The Nantucket Unitarian Universalists are committed to promoting peace and justice in our community and in the world. Here are a few opportunities to promote these concepts.

Literacy Mentors engage in conversation one-on-one each week at the Atheneum (or as scheduled). For more information, call Les Ottinger, 508.228.8710

Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers are needed even in the winter (indoor work on the current house). Contact Craig Spery, 508.228.7892.

Nantucket Rental Assistance Program. Donate by check payable to NRAP to provide rental assistance through the Interfaith Council's program.

Food Pantry donations go in the box at the Unitarian Church rear entrance; or donate by placing a check in the basket. To volunteer (as a shopper, driver, or counter server) call the Food Pantry's director, Andy Reis, at 508.221.8702.

Caring Community. Our Minister and the volunteers who make up the “Care Network” stand ready to help with pastoral care or other support during an illness or family crisis. Call the Minister (508-228-7597). May each of us reach out in love to offer support when it is welcome.

Fair Trade Program
Coffee is big business - it's one of the most heavily traded commodities in the world. But the majority of small coffee farmers live in rural communities in some of the poorest countries in the world. With world coffee prices constantly changing and "coyotes" paying the lowest price possible, coffee farmers never know how much they'll get for their crops. Isolated from markets, they struggle to make a simple living. But in partnership with Equal Exchange and the UU Service Committee, we're saving the world one cup at a time. Using internationally recognized fair trade standards, Equal Exchange seeks to balance the inequities found in the conventional coffee trade. We serve and sell fair trade coffee, so that small farmers and their families can send their children to school and look hopefully to the future. (To order coffee, use the "more information" link to the left.)

Local Fair Trade. The same principle of "fair trade" applies to our local Nantucket producers: eggs from Salty Sea Farm's free-range chickens and honey from Two Sheds Farm are usually available (each is occasionally sold out).

Working Against Torture
In response to the congregation's December 2005 resolution condemning the use of torture, the Peace & Justice Committee is participating in the UU Service Committee's "STOP" campaign. In 2007 the congregation became a member of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, and participated in the nationwide showing of the documentary Ghosts of Abu Ghraib.

Working For Peace
Peace isn't simply the absence of war; it's the presence of justice. What's the cost of war? The dramatic diminution of justice. Check out the American Friends Service Committee video, The Cost of War to see the amount of justice that $720 million dollars a day could buy.

"Relentlessly Wage Peace" is one of the signs carried at a coalition peace vigil in front of the Nantucket Post Office, where members and friends of the Unitarian Church on Nantucket join periodically with others who yearn for peace to protest the continued use of force in Iraq and around the world. Other concerns, including detentions that confound civil liberties at home and a desire for multilateral action in our global village, motivate Peace & Justice Committee members to bring their hand-made signs to the coalition's rally. Use the email link on the side panel to obtain more information.

"War Lessons" by John Merson
Nantucket author and South Church Preservation Fund Board Member John Merson has just published his book War Lessons. The book is a moving and inspirational account of how Merson has woven into his life his experiences as an infantry soldier in the Vietnam war. The book is available on-Island at Mitchell's Book Corner.

Volunteering in New Orleans
Make a difference! Volunteer to work rebuilding the hard-hit 9th Ward of New Orleans. There are many volunteer tasks for people of all ages, and much work to be done to restore the ruins. Schedule your trip at your convenience; go safely on your own or with friends and family members (great experience for teens). For more info, visit Common Ground Relief; read Rev. Brooks' sermon about her volunteer experience, "Common Ground," on our Sermons page; or see the Nantucket Inquirer & Mirror.

The Fresh Air Fund
Are you looking for a wonderful way to provide a service to children in need? The Fresh Air Fund is seeking families to open their hearts and homes to New York City children this summer. As a volunteer host family with The Fresh Air Fund, you will help a child enjoy the simple pleasures of a summer away from hot city streets. More info: 1-800-367-0003 or visit www.freshair.org.