Social justice at A2U2
Unitarian Universalists have a long habit of putting belief into action: in marches and vigils, in shelters and at the State House, alongside the people most affected. At A2U2, that work happens on a fourth-Wednesday committee call and in the offering plate every Sunday.
What we mean by it
We don’t share a creed, but we do share a conviction. Unitarian Universalists have long spoken of “deeds not creeds,” and our justice efforts are grounded in our call to break down divisions, heal isolation, and honor the interconnectedness of all life. That call only means something when it is put to work, so we act in partnership with the communities most affected by injustice, here in Portland and beyond.
The work is coordinated by our Social Justice Committee, which currently meets on Zoom, September through June, on the fourth Wednesday of the month, 7–8pm. All are welcome. The committee runs the Share the Plate nominations, leads a lay service each year, hosts the annual UUA Common Read, and keeps us connected to MUUSAN, the statewide network of Maine UU congregations.
Friday Afternoon Call to Action
When the news is heavy, FACA is where people turn it into action. The group gathers every Friday at A2U2 from 2 to 3pm to support one another, share what we are learning, and do something with it: writing to our representatives, composing testimony, making signs, and nonpartisan get-out-the-vote work in partnership with community organizations.
Every Friday · 2–3pm · in person at the church
Community is the source of our power
No experience needed and no commitment to keep coming back. Drop in on a Friday, or watch the weekly newsletter for what the group is working on. All are welcome.
Welcoming and Green Sanctuary
Two commitments we have made to the wider movement, and keep showing up for.
Welcoming Congregation. The UUA recognized A2U2 as a Welcoming Congregation in 2003, the term for a congregation that has done explicit work to include people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The work of undoing homophobia and transphobia, in ourselves and around us, is ongoing.
Green Sanctuary. We declared ourselves a Green Sanctuary in 1993 and have stayed at it: signing up for green electricity, and building insulating window inserts with WindowDressers. In 2012 EcoMaine recognized that work with its Portland Citizen Award and its Grand Award.
Partners and coalitions
We rarely work alone. A few of the partnerships that have shaped us:
Greater Portland Family Promise
Through an interfaith network, Family Promise provides housing, meals, case management, and community for children and families facing homelessness. A2U2 has taken part since 2016, and trainings are held regularly for new volunteers. If you want to make a difference in the life of a homeless child, your help is needed; reach the office to take part.
MUUSAN
The Maine UU State Advocacy Network. We helped form it in 2013; it links twenty-five Maine congregations and works on the environment, democracy, healthcare, and racial, Native, and immigrant justice, alongside partners like the Maine Council of Churches, the League of Women Voters, and the Poor People’s Campaign.
Preble Street
Long-running soup-kitchen work, recognized with the agency’s Faith in Action award in 2016.
WindowDressers
Volunteer-built, low-cost window inserts that cut heating costs and carbon for Maine households.
Friends of Portland Adult Education
Backing adult learners as they work toward their educational and employment goals.
Decades of showing up
This is not new for us. A few moments from a long record of public witness:
- 1986Sponsored refugee families from Cambodia, Yugoslavia, Malawi, and Nigeria, and voted to declare a nuclear-free zone.
- 1993Declared a Green Sanctuary.
- 1999Endorsed worldwide nuclear disarmament.
- 2001Began a relationship with ASERELA, Portland refugees from Sudan.
- 2003Won the national Bennett Award and became a Welcoming Congregation.
- 2004Signed up for green electricity through Maine Green Power.
- 2005Helped defeat a referendum that would have stripped rights from gay, lesbian, and transgender people in Maine.
- 2006Raised over $46,000 for the Four Directions Development Corporation, which lends to members of Maine’s four Wabanaki tribes.
- 2008Became the first Maine congregation to support the Declaration of Religious Support for the freedom of same-sex couples to marry.
- 2009Committed to support immigrants and asylum seekers; the work continues.
- 2013Helped form MUUSAN.
- 2024Rallied at the State House for eviction prevention, rent relief, and emergency shelter funding.
Awards came along the way: EqualityMaine’s Faith in Action Award (2007), Portland Habitat for Humanity’s Golden Hammer (2009), EcoMaine’s Portland Citizen Award (2012), and Preble Street’s Faith in Action award (2016). Each was earned by members who kept turning up.
Get involved
The simplest first step is to sit in on a Social Justice Committee meeting: the fourth Wednesday of the month, 7–8pm, September through June, currently on Zoom. All are welcome, and we’d love to have you. Reach the office and we will send you the link and point you to what is happening that week.
If you would rather act with your hands, drop in on the Friday Afternoon Call to Action any Friday afternoon.
Most people start by being in the room. Find your people here → or support the work →