The following words and closing ones at the end are from a communication I received from the Congregational Life Staff at the UUA:
“Over the last few weeks, the nation and the world have watched in horror as violations of rights and care have been enacted by ICE agents. Communities are facing fear, disruption, and state violence at an alarming scale and the harm unfolding is not accidental or isolated. It is the result of policies that criminalize immigration and enforce borders through fear, surveillance, and force rather than care.”
“30 Days of Love 2026.” This 30-day “journey focusing on love as a force for justice, with daily reflections, activities, and calls to action,” is a gift from the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Side With Love Campaign that is traditionally bookended by the celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and Valentine’s Day.
The UUs of Southold committees on Ministry, Social Action and Worship purposefully began our annual “30 Days of Love” initiative on Monday, January 19th (MLK Day), with an introductory gathering for members and friends who volunteered to work on a project introduced to UUS by Irma Solis of the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU). After indulging in delicious refreshments (thank you Sonia!) and overcoming a small technical glitch (thank you Adam), we listened and learned more about this wonderful family advocacy program (thank you Irma).
“30 Days of Love 2026” ends Monday, February 16th, which happens to be the first day of the five-day “Camino Al Exito (The Path to Success) training/workshop which will be held in both our large and small gathering spaces. Date/time: Mon./Tues./Wed./Thurs., February 16-19, 8:30 am – 11:30 am and Fri. February 20, 8:30 am – 2:00 pm ( last day includes Graduation). Schools are closed that week so we plan to have a few HS students on hand to welcome the children that we expect. Everyone will be treated to both breakfast and lunch and we hope you will join UUS in the fun. Expenses for this first part of the project will be picked up by SAC. A grant application has been submitted to the New York State Convention of Universalists (NYSCU) to help defray the costs of our continued support of the workshops and the needs of participants (thank you Susan P., Susan J., and Ginny). Keep your fingers crossed!
Saturday, February 21, 10:00 am – 3:00pm we need volunteers to participate in Southold Town’s Winterfest 2026. We hope to have our “Warm Hearts, Warm Feet” table in the spot we usually share with North Fork Environmental Council (NFEC), the NW corner of Young’s Avenue and Route 25 /Main Road. There is a box under the SAC table for our annual SOCK DRIVE of new / gently used socks for John’s Place and Maureen’s Haven. Donations of personal care supplies are also needed. REMEMBER TO BRING SOCKS on the 21st AND, if you are volunteering, WEAR AN EXTRA PAIR OF SOCKS. Everyone can warm up back “on the bend” doing the swing at Community Dance with Alexandra Binder at 4:30 pm.
ANOTHER REMINDER: If you have not yet purchased your copy of the UUA’s 2025-2026 Common Read book / workbook Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection, the discussion group will start in the last week of February. See the January Free Spirit for information on purchasing the book.
Your input is crucial to the work of our SAC / 8th Principle Task Force. Please attend the next meeting,on Wed., February 11, 2026, 4-5pm, either in person or via Zoom. The link will be emailed within the 24 hrs prior to the meeting.
Closing Words from Congregational Life Staff of the UUA:
“The struggles we face are not merely political debates; we are in a time of moral and spiritual crisis. They are ethical and material battles over who belongs, who is protected, and whose lives matter. Dr. King said, ‘The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.’
“As a people of faith who proclaim the good news of Love’s redeeming power, we must discern and act. May Love hold you, guide you and embolden you as we co-create the Beloved Community today and in all the days ahead. For we, together, bend the moral arc of the universe towards justice.”
With love and in Faith and Solidarity,
Patte McManus (she, her, we)
(631) 997-9405; pattemcgoo@yahoo.com