The Southold Women’s Rally, sponsored by our congregation, was held in Greenport’s Mitchell Park on Saturday, January 11th. Planning meetings, placard-making, and music sessions were held in our new building and consisted of community activists and organizers representing groups like the North Fork Unity Action Committee (UNITY) and the North Fork Chapter of Coming to the Table (CTTT). There were the Board members and congregants who volunteered at the Rally to: provide safety & security; gather contact info from and distribute resource materials; and, to cheer on our wonderful speakers. There were about 150 people in the park when we started at 1:00pm and, despite numbing fingers and toes, about 3/4 of them remained until the end at 2:20 pm.
Many thanks to all involved, including those who prepared the reception of hot chocolate, munchies and a warm welcome for the speakers, musicians and stalwart attendees. For more info, check out the coverage from East End Beacon ,The Suffolk Times and Channel 12.
At the conclusion of the Rally, one of the organizers announced “Next Steps,” part of which is the beginning of the Southold Community Action Center, sponsored and supported by the Social Action Committee of UUs of Southold, for individuals / groups that need a place to meet for activism and support on a number of issues. It began on Friday, January 24th and will continue to meet on the fourth Friday of each month at 4:00pm. There were about 50 people (coming from as far away as Centereach and Sound Beach) at the first meeting and a good two-thirds stayed until 6:20pm, sharing hopes and fears and exchanging info with the helpful support of knowledgeable people at “issue” tables and available resource materials (most requested – “Know Your Rights” in Spanish). We decided to hold a second meeting at an alternative time next month on Wednesday, February 19th at 6:00pm.
SAC will once again have a table at the Southold Winterfest on Saturday, February 8, 2025 from 10-3. We will probably be in our usual spot in front of the Southold Town Annex, 45375 Main at the corner of Youngs Avenue. We are sharing the space with North Fork Environmental Council (NFEC) and letting everyone know about the hot chocolate and a child’s craft project that will take place at the meeting house from 1-3:00pm AND the film being shown in the evening (see below). We will also be collecting donations of new and gently used socks for Maureen’s Haven, as we have in the past.
In addition to the socks, we are still collecting food and winter clothing for CAST, which can be dropped off at the meeting house, 51900 Main Rd.:
– during office hours (Tu/W/Th from 10:00am-2:00pm),
– on Sundays (10:30am-1:00pm), and
– during Southold Winterfest, between 1:00pm to 7:00pm on Saturday, February 8, 2025.
Donations to CAST / bringing new or gently used SOCKS for Maureen’s Haven will be the cost of admission to view portions of John Feldman’s film, Regenerating Life: How to cool the planet, feed the world, and live happily ever after. Mark Haubner of NFEC will be showing excerpts from the film and offering everyone an opportunity to participate in an action-oriented discussion, from 5-7pm (admission includes hot drinks and popcorn).
The next meeting of SAC / 8th Principle Task Force will be held:
Date & time – 2nd Wednesday of the month, February 14, 2025, from 4:00-5:00 pm
Place: in person in the small gathering space OR via Zoom link, which will be emailed the day prior to the meeting.
****Be watching your email inbox for information about this year’s 30 Days of Love from the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Side With Love campaign****
With love,
Patte McManus, Chair
631-997-9405