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Social Justice

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Social Justice Ministry
Catholic social teaching reminds us we are interconnected and that even our social, political, and economic institutions have a deep effect on people's lives. Our Social Justice Ministry works with the rest of the parish to help us see and listen to our brother or sister in need. We do this through education (studying how loving our neighbor plays out in our social institutions), through advocacy (working for the poor and vulnerable in the political arena), and through direct action (organizing food drives, clothing collections, and supporting refugees and the Rice Bowl).

We meet on various days, once a month. If you would like to join the Social Justice Ministry, watch the bulletin for meeting times or call Tim Paulitz at 509-332-6184 or Francy Bose at 509-332-5114.

Printable file for August 5 minutes

Social Justice Ministry Minutes
August 5, 2021

Opening Prayer: Remembering Our Power, a message by Sr. Corita, was prayed by Francy
People attending: Tim Paulitz; Bill Engels; Jessica Cassleman; Kat Harris; Robert Harris; Francy Bose
Updates:
Family Promise: Sacred Heart will host two families next week, August 13 and 14. Currently there are five people in two families; a mother and infant and a father and two teens. Please contact Tim if you can provide a meal for Friday evening. Currently the families are at Simpson Methodist Church.
Family Promise current needs include:
- Brand new pillows and pillowcases
- Size 2 diapers
- baby wipes
- peanut butter
- jelly
- pasta
- pasta sauce
- clear large storage bins
- bookshelves
- school supplies
- A trunk bike rack for 3 bikes
- Tickets to Trampoline Park called DEFY: A family recreational need during heat.
Action Alerts via Flocknote : Summary of past few weeks:
July-7 email; July-14 texts
Healthy Planet, Healthy People thecatholicpetition.org
Restorative Justice catholicsmobilizing.org
August 1, on the environment, 4 parts:
- Prioritize the environment, & the poor and vulnerable, USCCB/Campaigns
- Hear the Cry of the Earth & the Cry of the Poor catholicclimatemovement
- Laudato Si' monthly prayerservicescatholicclimatemovement.global
- Ecumenical Jubilee for the Earth' Video Youtube
On the death penalty:
Petition Biden to end the federal death penalty & commute sentences catholicsmobilizing.org
You can still connect and respond to these issues through the links provided here.
TREX: Over the past month 78 pounds of plastic has been collected and sent to TREX through Safeway. Jessica reported that she “bagged” another 30 pounds this week. She reported that all the plastic donated was appropriate and clean. The information provided to the parish was very effective. Bill will check on the status of our current collection period.
Helping Hands: Is continuing to provide three weekly meals (Tuesday; Thursday; and Sunday) to the family where the mother is on bed-rest until early November when her baby is due. If you would like to help by providing a meal and are not in the Helping Hands Ministry, please contact Sue McNamara.
Community Action Food Bank:
- Current needs include: hygiene Items such as shampoo; conditioner; tooth paste and brushes; deodorant; disposable razors; shaving cream; tampons; etc.
- Depends for Men size L and XL
- Baby wipes
- Gluten-free food items
Food Drive at Dissmores on September 18 (please note, this is cancelled due to the spike in COVID cases). The SJM is considering having a Food Drive at Dissmores on Saturday, September 18 from 9 am to 1 pm. Francy has reserved the date. We will have four one-hour shifts with a minimum of two people to ‘staff’ each hour in order to monitor the two doors at the store. We will need between 8 to 16 people to conduct the event. Please contact Francy if you would like to help by monitoring one of the doors for one hour. francy@pavlasbose.com 432-6254
Micro-Pantry at Sacred Heart: No update on the progress of having a micro-pantry at Sacred Heart. Kat mentioned that Jefferson Elementary has a food pantry. If the parish likes the model, she will contact the people who provided it. Tim will contact Meg and Allison and possibly the Boy Scouts to revisit the idea for a site at Sacred Heart.
Tim, maybe you want to contact Kat about the pantry at Jefferson Elementary?
Laudato Si Disciples:
Parish Projects update:
- Grounds: We had no report on the progress of the grounds.
- Audits: Bill reported that he was not able to get a written report from Rock Solid Electric, other than the verbal report while he walked around the parish. Bill provided the summary of the energy audit:
- Upgrading indoor and outdoor lighting including replacing ballast and other older bulbs with LED bulbs
- Replacing windows with more energy efficient ones if cost effective; inserting insulation strips around windows
- Adding insultation, including above the ceiling in the church wing
Religious Education: Bill purchased 16 copies of Laudato Si’ for the Religious Education program. The encyclical and other materials/ links will be part of the orientation for ways teachers can include Laudato Si’ and the care for our common good.
A card will be sent to Dr. Wensnahan thanking him for applying his honorarium to the purchase of a bike rack for the church and share the “Bike to Mass” Event that resulted from the purchase.
Personal commitments UPDATES /SHARING: Please check out these two videos to provide ideas to increase your personal commitments to Laudato Si’ and Caring for our Common Home.
- Ten Ways to Reduce Global Warming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNf2bvdTqV4
- Choose Your personal Commitment: https://livingthechange.net/commitment-tool
Next Steps of Laudato Si’ Disciples:
            Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ Action Platform is his message to ASK 1.2 billion Catholics to “Create a future we want.” Check out the link below:
https://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/pope-francis-launches-program-put-laudato-si-action-throughout-church
Using this website, we will plan the next meeting to Join Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ Action Platform at Sacred Heart.
September 8 the people present and anyone interested to join the planning group will meet to organize An Action Platform for Sacred Heart. Following Pope Francis’ plans and ideas. We will meet via Zoom. If interested, please contact Tim or Francy for the link to join the planning meeting on September 8^th.

Purchasing Re-useable dishes and cups for off-site activities at Sacred Heart:
One hundred forty plates and one hundred forty ‘cups’ have been ordered in fulfillment of last year’s plans to have re-useable dishes and cups for parish activities that are away from the parish. This purchase will end the use of plastic or paper products that have to be discarded into the environment.
It is hoped that these reusable dishes will be here in time for the Lentil Festival Activities at Sacred Heart on August 21.
Racial Justice and the Catholic Church
June 9 “Dialogue with Our Neighbors: Let’s Talk About Race” with Jeff Guillory was a successful evening of discussion and interaction with approximately 50 people attending.
            The next session will be in September with the Latinx community. We are planning for a September 15 date. The two presenters will be: Marcela Pattinson ---DACA; and Manuel Acevedo ---WSU Multicultural Center
            This event will follow the format of June 9 dialogue with Jeff Guillory meeting outdoors under the tents on the church grounds due to COVID concerns.
            The plan is to start the program with a short discussion by the presenter on their experiences, perspectives and work; followed by a dialogue and discussion with those attending. There was much discussion about advertising the event throughout the community inviting and contacting community leaders; school principals; police officers; and religious communities.
Other Continuing Possibilities to address Racial Justice issues to consider:
- JustFaith—Bill Engels;
- PJAL Spokane: Bonita Lawhead
- NAACP-- Kurtis Robinson: Tim Paulitz
- DACA immigrants: Jessica Cassleman
- Refugee Connection Spokane: refugee issues
- African Americans and African Immigration: Kat Harris
- Multicultural Center at WSU & other issues: Jessica Cassleman
Community Connections:
            Prior to the meeting Bonita Lawhead suggested that the next Community Connections event could be “Thanking the Fire Fighters”.
            Kat Harris pointed out that we are again close to the Christmas season and she did not want to lose our commitment to the ‘home bound’ and people without family in nursing homes during the Christmas season.
            To consider both, it was suggested that First Responders be included by adding the “fire fighter” to the connections with Christmas messages and ornaments being sent to the fire fighters in the area.
            If anyone knows how we can find the contact information of local fire fighters, please contact Francy Bose; Tim Paulitz: or Mary Harris (Kat)
Community Outreach Commission Report: We are still looking for someone to prepare the monthly report to the Parish Council about what the various ministries of Sacred Heart do in the community outside of the parish. Here is the summary of the position as provided by Bill:
Volunteer Needed for Community Outreach Commission Report:  We are looking for someone to prepare the monthly report to the Pastoral Council on what the various parish ministries are doing related to community outreach. After requesting information from the five or six ministries on any activities concerning the wider community beyond the parish, you would then prepare a brief report for distribution to the Council. On a quarterly basis, you would briefly present highlights from the current report in person at the Council meeting. If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information, contact Bill Engels at mongolengels@yahoo.com.
Consideration of future SJ issues: Restorative Justice; Homelessness; Refugee; Affordable housing
Kat Harris shared that Jefferson Elementary school has provided training on Restorative Practices for all their individual teachers. This is fantastic.
If you would like to know more about Restorative Justice, you can start with the link on flock notes this past month from the Catholic Mobilization Network or click on this website:
Restorative Justice at catholicsmobilizing.org
Next Meeting: Thursday, September 23 at 7 pm
Closing Prayer: For Pride in Our Labor and Serenity Prayer was prayed by Francy

Printable file for June 24 minutes
printable file for May 13 minutes
printable file for April 7 minutes
printable file for Feb 25 minutes
printable file for January 14 minutes
printable file for Nov. 30 minutes
Family Promise of the Palouse

Sacred Heart Parish acts as a partner church when Pullman Presbyterian Church hosts homeless families through Family Promise of the Palouse. Several times a year families stay at the Presbyterian Church for a week. Sacred Heart parishioners help prepare the evening meal and stay for the evening or the night. Sacred Heart also collects items for Family Promise and participates in fundraisers. If you would like to volunteer please email Tim Paulitz or call him at 509-332-6184.

Family Promise of the Palouse (FPP), believes that every family deserves a safe place to call home. With support from the community, 29 interfaith congregations and hundreds of volunteers, they are able to provide shelter, food and support to help families in our community that need it the most. They are committed to families having a place to call home. Their website, www.familypromisepalouse.org, shows what they are doing to make a difference in the lives of homeless children and their families.
Refugee Relief - Refugee Connection in Spokane

Mindful of Jesus’ call to feed the hungry, help the poor, and welcome strangers, the Social Justice Ministry of Sacred Heart, in conjunction with the Spokane-based Refugee Connection, is offering assistance to refugees.

As refugees learn English, find jobs, and adjust to a new culture, the Social Justice Ministry wants to offer them friendship, financial assistance, and moral support. We invite any interested members of the parish to join us in this endeavor.

Donations to the “Refugee Relief Fund” can be made to Sacred Heart Parish, with “Refugee Fund” noted in the memo line. Please direct questions or comments to either: Francy Bose 509-332-5114, Tim Paulitz 509-332-6184.
Guatemala Mission - Nawal Estereo Radio Station

For more than 70 years, the Catholic Diocese of Spokane and its parishes have supported the Diocese of Solola in Guatemala. Donations from Sacred Heart Parish, Pullman support Nawal Estereo, a radio station broadcast to the residents in the Highlands of Solola, which provides religious and educational support. Nawal Estereo serves an essential role for the impoverished people of northern Guatemala. The station is staffed by local men and women, and operates with a board of directors. It is self-supporting through payments for broadcasting, advertising, and donations from organizations such as ours. Please note "Spokane mission radio school" on the memo line of any contribution you make for this worthy cause, and put it in the weekend collection or mail it to the parish office.

For additional information about the Guatemala Mission, please visit: https://dioceseofspokane.org/diocese-of-solola

Click here for December 2020 report from the radio station
Meals on Wheels

For more than forty years, Meals on Wheels has provided a nutrititional and social lifeline for elderly and disabled homebound seniors in the Pullman area. With the help of 14 Pullman churches and three businesses, the organization has served thousands of meals to those in need. Your financial donation goes directly to providing a hot, nutritious meal to our area seniors.

To volunteer, please email the Sacred Heart Parish Meals on Wheels coordinator, Lorie Druffel, or call 509-330-0324. For additional information, please visit the website for the Pullman Community Council on Aging: http://www.pullmanccoa.org.
Community Action Center - Community Food Bank

Since 1988, The Community Action Center has been a vital resource for thousands of needy families in Whitman County. This past year, Sacred Heart Parish, Pullman donated approximately 1600 pounds of food to people living in poverty in our area. These food donations provided nutritional meals for more than 230 families each month. For more information or to volunteer: https://www.cacwhitman.org.