UNITED INTERFAITH ACTION (UIA),
a faith based organization founded in 1996, promotes social and economic justice and improves the quality of life of all residents in Southeastern Massachusetts with a specific focus on the cities of New Bedford, Fall River and Dartmouth, by recruiting and training clergy and lay leaders to act on issues of greatest concern, founding social action on the teachings of our different faith traditions.
From Distancing To Solidarity: UIA Responds to COVID-19
United Interfaith Action of Southeastern Massachusetts (UIA) is engaged in ongoing work to discern how best to support the Greater New Bedford and Fall River areas of Massachusetts during the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, UIA is structuring its efforts around COVID-19 emergency response and legislation with a view toward systemic change. We have established the following Solidarity Response Teams to transform distancing to solidarity.
Outreach: Leaders are contacting community members to check on their well-being, their needs, and the resources they have to offer. UIA is creating an ongoing collective of needs/resources for mutual aid (delivering groceries to shut-ins, offering meals to frontline workers, or translating for a family in need)
Legislation: UIA is making calls, collecting e-signatures, and writing letters in support of state and federal legislation to ensure the most vulnerable are supported. State legislation includes moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, expanded paid leave, access to testing and safe quarantine (esp. for homeless & incarcerated communities), and the decarceration of non-violent crime detainees at BCHOC to reduce overcrowding and viral spread.
Emergency Response Fundraising: UIA is committed to raising at least $15,000 from individual donors to complement the grants we are receiving from donor organizations. The combined support will enable us to respond to the community requests we are receiving at this time, which include grocery store gift cards, bill payment, and buying goods to donate