Social Justice

The members and friends of NHF are involved in a wide variety of social action projects and local organizations. Some of these include:

Sharing Our Abundance
Beginning in March of 2010, Northern Hills Fellowship made a major new commitment to supporting the work of non-profit organizations in our community. 1/3 of all cash from each Sunday morning's offering is now donated to a local charity. The church Board of Trustees approves one group to receive these funds, and the recipient changes each month. Groups we have already made contributions to include the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Cincinnati and the Su Casa Hispanic Services Center.

"Standing on the Side of Love"
Northern Hills Fellowship is one of many churches nationwide involved in the Unitarian Universalist Association's "The Standing on the Side of Love" campaign. This campaign is a multi-faith response to prevent instances of hate-motivated cruelty and violence and to offer public witness to our advocacy for LGBT equality, full marriage rights, and fair and humane immigration policies. For more information, visit www.standingonthesideoflove.org

Valley Interfaith Food and Clothing:
NHF’s longstanding support of Valley Interfaith takes the form of monthly food and clothing collections, on-site volunteer work, and providing presents and warm clothing for children each Christmas. In addition, many members provide valuable volunteer hours to the center, including some who serve on its Board of Directors. For more information on Valley Interfaith, visit http://www.vifcc.org

Prepare Affair:
In November of each year, a large number of NHF volunteers take part in this annual event sponsored by People Working Cooperatively. They spend the day raking leaves and cleaning gutters for the elderly and disabled in our local community.

Caring for the Environment:
The seventh principle of UUism, "to affirm and promote the interdependent web of life of which we are a part," calls us to care about the way we treat the environment. Our Green Sanctuary Team leads efforts to recycle our waste, education ourselves about Earth issues, and find sustainable ways to co-exist with nature. We are currently working to become recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association as a "Green Sanctuary" congregation. For more information on this program, visit www.uua.org

Helping to Re-Build the Gulf Coast
As a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Northern Hills Fellowship has supported ongoing efforts to rebuild the areas devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. For a look at the tremendous efforts made by UUs across the country to reach out to the residents of this region, you can view a 30 minute video called “Rebuilding the Gulf Coast: A Unique Partnership between the UUA and UUSC”

Guest at Your Table:
Each December, many NHF families fill their “Guest at Your Table” boxes with spare change to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s work around the world. For more information on UUSC, visit http://www.uusc.org

LGBT Equality:
NHF is proud to be designated a “Welcoming Congregation” by the Unitarian Universalist Association. This designation means that we are a church which welcomes and celebrates the presence and participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. In past years, our congregation has sponsored speakers addressing issues of anti-gay discrimination and marriage equality. Our members have volunteered for the Unitarian Universalist booth at Cincinnati’s annual Pride Festival.

Interfaith Hospitality Network:
Members of Northern Hills Fellowship regularly participate in a program called Interfaith Hospitality Network. We work with our friends at other local churches to help house homeless families at First Unitarian Church in Cincinnati. Our volunteers plan and prepare dinners, host activities for children, chaperone overnight stays and provide laundry service. For more information IHN, visit www.ihncincinnati.org

Racial Reconciliation:
In 2001, Northern Hills Fellowship and First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati came together to honor the life of the Rev. W.H.G. Carter. Carter was an African American minister whose efforts to start a Unitarian church in the late 1930s in Cincinnati's West End went unsupported because of racism and misunderstanding within our congregations. Nearly 70 years later we welcomed dozens of Rev. Carter's descendents to a series of special services of reconciliation. The members of NHF donated a grave marker for Rev. Carter and his wife's plot which lies in the cemetery next door to our church.

Social Action by NHF’s Children and Youth:
Children and youth in our Religious Education program are encouraged to participate in various events which raise funds for local, national and international charities. The Ages 10-12 Class sponsors a Children’s Auction and Fair to raise funds for The Heifer Project, which provides farm animals to struggling families around the world. The Coming of Age class sells Create-A-Bear kits and jewelry at the Wyoming Fall Festival and at NHF to raise funds that provides aid to orphans in El Salvador. The Senior High Class has participated in the American Cancer Society’s “Relay For Life,” walking non-stop for nearly 18 hours on the track at Sycamore High School.

For more information about Social Action issues being addressed by the Unitarian Universalist Association, please visit http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/issues