Area of Concern	Activities
Abused / Abandoned Children & Domestic Violence	We are developing contacts and projects with Casa Pacifica. Casa Pacifica provides emergency and intermediate shelter for abused, abandoned and neglected children in Ventura County Casa Pacifica: (805) 445-7800 Luv U Bags : Every Valentine's Day, we package personal-sized toiletries in valentine-decorated bags and deliver them to Interface Children Family Services. Interface is a comprehensive social services agency in Ventura County that, among many other services, provides emergency shelter to battered women and their children. Interface: (805) 485-6114
Environmental Issues & Responsible Consumption	The Seventh Principle Project is a UUA initiative designed to facilitate and support the work of UUs by affirming and promoting the seventh principle of the UUA, "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part." They do this by focusing on the theological, spiritual, and ethical aspects of human values and activities that affect the health and sustainability of the living earth. They sponsored the 1999/2000 Study/Action issue "Responsible Consumption as a Moral Imperitive."
Homelessness	The CVUUF provides sack lunches every 2nd Friday of the month from April through November for the homeless in Thousand Oaks.
Separation of Church and State	The CVUUF, in partnership with Cal Lutheran University and several local churches sponsored a forum on Separation of Church and State in October, 2000. Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United was the keynote speaker, with various panelists contributing to the discussion. Project Freedom of Religion (PFOR) is a Southern California organization of Unitarian-Universalists (UUs) who actively support religious liberty for all Americans, and who work to preserve the religious freedoms found in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. PFOR: Theodora Davitt-Cornyn serves on the executive Board. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State is a national organization (non-UU) that since 1947, has worked to protect the constitutional principle of church-state separation. They are regularly involved in a large number of court cases, setting legal precedents in behalf of church-state separation. Americans United: John Suarez serves on the executive Board.
Local & World Hunger	Each Sunday the CVUUF collects food items for Manna. Manna is the Conejo Valley Food Bank serving Agoura, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake and Calabasas. Manna provides emergency food assistance to those in need. Manna : 805-497-4959 Every November & December, CVUUF participates in a Holiday Food Collection for Food Share. Food Share collects and distributes food to needy families and individuals in Ventura county. Food Share : 805-983-7100 Every March, CVUUF participates in the Conejo Valley CROP Walk. The CROP Walk is a national fundraiser for the interfaith Church World Service to raise money for local food pantries (such as Manna and Food Share), as well as long-term development in more than 80 countries, assisting in disasters and famines, and helping to meet the special needs of refugees. We join participants from dozens of other churches in the area on this 10K walk.
Anti-Racism	Each year during the Martin Luther King holiday, CVUUF holds a Journey Toward Wholeness service and a special collection to be used toward fighting local racism issues. JTW Sunday is a UUA-wide fund raising event for the purpose of teaching and supporting racial justice, anti-oppression, and multicultural diversity projects of UU congregations and the UUA. Betty also preaches a Juneteenth sermon annually to commemorate the day the slaves discovered they were freed.
Reproductive Rights	The CVUUF Board of Directors voted to include the fellowship in the Ventura County Reproductive Rights Network, a coalition of organizations and individuals working to protect every family's reproductive rights through education and advocacy. Planned Parenthood of Ventura County is planning to open a clinic in Thousand Oaks, and several members have been actively involved with the move organization.
Human Rights / Civil Rights	CVUUF members have been active with the Ventura County Living Wage Coalition (VCLWC). The VCLWC was established in December 1997 as an outcome of a series of community and labor meetings to discuss the prospects of passing living wage ordinances in a number of Ventura County municipalities. Since that time, the VCLWC has established itself as a broad based multi-ethnic coalition of approximately thirty-four community, labor, student, environmental and faith-based organizations, and has successfully mobilized broad support for living wage proposals with the City of Oxnard and the County of Ventura. Marcos Vargas : Coalition Chairperson, CVUUF is also looking at strengthening our ties to the local United Farm Workers (UFW) chapter, the NAACP and other civil rights groups. During the on-going UFW mushroom workers strike, we've participated in the UUSC Food Caravan and temporarily diverted our Sunday food collections to the striking families. Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community ( UUJEC) is a UUA-affiliated initiative to focus our denomination's attention and power toward effecting a sustainable network of local and regional initiatives for systemic economic change. UUJEC members and chapters resolve to fight for worker rights, corporate accountability and economic equality.
Gay & Lesbian Issues	The CVUUF is a Welcoming Congregation, meaning that we have affirmed the complete inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons in our fellowship through a nondiscrimination clause in our by-laws and other official documents affecting all dimensions of congregational life, including membership, hiring practices, and the calling of religious professionals. We welcome same-sex couples and equally affirm displays of caring and affection without regard to sexual orientation. We recognize committed relationships and perform same-sex unions CVUUF has initiated a Welcoming Congregation Movie Night, held the first Friday of every month. The films and discussion will address GLBT themes. CVUUF annually co-sponsors a booth with the Simi Valley United Church of Christ (UCC) and our sister UU Churches at the Simi Valley and Ventura Pride Days. CVUUF members have also participated in the October Ventura County AIDS Walk For Life. The CVUUF, in partnership with Cal Lutheran University, sponsored an anti-Proposition 22 forum in September, 2000. Various panelists contributed to the discussion. We have also worked with the Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Ventura on numerous programs for gay and lesbian people. PFLAG is an organization of parents and friends of lesbians and gays with local affiliates that provide support for GLBT people. We are looking into establishing an Interweave chapter at CVUUF. Interweave is a membership organization affiliated with the UUA, dedicated to the spiritual, political, and social well-being of Unitarian Universalists who are confronting oppression as lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender persons, and their heterosexual allies; and facilitates the celebration of the culture and lives of its members.