Justice Work
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Glastonbury Links Together - First Church is a member of this interfaith group made up of lay people and clergy. They started a backpack program within the Glastonbury schools to address hunger within our own town, similar to the Bloomfield Backpack Project. First Church fills bags for about 30 students once a month and delivers them to the schools. We collect pre-packaged, individually wrapped, non-perishable items for the bags.Donations can be dropped off in the food drive boxes in the back lobby. Please contact Karin Carlino for more information at michaelkarin.carlino@cox.net or 860-841-8363.
Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance (GHIAA) - Established in 2019, GHIAA consists of over 50 congregations including fellow UCC churches, synagogues, mosques, meetinghouses and other faith groups. Through community organizing, GHIAA advocates for justice in the Greater Hartford region. Local congregational Core Teams work with GHIAA's staff in discerning specific areas of reform in the state and region. The discernment process provides member organizations (including First Church) the opportunity to participate directly in justice initiatives and regional community dialogue. To learn more about GHIAA and its recent successes in social justice initiatives, please visit www.cljct.org. We are offering opportunities to gather one-on-one and in small groups (Parlor Meetings) to discuss issues of concern, with a purpose of creating a more just and loving local community and region and helping to inform GHIAA’s upcoming state legislative agenda. If you would like to like to learn more about GHIAA, schedule a one-on-one meeting with a GHIAA team member and/or participate in a Parlor Meeting on justice issues of concern to you, please contact co-chairs Rob Dakers at julrob.dakers@gmail.com or Jim O'Brien at jim_f_obrien@sbcglobal.net.
Racial Justice Team - It is the aim of the FCC Racial Justice Team to broaden engagement within our church community in matters related to white privilege, implicit bias and the impact of systemic racism, not just on people of color but on all of us. This can take the form of frank facilitated conversations, book studies, hosting speakers and getting involved with church and/or community groups with similar goals. We will offer ways to put racial justice into action. In the longer term, we envision FCC, in partnership with the UCC with its long history of commitment to racial justice, to be seen as allies to people of color and a leading voice for racial justice in our community and beyond. Click here for our information and resources page. Please contact Chair Diana Ruddick for more information at dianakate525@gmail.com.
Refugee Sponsorship Ministry - First Church has a more than 60-year tradition of this church in welcoming refugees, heeding the Biblical call to always “welcome the stranger.” We have had a very involved and active group of members helping to sponsor and settle two families from the Republic of the Congo, supporting three families from Afghanistan who have been here for a few years, and welcoming and settling new Afghan refugees in the greater Hartford area by helping to rent apartments and collect home furnishings. The hard work, time commitment and selfless efforts of these members has been inspiring!