The Mayor has presented his budget for Metro to the Metro Council. The Council will make changes that they think are important. A budget must be adopted by June 30. If we want real change in affordable housing, the Council must hear from us NOW and throughout June – while they will be negotiating with one another!

On May 5 and 6, nonprofits throughout Middle Tennessee will be participating in The Big Payback, a 24-hour, online giving event sponsored by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Nonprofits can earn cash prizes by having the most donors in a certain time block. Please help NOAH in The Big Payback by donating at this link, starting at 6:00 PM today. Read more>>

In lieu of our Share the Plate program in May, please donate to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. 100% of the funds will go to help with the housing needs of our asylum-seeker from Ukraine.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting celebrating Americans United for Separation of Church and State - Nashville Chapter - 20th Anniversary - You must register to obtain the link.

Our Share the Plate partner this month is Stop AAPI Hate. In response to the alarming escalation in xenophobia and bigotry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University launched the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center on March 19, 2020.

Second Harvest is working to meet extraordinary pandemic needs. “The impact of the pandemic was felt immediately. Demand for our services increased by 50% as food resources became harder and harder to secure. Second Harvest had to reevaluate our programs and completely adjust our distribution models to provide no-contact distributions and ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers, and clients.”

Nashville is suffering an ongoing affordable housing crisis. Through three upcoming events, you can learn about the history of housing inequity in our city, the current struggles of Nashvillians to find affordable housing in the city they work in, and hopes for the future of fair housing.

On Thursday, February 18, at 7:00 pm, the Temple’s Social Justice Team will host a virtual panel discussion on the death penalty considering the issue from four perspectives. Participants include the Rev. Stacy Rector, Executive Director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, federal public defender Kelley Henry, Rolanda Holman, sister of Pervis Payne, and exoneree Sabrina Butler-Smith.

The Tennessee Justice Center’s goal is health justice and equity, achieved when every person, regardless of race, income, education, gender or other status, has access to what they need to be healthy. TJC works with clients to help them get the food and healthcare they need. TJC advocates that laws and policies honor the value and potential of every person.

NOAH’s Action of Public Lamentation was a moving action of public witness and a success in terms of media attention. Thank you to those who made stars for this event. Stories appeared in the Tennessean, on NewsChannel 5, and on Fox 17. To date, however, the governor has not taken action. Please contact Governor Lee today about releasing stockpiled TANF money!

Our Share the Plate Partner for January 2021 is Open Table Nashville, an interfaith homeless outreach nonprofit that disrupts cycles of poverty, journeys with the marginalized, and provides education about issues of homelessness. They take a stand on the side of people experiencing homelessness and work for justice by fostering personal and systemic transformation. Please give generously.

On Tuesday, Dec. 29, NOAH is holding a PUBLIC ACTION, calling on Governor Lee and our state government to do the following:

• Issue a statewide mask mandate;

• Immediately free up the surplus $740 million in federal TANF funds to help low-income families with children (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).

This public action will pay tribute to lives lost to COVID-19.

So what have NOAH’s task forces been accomplishing? They have been working on Affordable Housing, Education, Criminal Justice, and Economic Equity & Jobs. NOAH’s vision is for Nashville to be a city that is anti-racist and just and equitable for all people. Here a link to NOAH’s accomplishments and progress.

Recently, House Speaker Cameron Sexton appointed Laurie Cardoza-Moore, a notorious bigot, to the Tennessee Textbook Commission. A diverse group of interfaith leaders are uniting in opposition and asking for her appointment to be rescinded because of her anti-Muslim rhetoric and promotion of false historical narratives. And they are asking us to join them in signing on to their letter.

Our December Share the Plate partner is the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee Guest At Your Table Program. UUSC works around the world to promote human rights and social justice, transforming UU values into action. This year marks GNUUC’s 26th year of participating in the Guest at Your Table program. Our primary fundraiser for UUSC is our Share the Plate program.

Some suggestions for material donations for Room In The Inn. Look in the attic and the cupboards.

Some of us were able to attend the Palmer Lecture last Saturday, where we heard Rasheedat Fetuga, founder and CEO of Gideon’s Army, speak on Healing Justice. She described the inspiration driving her life’s work on behalf of children and the ongoing progress in bringing restorative justice practices to MNPS and the community. You can view the presentation here.

For the past several years, GNUUC has volunteered in RITI’s Winter Shelter program. We are sad that we aren’t able to do this during the pandemic. The pandemic is increasing homelessness, threatening the health of the homeless, and making providing services to the homeless more difficult. They can use our financial support all the more this year. Please give generously!

Thank you to everyone who attended NOAH’s annual public meeting, “The Fierce Urgency of NOW”, last Sunday! Here is a link to a recording of the event, in case you missed it (or just want to relive it!). Here are links to two news stories about the event, one in the Tennessean and one by WSMV.

GNUUC joined with NOAH organization members throughout Nashville to strive for 100% registration and voting among all eligible members. Thanks to everyone who participated in our GNUUC Voter Challenge. We will be reporting at the NOAH Public Meeting this Sunday that at least 96% of our people are committed to voting! Read more>>