Get Involved: Study, Discuss, Take Action
Outreach & Social Justice (formerly the Social Justice Ministry) has been active at St. Andrew’s since the 1970’s around various issues that affect the lives and well-being of all people. These issues include food security, racism, immigration, housing, gun violence, and much more.
This year we are offering programs on homelessness in our community as we discern how God may be calling us to help address this crisis.
Homelessness in Our Community
Tuesday, September 8 | 6pm Light Supper, 6:30 pm Program | Parish Hall
Nicole Adelman, the executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County (Delonis
Center) will speak about the shelter and housing services in our area and the challenges the county
is facing with changes in support from the federal government and the increase in the number of
unsheltered people. This is the first of three programs on homelessness this fall sponsored by our
Outreach and Social Justice Ministry.
On Tuesday, October 13, we’ll screen and discuss The Road Home, a documentary about homelessness in Washtenaw County, and on Tuesday, November 10, Katie Hoener, the program administrator of Washtenaw County Community Mental Health will speak about the connections between mental health and homelessness. Please join us for these programs and we learn about the crisis of homelessness and begin to discern how St. Andrew’s might respond. Please RSVP to Fr. Paul at pfrolick@standrewsaa.org so we can plan for food.
Please check back for more info as opportunities develop.
Merilynne Rush, Coordinator, Social Justice
msh.rush@gmail.com
Resources for Direct Action
Want to take action in meaningful ways? Here are some ideas:
The National Episcopal Church has more information about Social Justice and Advocacy and an excellent Immigration Action Toolkit
Sign up for action alerts at National Episcopal Church Public Policy Network
Make a local impact with Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (WICIR), a volunteer-based group of community members committed to advocating for immigrants rights; and Movement for Immigrant Rights Action (MIRA), a grassroots organization taking direct action to resist inhumane immigration enforcement and policy in Washtenaw County
Support Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), a legal resource center for Michigan's immigrant communities
Join the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, a local non-profit organization that has many ongoing events and provides educational resources
Many thanks to those who have worked on Social Justice through the years. Work we have done recently
includes:
- Habitat for Humanity Build
- Food Gatherers Food and Donation Drives
- Holiday Gifts through Ann Arbor Community Center
- Rotating Shelter through the Ann Arbor Shelter Association
- Foster Child
- Donations for Breakfast guests
- Braver Angels Depolarizing Conversations
- And the work of the Social Justice Ministry on Racism and Black Lives Matter in the last 6 years
Prayer for Social Justice
Grant O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
