This August, we will Share the Plate with UUJustice PA. The Vision of UUJustice PA 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 PA state government more responsive to the needs of the people of our Commonwealth. There are currently seven Justice Teams: Good Government, Economic Justice, Reproductive Justice, Environmental Justice, Gun Violence Prevention, Criminal Justice Reform, and LGBTQIA+ issues. 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 their website at https://uujusticepa.net to donate, 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). Some of the issues we have addressed include: Raise the Minimum wage; Support

legislation to decrease Gun Violence {with Cease Fire PA); Change the rules that prevent bipartisian 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 Grants; Regulation of Data Centers; Equitable public school funding; and Support for Clean Energy production; Accountability for Charter Schools, and Establishing a nonpartisian commission to determine legislative district boundaries (with Fair Districts PA).

• Most of our postcard efforts are followed by lobbying trips to Harrisburg on the same issue, usually working with other non-profits to magnify our and their 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 UUJustice PA staff and are important during the upcoming election year(s).

• While it sometimes seems impossible to influence actions in Harrisburg, we cannot stop supporting our Values in the PA legislative process.

• Volunteer to be co-liaison with Becky Studer to help develop an active core team for mutual support, encouragement, and engagement with UUJustice PA and UU the VOTE here at 1st Unitarian. Text 412-225-9946

We are happy to share the plate with UUJustice PA.