On Sunday, March 21 Kira Berglund, Hennepin County Composting and Recycling Specialist led a presentation about how to compost in your backyard and participate in an organics program. If you missed the presentation or would like a refresher, click here to view a copy of Kira’s slides.

SAVE THE DATE Join us next Sunday, April 11 at 11:15 AM to hear from Neely Snyder, Executive Director of DWH. A Zoom link will be published in next week’s Friday Update email newsletter. 

Dream of Wild Health (DWH) is a non-profit organization with an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and a 30-acre organic farm in Hugo, Minnesota. Their mission is to restore health and wellbeing in the Native community by recovering knowledge of and access to healthy Indigenous foods, medicines and lifeways. Surrounded by plants and medicines grown from the seeds of their ancestors, DWH  partners with dozens of urban and tribal organizations on programs that work to restore the mental, physical and emotional health of the Native American community.

Each year DWH teaches Native American youth about gardening, cooking and culture while developing job and leadership skills.They run the Indigenous Food Share CSA and sell produce at 3 farmers markets, including corn, beans and squash from a collection of rare seeds provided by  Cora Baker, a Potawatomi elder. DWH is a founding member of the indigenous Seedkeepers Alliance dedicated to returning indigenous foods to the community.

Their relationship with traditional foods, lifeways, and medicines has only grown closer during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have expanded their efforts to increase food access. At Dream of Wild Health, we grow seeds and we grow leaders.

How to Donate: You can donate online using a credit card at bit.ly/giveuucm. You may also mail a contribution to UUCM at 2030 Wayzata Blvd E, Wayzata MN 55391. Simply make your check out to “UUCM” with “Social Generosity” in the memo line.

The restrictive racial covenant on the church’s property title has been removed! The Board received word from our pro bono attorney, Joshua Dorothy, that the covenant was removed via title examiner’s directive and a new title to the property has been issued. As you know, these covenants were used to restrict property from being owned or occupied by Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. While restrictive covenants are no longer enforceable, we can all be more comfortable knowing the covenant is gone from our property title.

Continuing UUCM’s racial justice work, members of the Racial Justice group recently met with representatives of community partners to plan and prepare for a community education event about restrictive covenants on deeds within Wayzata. Community partners working on this project include the League of Women Voters of Wayzata and Plymouth; the City of Wayzata; Wayzata Community Education; IOCP; Wayzata Citizens for Racial Equity; and the City of Golden Valley. The group is hoping to present an educational program in early May to reach more residents about the existence of these covenants, and what can be done about them. The article in the SunSailor local newspaper about UUCM’s work in this area was a catalyst for this program.

Prevent Hunger Campaign – Join us in fighting hunger with Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners, an organization that takes complex problems—including hunger—and tackles their root causes with a wrap-around approach proven to deliver life-changing results. UUCM has long supported this organization and its important work in the Western Suburbs. Our support is more important than ever, as this past year has pushed more families into food and housing crisis. 

How to Donate: You can donate online using a credit card at bit.ly/giveuucm. You may also mail a contribution to UUCM at 2030 Wayzata Blvd E, Wayzata MN 55391. Simply make your check out to “UUCM” with “Social Generosity” in the memo line. 

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IOCP Prevent Hunger Shop and Drop Food Drive
Tuesday, March 30 from 3:00-6:30 PM
1605 County Road 101 N, Plymouth, 55447 – Parking Lot
Another donation option is to participate in IOCP’s food drive on March 30. More details are outlined below. Socially distant fun activities for the whole family at drop-off site. Very specific items are needed this year, learn more here. If you cannot drop off on March 30, donations are also accepted two days a week: Fridays and Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact Sue Fust at drlanasue@yahoo.com or 952 406-2464 with any questions.

You can also do to any of the following to support IOCP’s work:

• Volunteer to help tutor, stock shelves, package snacks, and more. 
• Donate gently used clothing: drop off Mon. & Fri. 10am-5pm
• You might also check out Outreach Development Corporation, a partner of IOCP working on affordable housing.

On Tuesday, March 2 Buff Grace, Solar Outreach Manager at MNIPL, and Roberta Haskins, member of the MNIPL Line 3 Interfaith Group, joined us to answer these questions and more: What is the Line 3 Pipeline?  Why is there so much objection to it?  Don’t we need the oil?  Isn’t it too late to take action? You can view a recording of this presentation by clicking here. 

NEXT STEPS:
Support Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition
The Stop the Money Pipeline coalition is over 130 organizations strong. Together they are holding the financial backers of climate chaos accountable. Their coalition organizes according this set of equity principles, ratified on March 31st, 2020. Learn more about their current work here.

Stand with Water Protectors
Water Protector Welcome Center Near Mississippi River and Line 3 Crossing
This group welcomes all water protectors and supporters to come to the Mississippi River to pray, to witness, and to resist the destruction of these public lands and waterways in Anishinaabe territory. Come north on Great River Road to Palisade, MN. Be kind to the people and pray for the water. Every day at l0:00 AM, or whenever you are able. Be sure to check their website before visiting, to read about travel guidelines and the need for extra Covid prevention measures.