Inspired by Micah 6:8, “Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God,” the Social Justice Ministry at First Pres is committed to acting out our faith by working for positive change in our community and throughout the world.
We take seriously the call of Jesus to “feed the hungry and clothe the naked.” We also take seriously Jesus’ call to identify, challenge, and change the systems of injustice in our world.
We affirm that nonviolence and peacemaking are essential to our faith in God’s reconciling work in Jesus Christ, as written in our commitment to being a Peace Church.
What’s New
We, along with members from All Saint’s Episcopal, recently completed an IM4HI accompaniment of Linda, an asylum seeker from Honduras. In that six months, she received her work permit and driver’s license, practiced English, started working at Tesla and found housing in Fremont. What a success story! Now we are considering starting another accompaniment for a young man from El Salvador.
We hosted Hotel de Zink in July, providing food and shelter for ~15 unhoused adults, and will do the same for Heart and Home Collaborative in February.
We prepared a statement in support of our denomination’s statement of complicity with and repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery. Session passed it in May 2021. For more details, see https://www.fprespa.org/session-passes-a-statement-on-the-doctrine-of-discovery/
What We Do: A SAMPLING OF SOCIAL JUSTICE MINISTRY WORK AT Fpcpa
- Accompany asylum seekers, with the help of Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. Click here to learn more about accompaniment.
- Support Cool Planet, a working group at First Pres addressing the issues of climate change and environmental justice.
- Collect food donations every Sunday for the Downtown Streets Team Food Closet.
- Organize monthly letter writing to legislators on social justice issues such as hunger, climate change and immigration policy.
- Promote and attend monthly interfaith Peaceful Presence services organized by Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice.
- Host an annual Rise Against Hunger event where we to pack meals for refugees around the world. As a Hunger Action Congregation, we educate our congregations about hunger issues.
- Host Hotel de Zink every July, providing shelter and meals for unhoused adults.
- Form a team for the annual Church World Service CROP Hunger Walk that also benefits the Ecumenical Hunger Project.
- Raise funds for the Day Worker Center of Mountain View, which connects workers and employers in a safe and supportive environment.
- Work with More Light Presbyterians to support members of the LGBTQIA+ community in our denomination and society.
- Partner with organizations such as Puente de la Costa Sur in Pescadero, a resource center that serves immigrant workers and others on the South Coast, and Youth Community Service, a local organization that works with underprivileged youth.
- Offer financial support to nonprofits whose goals align with ours. Click here for a list of organizations to which we contributed in 2020.
Join Us!
Our committee meets monthly, currently by Zoom on the 2nd Wednesday evening of the month. We’d love to have you join us. If you have questions, please contact the Session member for Social Justice Ministry.
