

Group Description:

The Refugee and Immigrant Action Group provides engagement opportunities for ERUUFians to build relationships with refugees and immigrants in our community, and to make our voices heard in support of these new neighbors. Involvement can be one-time or ongoing and may include sharing a meal, helping with childcare or food at a class for immigrants, donating household items for new arrivals, or advocating on behalf of refugee and immigrant rights.

Contact Person: Peggy Schaeffer, Dennis McGrath

Role: co-chairs

Email:

Staff Partner: Kaleb Graves, Justice Coordinator

Shelter Action Teams

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

Group Description:

The Shelter Action Teams work in partnership with Urban Ministries of Durham (UMD) and Families Moving Forward (FMF) to provide support for unhoused and low-income or food insecure individuals and families in Durham County..

Overarching Goals:

To fulfill local shelter needs based on the following:

ERUUFians live their faith by serving our low-income and unsheltered neighbors.
Services provided by UMD and FMF are only possible through the work of volunteers.
Shelters rely on thousands of volunteer hours per month.
Each year over 250 ERUUF members and friends volunteer to support services for the housing and food insecure population.

Showing Up for Democracy

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

Join a team that is open for short term or one time involvement. We hope to

Build citizen engagement and healthy relationships.
Engage citizens for a more effective and inclusive democracy.
Mobilize and activate together for issues such as voting rights, anti-racism and xenophobia, improved treatment of women, children, the sick, the elderly and the poor.
Build government accountability, talk to voters and legislators; recruit other people to join in the action.

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

: Category: Justice Action Groups Justice Action Groups

For 80 years, the UUSC has been advancing UU values by working with justice makers the world over confronting unjust power structures and challenging oppressive policies. From UUSC’s origins in defying the Nazis to the current work of migrant and climate justice, Revs. Morn and Randall will share stories of resilience and courage as we fight for a more just and equitable world.

Staff Partner: Kaleb Graves, Justice Coordinator

Sunday, November 2, 2025: 9:00 am (in person only), 11:00 am (online and in person)

Sunday, November 2, 2025: 9:00 am (in person only), 11:00 am (online and in person)

Justice Action Groups

Durham CAN

Earth Justice

Forward Together: The UU Justice Ministry of North Carolina

Lakewood Elementary Bag Packing Team

Partners for Advancing Democracy

Pride+ Action Team

Protecting Separation of Church and State

Refugee and Immigrant Justice

Shelter Action Teams

Showing Up for Democracy

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

Governance

Operations and Policies

Resources