Volunteer/act for justice

Explore upcoming opportunities to act for justice, including demonstrations, rallies, vigils, workshops, meetings, fundraisers and volunteer activities.

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Social justice volunteer opportunities

Click on the headings for full descriptions.

Reston Pride

Sat., Jun. 2, 2-6 p.m., UU Church in Reston, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston. Co-sponsored by UUCF. Rain or shine. More details here. Please join us for the first-ever Reston Pride as we celebrate our vibrant and important LGBTQ community. Mark your calendars now for this exciting landmark event! Reston Pride will be a big, fun family-friendly event! There are a number of diverse entertainers, activities and exhibitors scheduled. Mama Celeste will serve as event emcee. According to the "San Francisco Chronicle," Mama Celeste is one of the up-and-coming drag performance artists in the Bay Area. Cosponsors include: Cornerstones GLSEN Northern Virginia Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation Safe Space Nova St. Anne’s Episcopal Church Shoreshim Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax United Christian Parish Unity of Fairfax Washington Plaza Baptist Church

Climate Action Group

Wed., Jun. 6, 7:30-9 p.m., Social Hall (or via conference call to 1-563-999-2090, access code 308302#.) Meets the first Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted. Contact Eric Goplerud. Everyone welcome.

Capital Pride

Capital Pride Parade, Sat., Jun. 9, 4:30 p.m., Dupont Circle. Capital Pride Festival, Sun., Jun. 10, 12-7 p.m., on Pennsylvania Avenue/7th Street NW, between the National Gallery of Art and the U.S. Capitol. Contact Jenny McAtee, 240-595-2680. It’s time to organize our UU presence at Capital Pride! With a theme of “Elements of Us," Capital Pride believes that every person’s life is composed of a kaleidoscope of extraordinary parts, including identity, race, sexuality, gender, spirituality, experience and beliefs. And doesn’t that fit in with our UU values and philosophies? And, in living our values Capital Pride gives us the opportunity to come together and be a positive and loving presence in the LGBTQ+ community. What do we need? UUs at Pride Parade Organizer - you will keep track of participating congregations, communicate line-up information and, most importantly, be the point of contact at the parade. Time commitment is only the afternoon and early evening of Jun. 9 as people find the parade start and then leading UUs on the parade route. UUs at Pride Festival Booth Organizer - you will help recruit volunteers from congregations to staff the booth, help plan and execute the “design” of the booth. Time commitment is a few coordinating pre-Pride meetings and then being available to help set-up and/or take-down the Pride booth. Parade Walkers - Bring a group of friends, the family or come alone but we need more people to walk in the parade. It is a hot evening but one you will not forget! Booth Volunteers - Come down to DC on Jun. 10 and donate an hour covering the UU booth. An hour of your time can change a life forever. Finally, we need monetary donations from our UU congregations. The cost of participating in Capital Pride has increased over the years and is now over $600. We have the funds left over from last year to cover the registration but this has not left us much to buy beads and/or other giveaways for the parade and the booth. The UU presence at Capital Pride is always met with gratitude and much joy. From the people watching the parade yelling, “thank you” and asking for a hug to the person stopping in the booth to say how they finally found an accepting place to grow their spirituality, I promise you that what UUs do at Capital Pride is meaningful and changes lives.

Ending gun violence vigil

Thu., Jun. 14, 10-11 a.m., National Rifle Association headquarters, 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax. Contact Bob Hatfield. Signs provided. Park on Fairfax Ridge Road. Vigils are held at the NRA the 14th of each month in memory of the victims of Sandy Hook, Dec. 14, 2012, as a public reminder that the American people want safe and sane gun laws.

Refugee Resettlement Project

Thu., Jun. 14, 7-9 p.m., Prog. Bldg. Contact Ann King. Help support the family from Afghanistan that UUCF and the UU Congregation of Sterling are co-sponsoring.

Racial Justice Steering Committee

Sat., Jun. 16, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Social Hall. Meets the third Saturday of the month, unless otherwise noted. Contact RJSC chair Kaye Cook. Through education, service, advocacy and witness, the Racial Justice Steering Committee (RJSC) - a subgroup of the UUCF Social Justice Council - is dedicated to identifying and alleviating the root causes and effects of racial injustice and racial discrimination. Find out about the group's Second Principle Project and other ways the RJSC is working toward these goals at uucf.org/racial-justice.

Equality UUCF

Mon., Jun. 25, 7:30-9 p.m., Prog. Bldg. Meets the fourth Monday of the month, unless otherwise noted. All are welcome. Questions? Email equality@uucf.org.

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Other volunteer activities

These opportunities help UUCFers connect with each other as they grow and serve. Click on the headings to see full description.

2018-19 teacher recruitment

Contact Diana Tycer for more information. To volunteer to teach during the 2018-19 congregational year, sign up here. UUCF has a dynamic Religious Exploration program for children and youth ages 2-18. About 300 children participate in classes regularly. While RE parent volunteers provide 75% of our teaching teams, we rely on other adults in the UUCF community to make up the difference. We need 106 adults to be able to offer the full schedule of classes during the 9:15 and 11:15 services. Is this your year to become an RE teacher?

The Transylvanians are coming!

Contact Sharon Van Duizend, 703-536-3476 (h) or 703-772-8569 (c), or Sue Zimmerman, 703-536-1606. Sixteen members of our partner congregation in Szentgerice, Romania, will visit UUCF from Oct. 25-Nov. 4, 2018. This visit is a wonderful international exchange opportunity for UUCF individuals and families, and the Partner Church Circle will need home hosts and drivers. Hosts are encouraged to take at least two visitors so they can communicate between themselves. In grouping the visitors, we will try to have at least one person at each house who speaks some English. The PCC will offer a brief orientation for hosts beforehand, and we hope to be able to provide you with contact information so you can communicate with your visitors before they arrive. This will be a rich opportunity to explore the common and different threads of our faith and cultures, to find new growth just outside your comfort zone and to laugh a lot. There are two 5-day hosting segments for each person coming. If you wish to have your guest for the full 10 days, that is also possible. If you can’t host, but can provide transportation, especially if you have access to a minibus or van, that would also be very welcome. Join us! Help us welcome our partners!

Summer RE helpers needed

Sign up here. Summer RE begins Jun. 10 and runs for 10 sessions. Preschool and rising Kindergarten students will learn about the importance of trees in the environment. Elementary students will connect more deeply to the UU principles in the Free to Believe curricula. And Middle School and High School youth will watch excerpts from popular movies followed by guided discussions that center on UU principles in Popcorn Theology Too. These classes are designed to stand alone as distinct sessions, but tie together in a cohesive whole. So whether your child drops in a few times or attends every session, they will find their experience meaningful and fun. Classes will be taught primarily by UUCF staff, but we need several adult volunteers each week to help with activities and provide additional supervision.

Seeking Caring Team volunteer

Contact Lay Minister for Caring & Wellness Linda Zack, 703-577-2920. The UUCF Caring & Wellness Lay Ministry assists congregants who are facing transitions, such as welcoming a new baby, facing an illness or experiencing a death in the family. Caring Coordinators organize practical care such as meals and rides by reaching out to the congregation's volunteer network when a need arises. The position primarily involves email and can easily be done at home. To keep things flexible, the position is shared with a co-chair and there is a backup coordinator available.

ViVa! Vienna! volunteers needed

Sun., May 27, & Mon., May 28, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Viva Vienna celebration in downtown Vienna. Sign up here. Family-friendly volunteer opportunity. Questions? Contact Laura Weiss or Shannon Williams. Volunteers needed for one-hour shifts to share information about UUCF and ways to get involved.

Summer worship volunteers

We need volunteers to welcome visitors and usher during our summer worship services (beginning May 27) and to help with coffee and sell fair-trade items after the services. Even if you can only help once or twice, sign up here or contact Mary Foster. It's fun and easy, and if you're trying it for the first time, Mary is happy to help you get started. Thanks for helping make summer worship run smoothly.

Jun. 3 Special RE

Sun., Jun. 3. Adult volunteers needed to help with Special RE, the concert and the picnic. Sign up here. Special RE workshops for Preschool-Grade 3 will be held during the 10 a.m. worship service. Following the service (during the UUCF Annual Meeting) the music group Cantare will perform in the Chapel for children in Kindergarten-Grade 8. RE parents who are not voting members of UUCF are welcome to attend. Fun activities are planned for all children during the annual end-of-the-year picnic, which will begin immediately after the Annual Meeting ends.

End-of-year picnic

Sun., Jun. 3, immediately after the Annual Meeting. Sign up here to help at the picnic. Questions? Contact Mary Foster. UUCF will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers and soft drinks. Please bring your favorite salad, side dish or dessert to share. Event is a great way to meet new families before summer starts.

Technology nerds needed

Contact Laura Weiss by Jul. 1. Are you good with computers or new technologies? Do you work with technology at your job and speak the language of cellphones, iPads and Wi-Fi? We need a few tech-savvy congregants who might be willing to troubleshoot occasionally throughout the congregational year.

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