UNITED CHRISTIAN CHURCH
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Mission Statement
We show love for our neighbors by protecting the environment, welcoming the stranger, standing with the oppressed, providing basic necessities to the poor, feeding the hungry, and providing opportunities for children and youth to grow in service to others.
About This Cause
UCC Austin was founded in 1991. Since that time it is known as a community that welcomes, affirms, and celebrates all races and persons on the gender spectrum. The community regularly participates in local pride events and advocates for all children, youth, and adults. Each week funds are collected to support the work of the Bethany Food Pantry which serves neighborhoods in East Austin. The neighborhoods Bethany serves have long been economically disadvantaged, predominantly African-American areas of Austin. Over the past 20 years, these neighborhoods have quickly been gentrified. Gentrification has significantly raised property taxes adding to the burden of living in a city with a high cost of living. In addition to providing funds, UCC collects food, and the youth participates in preparation of food boxes for distribution. Members of UCC include master gardeners and master naturalists who are developing land around its building into a pollinator paradise, including the introduction of bee hives. This cultivation will contribute to the creation of Austin's urban pollinator corridor. Annually the community hosts a "period party". The community collaborates with local organizations such as schools in economically challenged areas, women and children shelters, refugee shelters to provide women's hygiene products to those who may have no or little access to these basic necessities. UCC Austin collects products, repackages them according to the needs of the collaborating organizations, and distributes them to the organizations. This year we were able to provide almost 4,000 items to our collaborating organizations. UCC Austin has a free pantry that is stocked at least 3 times a week with canned goods, dried foods, clothing, hygiene products, and sometimes fresh vegetables and candy for treats. It is a wish that we would be able to participate in a free refrigerator program whereby people could put food such as meats, dairy products, and/or prepared soups and casseroles for people to take as they need. Each year the youth and selected adults engage in a weeklong activity of social justice. They have helped refurbish houses in Appalachia and learned about food insecurity as they worked on urban farms in North Texas for example. UCC has applied to be a sponsoring organization for a refugee family from Syria. We have already raised the necessary funds to assure a smooth transition. Once the family arrives we will be responsible for assistance with location of housing, transportation, enrollment in schools, and finding employment. All service work is done with no proselytizing, no judgement, no quid pro quo. The UCC Austin community takes seriously its mission to love its neighbors as it does themselves.