2021 — A Review and A Celebration!

What a year

What a year we’ve had! During 2021, we transitioned leadership (that had some bumps, but for the most part went quite smoothly), we increased are activism and efforts, we grew, and we have become more focused. We did a LOT!

Tremendous thanks to the Acting Board (Andrew Miller, Angela Arnett Garner, Doug Lowry, Eric Huffer, Lori Kyle and Tim McGaughey) for their time, passion, energy and leadership. They helped greatly during the transition between Rev Dawn Cooley and myself as Coordinator — and continue to provide leadership and work hard to create an infrastructure that will secure the sustainability of KUUJAN.

A team from KUUJAN participated in the UUA “organizing school” and we will be receiving several months of “one-on-one” tutoring/mentoring in 2022 to continue to support our growth and efforts.

We were able to successfully re-launch the Climate Justice Team which has taken off!

We launched a new Reproductive Justice Issues Team which is already working hard to help defeat the 2022 Constitutional Amendment that will be on the Ballot in November.

We engaged our first ever fund appeal from you all — and you have stepped up!  THANK you so very much to all of you who have responded and sent in your contribution to help our efforts!

Last week, as a lovely end of year gift, we were notified that KUUJAN has been awarded an $8000 grant from the UU Funding Program in support of our efforts.

All in all, we’re in a great place to continue our growth, effectiveness and impact into 2022 and beyond.

We also received a $3000 matching grant from the UUFP.  So we need to raise $3000 on our own in order for UUFP to release these additional funds.  If you have not done so already, now would be an excellent time to make an end of the year donation in support of KUUJAN! Thanks to the UUFP, your donation will now be doubled! If you donate $100, KUUJAN will receive $200.

Please consider clicking the donate button at the bottom of this newsletter!

All Network Gatherings

The January All Network Gathering is on January 5 at 7pm ET (6pm CT). The Climate Justice Team is hosting this ANG, and we will update you on the efforts of our CJ Team, what we’re facing, and actions in the coming year!

RSVP Now!  

Our upcoming schedule for All Network Gatherings:

• January 2022 — Climate Justice Team will coordinate a focus on Climate Justice and what we can do to address it
• February 2022 — Reproductive Justice
• March 2022 —  Focusing on networking and community building.
• April 2022 — Racial Justice

Our All Network Gatherings are the first Wednesday of every month.  All Unitarian Universalists in Kentucky are invited to these free, online gatherings.

Looking Forward — Plans for 2022

We have a great foundation and are looking forward to 2022 with excitement and energy! Some core goals for 2022 include:

• Launching a UU Racial Justice ToolKit that will be designed to help develop UUs in Kentucky confidence to engage in meaningful racial justice efforts.
• The Climate Justice Team will be engaging in an assessment of the congregations in Kentucky in regards to climate justice efforts — what kinds of climate justice do they want to be engaged in, what resources do they need/want to be more able to do more of what they do, etc.
• The Reproductive Justice Team will be working to develop each congregations own reproductive justice efforts and helping these congregational teams to connect with community efforts that are going on around them. (If you are interested in joining the Reproductive Justice Team, contact Natalie Barman at NBarman14@gmail.com, or Rus at rus@kuujan.org.)
• The Democracy Team will continue to work to ensure voting rights for people who have received felonies and continue their efforts to get out the vote.
• Rus will begin visiting each congregation to build/strengthen our relationship.
• We will engage in a full assessment of UUs in Kentucky in regards to the justice efforts that UUs here are engaged in, what they want to be engaged in, and what kinds of supports KUUJAN can offer to help UUs (both individuals and Congregations) to feel more confident in advancing justice.
• We will deepen our capacity and ability to engage in advocacy efforts in Frankfort.
• …and address other justice issues that demand our attention
• …and grow out depending on your needs and wants.

The best way that you can be involved is through one of the Issues Teams. If you don’t have the time or energy right now to join, please do feel free to contact me (Rus) at any time with your thoughts, ideas, or suggestions for what else we can do or what else you’d like to see KUUJAN be engaged in.

Supporting our Work

Thank for subscribing to the KUUJAN Newsletter and being a part of our movement to expand and grow justice in Kentucky! We cannot continue to do what we do without your support.  Please consider making a donation today.  Your gift of $100 would helps us greatly to sustain and grow our efforts.