The Vision of UUJusticePA is Pennsylvania UUs are aware of justice issues and are called to speak and take action that leads to a better Commonwealth.

The Mission Statement is pursue justice by voting, advocating, and making just public policies. It is one of 28 state-based UU advocacy groups working to uphold our UU values in our state governments.

Since the early 2000s, we have had staff and many volunteers establishing contacts with our legislators in Harrisburg and their home offices and working with other non-profits to make our state government more responsive to the needs of the peoples of our Commonwealth.

There are currently six Justice Teams: Good Government, Economic Justice, Reproductive Justice, Environmental Justice, Gun Violence Prevention, and Criminal Justice Reform. A team addressing GLBTQIA+ issues is being established.

Your financial support as well as involvement with the teams addressing these areas is invited and necessary for this vision and mission to be realized. Visit the UUJusticePA web site, donate to become a member, and sign up for email communications.

Some ways you can participate include:

• Check out the work of the team for which you have passion, attend their monthly Zoom meetings to become involved, and bring your issues back to 1st Unitarian to integrate with our ongoing social justice activities.
• Join 1st UU’s postcarding group to receive notice of action items and learn of legislation to either support or oppose (designated by our people who work closely with these processes in Harrisburg). During the past year we have worked to: raise the minimum wage; support legislation to decrease gun violence; change the rules that prevent bipartisan legislation from moving from committee, to entire House/Senate, to becoming law; limit what legislators can accept from lobby groups (working with March on Harrisburg to pass the Gift Ban!); supported Solar for School grant legislation; and encouraged Gov. Shapiro to challenge the judicial blockade of Pennsylvania joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Most of our postcard efforts are followed by lobbying trips to Harrisburg on the same issue, usually working with other non-profits to magnify the impact. If you are unable to travel to Harrisburg, you can still become familiar with your legislators and visit their home offices to make them aware of your concerns.
• Our UU the VOTE activities are supported by UUA and UUJusticePA staff and will be extremely important during the upcoming election year(s).
• Volunteer to be co-liaison with Becky Studer to help develop a core team for mutual support, encouragement, and engagement with UUJusticePA and UU the VOTE here at First Unitarian Church. Email UUJusticePA@first-unitarian-pgh.org for more information.