t&j

Edition 13: Acting in Solidarity with our AAPI Siblings

Dear Union Community,

As we grieve and lament the deeply rooted sin of racism in the US and the trauma of ongoing acts of hateful violence exposed so horrifically toward our Asian siblings this week, may we humbly listen deeply to one another’s stories and seek another way of being -- a new humanity at the foot of the cross.

The tragedy in Georgia this week that claimed 8 lives, including 6 women of Asian descent, has brought into clear focus, once again, the depths of racism and white supremacy that saturates our country. The Seattle Presbytery's Race & Equity Task Force has released this statement and ways to respond, and we hope that you will find a meaningful way to take action in this moment.

A Message from the Race & Equity Task Force:

Our hearts break with the news of the fatal shootings in Atlanta, which we recognize as part of a larger pattern of increased violence and racism against Asian Americans. While the pain and grief of this latest tragedy are fresh, racism and violence towards Asian Americans are as old as the foundation of white supremacy that our country was built upon. Words and statements are not enough to counteract systems that continue to perpetuate violence. Today we ask all members of the Seattle Presbytery community to take action, to stand in solidarity with our Asian American siblings in our churches, schools, neighborhoods, and communities. Please take time to look through the list of resources and ways to advocate, act, and learn and choose some way to act in this time of tragedy. Invite others in your circle to join you. Be bold and sacrificial, in accordance with Christ's bold and sacrificial love for all humanity.

Attached to the bottom of this letter is a list of ways to respond. There are ways to learn, act, and advocate. Take some time to engage in this moment, to listen to the stories of pain and trauma. In Romans, Paul calls us to "weep with those who weep," to get close and in proximity with one another that we might better understand the pain and suffering that our friends, and neighbors, and community members feel.

This Sunday, we invite you to join us in worship as Caroline Lu will share in her gifted way a story about her experience as an Asian American woman. We invite you to receive her story, to sit quietly and reflect, and to share space with our sister's embodied experience of race in our country. The following Sunday, March 28th @ 10AM, you are invited to join us for Unpacking Privilege Through Our Stories as Caroline continues to teach us about sharing our own stories around race and racism.

Thank you for acting in solidarity with our AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) siblings. May our actions take us a step closer to a world where every person is valued and honored for who God created them to be.

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Unpacking Privilege Through Our Stories

4th Sunday, March 28th @ 10AM | More info & zoom link here

Whether you were with us last month or not, you are invited to join. We will continue to share ideas in small groups this next 4th Sunday, though sharing is voluntary! Please come as you are, and share in whatever way feels authentic to you.

For those who have begun to work on your stories, how is it going? Do you have any questions? The template and guidelines are attached to this email for reference. Feel free to reply to Truth & Justice with any questions you might have.

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RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE

Resources found from Brittany Packnett Cunningham @mspackyetti on Instagram and Stop AAPI Hate.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

ADVOCATE

  • Be a vocal supporter of Ethnic Studies in your local school district and educational institutions to better understand the centuries of violence the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities have experienced in the US.

  • Contact your local government officials and ask what they are doing to address anti-AAPI sentiment and violence.

  • Show up in solidarity at a rally organized by Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Coalition Against Hate and Bias:

    Monday, March 22 @ 3:30PM
    Tukwila: Southcenter Pkwy & Strander Blvd

ACT

  • Support local AAPI-owned businesses.

  • Watch Minari on your preferred streaming platform. “A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream.”

  • Reach out and check in with AAPI friends and family.

  • Visit stopaapihate.org 

    • to report an act of hate towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Reporting these incidents will help in developing policies to advocate for

    • Safety tips for those experiencing or witnessing hate

    • Donate to enable Stop AAPI Hate to track and respond to the surge in racism and xenophobia

  • FREE Bystander Intervention Trainings & Guide at www.ihollaback.org.

  • Support Red Canary Song, a grassroots organization that aims to advocate for migrant sex workers, support migrant leadership, and fight against unjust policies.

  • Donate and support Asian-American Non-Profits:

LEARN

  • Learn how anti-AAPI sentiment is showing up in our community (KIRO news March 16, 2021)

  • Article: To be an Asian woman in America (CNN March 17, 2021)

  • Books to Read

    • Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

    • The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

    • Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller

    • Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong

25 Journeys Toward Justice

2020 Advent Series

Learn, reflect, pray, act, and be transformed.  

Exploring issues of injustice—and their toxic effect on our world—can be uncomfortable. But we believe that God Emmanuel, who sends us as his agents into the world, will accompany us with his boundless grace, reminding us that we "belong to God and the Spirit in us is far stronger than anything in the world." (1 John 4:4)

Star of Bethlehem by Banksy at Walled-Off Hotel in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank (AFP via Getty Images)

Star of Bethlehem by Banksy at Walled-Off Hotel in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank (AFP via Getty Images)

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.

The Mood of Christmas & Other Celebrations (1985), by Dr. Howard Thurman (1899 - 1981): an influential American author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader.

REFLECT

Take a moment to reflect on this series. Talk with someone or write about what parts of this advent journey have left an impression on you. Looking back, what stands out to you? Did anything prompt you to explore or research in more depth? Did you feel moved to get involved in anything or take action in a certain way?

As this year’s 25 Journeys Towards Justice included personal stories from individuals, we received permission to publish the following reflections:

Thank you so much for participating! Any feedback is welcome and appreciated. (Email truthandjustice.union@gmail.com.)

T&J Edition 11: Presence & Prayer

Dear Union family,

Below is a reflection by Nichelle, a prayer for this upcoming election, and ways to remain engaged and prayerful in this uncertain and challenging time.

Pressing towards justice.

A Reflection

There is no denying that we are living through one of the most challenging times of the last 100 years. The prolonged period of quarantine and isolation related to the pandemic, the social unrest, the changing climate and wildfires, and the uncertainty around the upcoming election is a recipe for anxiety and fear. I feel it. My chest is tight. It feels hard to take a deep breath. I'm a little edgier and testier with my kids and husband. My thoughts are racing and weird dreams plague my sleep. How are you doing? Are you feeling this time viscerally in your body?

This morning I picked up my phone and casually started to browse the news, and came across articles that immediately increased my anxiety. My heart began racing, and my stomach clenched up tightly. I practically threw my phone down, and had this realization that I need to approach this time in a different manner. Constantly marinating in the media and shocking headlines is only contributing to my anxiety. Do I unplug for the foreseeable future? Head to the mountains? Develop my family's escape plan if everything goes sideways next week? I find myself trying to escape, forget, or pretend this isn't happening. And then I feel God calling. Do you feel God calling? Most of the time I would say I hear God calling, but as those words appeared on the screen, I realized there was truth in those words. In those same parts of my body that feel anxiety, there is a deep feeling of God's presence, a knowing that God is calling me to be present in my body, and in my relationships, and in my community. This is not the time to escape, but rather to be seeking God's justice and wholeness and restoration.

Sometimes, actually often, I don't really know what is next after experiencing God's calling. So I took time over the last couple of days to seek wisdom from leaders that are actively seeking God's justice, wholeness, and redemption. I looked on Facebook and Instagram, and the blogs and websites of people like Austin Channing Brown, Lisa Sharon Harper, Eugene Cho, Brenda Salter McNeil, Bryan Stevenson, and Dr. John M. Perkins. I was blessed beyond measure as I perused their sites. This anxiety and fear that I feel? We are all feeling it, I am not alone. But more than that I was encouraged and reminded of the determination and commitment to be seeking God's justice every day, regardless of what news story is grabbing the headlines today or next week.

How are you feeling the presence of God right now? What has been an encouragement for you to continue seeking God's justice? We would love for you to share with the Union family!

A Prayer from Bread for the World

Dear God, our Creator, through our elected leaders and our government, you sustain all you have made.

We pray especially for people who are seeking election to political office in our country. Grant them integrity and wisdom to focus on matters that strengthen our government and protect the most vulnerable among us.

Give us courage to challenge candidates to address issues of hunger and poverty. As we prepare to cast our votes, may we be guided by your vision of justice and mercy.

In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

Opportunities to learn, advocate and act. This is a long list, so just choose one or a few things that you can realistically do!

LEARN

  • Stretch your understanding of God's love by participating in a Bible study led by Civil Rights and Social Justice icon Dr. John M. Perkins. Scroll to the bottom of the webpage to find 25 different studies with various Christian leaders.

  • Join Foxy and Jason Davison in the next Love Not Fear discussion group on December 5 @ 3PM where they will be discussing HOUSING. In preparation, read The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein. Register here.

  • Sign up to receive the upcoming T&J Advent series and hear the stories of how those in our community are wrestling with justice.

  • Save the date! Union will be hosting a socially distanced screening of "12 Angry Men" and a time of discussion about race and equity on November 22nd @ 4PM.

ADVOCATE

  • Sign your name to this petition that asks the 2020 presidential and congressional candidates to commit to protecting and boosting anti-hunger programs so that all families have enough to eat during this crisis.

  • Send candidates and elected officials emails, letters or other correspondence and tell them how you would like to see them pursuing justice in their work.

ACT

  • Be sure to vote by November 3rd @ 8PM! Look here for your nearest ballot drop box in King County.

  • Join Union in Prayer for Racial Justice on Saturday November 21st @ 10AM.

  • Food insecurity is only increasing! Please donate your time or money to your local food bank, or join the Union burrito-rolling team on Saturdays (Sunday this week). Contact Adrienne for additional details.

  • Tutoring is available at 415 every weekday. Contact Kaeli if you would like to be a tutor/mentor or have a child that could benefit from a 1:1 connection.

Truth & Justice Studio MISSION STATEMENT :: Truth & Justice creates space to educate and mobilize people by lifting up marginalized voices as catalyst for social change. We are a community within Union Church in Seattle, WA.

T&J Edition 10: Volunteer with Seattle Public Schools & Other Ways to Engage

Hello Union Community,

Here are a few opportunities that you could consider devoting your time, advocacy, or money to. Thank you for continuing to actively engage in bringing God's justice to our world. 

LEARN

  • Participate TONIGHT in the Seattle Presbytery's Race & Equity "White Allies Panel Discussion" @ 7PM via Zoom. Register here. 

  • Join the UW School of Public Health every Tuesday from 12:30-1:20PM for the Autumn Seminar series Growing Resilience and Equity: Food Systems Amidst the Dual Pandemics of COVID-19 and Systemic Racism. If you can't attend the live seminar, they are also available on their Youtube channel. The first seminar is up there now!

ACT

  • Volunteer to Support Students Most Adversely Affected by COVID-19 through the Seattle Public Schools! SPS is looking for volunteers who could provide digital classroom assistance or digital tutoring opportunities at select schools in the district. Fill out this interest form to get connected.

  • Drivers Needed for Operation Nightwatch! Drive small groups of men without homes to nearby shelter. Hours 9-10PM on the south side of First Hill. Contact volunteer@seattlenightwatch.org to get connected. 

  • SAVE THE DATE and participate in CHOOSE 180's Evening of Choice on October 14th @ 7PM. The Evening of Choice is a time to envision the future of Transformative Justice, listen to the communities impacted by the juvenile legal system, and grow as an advocate for change. RSVP here. 

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Truth & Justice Studio MISSION STATEMENT :: Truth & Justice creates space to educate and mobilize people by lifting up marginalized voices as catalyst for social change. We are a community within Union Church in Seattle, WA. 

T&J Edition 9: God's Love & Voting

Over the last growing number of years, I (Nichelle) have been learning what it means to be a member of a community. To be one of many, to see the whole rather than the individual parts, to be the Church and the Body of Christ rather than just one member of the church. It has been one way to de-center myself from the story, and to develop eyes to see that while I am loved by Christ, so is everyone in the Body, the community, the city, the world. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16. I am not the focus of God's love story, but WE are. Together. 

The community that I am part of is bigger than Union, my neighborhood, or even Seattle. It crosses boundaries, country and state lines, skin color, and economic, education, and racial demographics. I am part of a community that is grieving the unjust deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd (and the continual miscarriages of justice refusing to hold officers accountable), a community that is seeking refuge and a safe harbor from political and social terrors, a community that is experiencing the devastation of climate change, and I am part of a community that perpetuates oppression and a community that suffers under that same oppression. Their pain is my pain, for in Christ we are One Body. "For God so loved the world..."

As this election season looms before us, I am repeatedly reminding myself of this. This community is diverse. It is made up of Democrats and Republicans, Black, brown, and white people, Christians and non-Christians, Mid-Westerners, Southerners, East Coasters, and Pacific Northwesterners. There are as many different ideas as there are people in this community, but we, together, are loved by a God that was willing to give His one and only Son so that we would not perish but have eternal life. If He loves us that much, how can I show love for us? "For God so loved the world..."

At the start of Luke 4, Jesus is in the wilderness for 40 days where he is tempted by the devil with power. Jesus withstands the devil's temptation, and in the following story, Jesus returns to Galilee "in the power of the Spirit" where we next see him preaching at the synagogue in Nazareth. Having just been tempted to have all the power and authority in the world, the next teaching by Jesus is this:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus shows us that power and authority is irrelevant to the heart of God, rather God is concerned with justice for the poor and oppressed, healing and restoration for those that have endured pain and marginalization, and proclaiming hope. The world that He so loved includes us all, especially the people often relegated to the margins, ostracized from society for various reasons, living without a security net. Looking at this passage through the lenses of 2020, I wonder what would be the good news to the poor today? Affordable healthcare? Mental health services, affordable housing, a living wage? What would freedom for the prisoners look like? A criminal justice system that seeks reformation rather than perpetuates mass incarceration? Eliminating the inequitable bail system that disproportionately impacts the poor and people of color? And who are the oppressed and how could we set them free? Could it be the Black and Native American communities, who have experienced oppression from the inception of the United States? Communities that are crying out, asking to be seen, heard and believed when they share their daily existence with racism, violence, and economic disadvantages? Could freedom for the oppressed look like reducing over-policing, eliminating the school-to-prison pipeline, confronting the implicit bias that says Black people are dangerous, and ensuring that every person has the right to vote? "For God so loved the world..."

How we love our community and world will look different for each of us. But Jesus provides us the lens and the foundation on which we can view building relationships, advocating, marching, volunteering, and voting. In this current moment, voting is so important. PLEASE VOTE. It is a privilege and right that we are granted to speak into our community, to clarify who and what is important, and to participate in making our society a more just place.  Jesus has shown us who is important to the heart of God. Let us vote through the lens that He provides, voting for the poor, the prisoner, the blind, and the oppressed. "For God so loved the world..."

* * *

Things to consider when voting with a community lens:

  • Do the people being voted into power represent the diverse community they are representing? Voting for a person of color or woman will create space for diversity, and provide opportunities to shape policies that fit communities better.

  • Study the candidates’ positions and viewpoints on issues of social justice (to include voting rights, climate change, immigration reform, gender equity, school-to-prison pipeline, justice reform, etc.)

  • When voting on a community referendum, consider the impact of that bill on the families living in South Seattle. Talk to people that look different from you and hear their opinion, and/or read up on the subject in the South Sound Emerald.

  • Do you feel confused about terminology like "defund the police"?  Learn more about it (here is a video), and listen to people from communities of color talk about why this is important (listen to this podcast, Seattle Now: Trusting the Police).

* * *

LEARN

  • Learn about the impact that COVID and systemic racism are having on food insecurity here in Seattle "Food Insecurity spikes sharply among Black and Hispanic families" 

  • Join Foxy and Jason Davison in their Love Not Fear discussion group, October 17th @ 3PM, where they will be taking a deeper dive into incarceration through a panel with three youth who are overcoming incarceration. Register here. 

ADVOCATE

  • With many kids attending school virtually this year, we need to advocate to the USDA to ensure kids have access to healthy meals throughout the school year 2020-21. Take action here. 

ACT

  • Register to vote! You must be registered by October 26th, register here. Vote early to make sure your voice counts.

  • Join Union tomorrow, Saturday September 26th at 10AM, for a time to pray for our community and particularly for justice to reign. Zoom link here.

  • Donate to the CD Housing Project / Barbara Jean Foundation, and help to provide affordable housing for families in the Central District by off-setting their housing costs for rent and utilities.

  • Food insecurity is only increasing! Please donate your time or money to your local food bank, or join the Union burrito-rolling team on Saturdays. Contact Adrienne for additional details. 

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Truth & Justice Studio MISSION STATEMENT :: Truth & Justice creates space to educate and mobilize people by lifting up marginalized voices as catalyst for social change. We are a community within Union Church in Seattle, WA. 

Eco-Act 017: Food Waste to Security

eco-faith_logo (1).png

This week, it’s no surprise that we circle back to food waste in our wider coverage of waste. Food is so much a part of our everyday, tangible existence — which for many of us in quarantine, has looked like equal cycles of delight and dread as we cook homemade sourdough everythings, and/or really nothing at all (ordering take-out does help our local food industry & workers!).

Food is literally the foundation of our bodies, the building blocks of our cells. In terms of our faith, Jesus uses such mundane, everyday items (bread and wine, fish and loaves) to help us re-member and heal the fractures in ourselves, our communities, and the world, and make evident the miraculous abundance of the Kingdom (more on our food ministry here)

rotten apples.jpg

Food waste

to food security

This week, we invite you to learn about food insecurity by chewing on the Truth & Justice reflection written by Alysun Deckert, Studio 3 Elder and registered UW Medical Center dietician. As Alysun highlights the very real statistics behind food security, especially in a pandemic and especially among Black and Brown folks, there are ways we can continue to redirect food away from waste and towards security (while also lowering carbon emissions!) In addition to resources shared on her post, here are some more ideas:

  • Increase food access through the University Food Bank by rescuing excess food and funneling it to folks who could use it. Union goes weekly and sends food directly to LUV & Compass House, along with using produce rescued in our 300+ weekly burrito roll.

    You as an individual or family can also rescue food there; rescuing food has low barriers and it can go far for yourself or if you’re cooking for others (Compass House & LUV included!). Email Adrienne to get in touch with a Food Bank staff member.

  • Check out Civil Eats for great reads, inspiring stories, and news updates on what is happening across the country in the ways of food and politics.

  • See the FAO (UN Food & Agricultural Organization) for the global perspective on food security, with special attention to their food loss indicators, and affirmation on shifting excess food to those who are hungry.

  • Shift your household’s food waste. Before food is wasted, cook some homemade meals for Compass House, LUV, or other neighbors in need. More info here, otherwise email Adrienne if you have any questions! And consider buying Imperfect produce for “ugly” food that has already been reclaimed.

  • As Kitchen Table Conversations talked about this week after listening to the 2nd episode of the Chief Seattle podcast, consider some of the health conditions of folks you are cooking for. Providing balanced meals low in sugar and high in protein, full of veggies, and with attention to common sensitivities (gluten, soy, nuts, dairy) can make a huge difference for folks who are diabetic or who have other food requirements.

As Christ affirms with his incarnation, bodies are good and the tangible, accessible food that nourishes our bodies is also good. Because of this, we cannot ignore the food injustices present in our communities, especially among communities of color as related to environmental injustices, systemic racism, histories of colonization, capitalism, and immigration rights — the powers and principalities that be.

Let us continue tending to the work of justice in our neighborhoods by leveling our food systems. We leave you with such images from Scripture as Mary sings in the Magnificat,

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…[God] has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; [God] has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.”

Luke 18:46-47, 52-53

And as Isaiah 40 proclaims:

A voice cries out:

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
5 Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all people shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

T&J Edition 8: Nutritional Health & Justice

“Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It’s not about nutrients and calories. It’s about sharing. It’s about honesty. It’s about identity.”  Louise Fresco

As a registered dietitian, I’ve always been concerned about food insecurity. I’ll always champion preparing meals for shelters, the homeless, and the elderly, and I’ll always support SNAP, subsidized lunches, improved nutrition standards for schools, and Meals on Wheels. However, in my role working primarily with hospitalized patients, I haven’t spent much time considering what it actually means to be food insecure. If I had concerns about a patient’s access to food, I’d recommend a referral to social work and outpatient nutrition follow up. 

Since stepping into my role as an elder with Studio 3, I’ve become more familiar with the 4th Sunday and community work that Union does—much of it revolving around the provision of food:  burrito rolling, brunches at SCCA, and meal deliveries to Compass House and LUV. I’ve been forwarding links to articles about and information on Food Insecurity to our Truth & Justice team, and I think it’s created the impression that I’m more knowledgeable than I really am. While the graduate program in Nutrition Sciences at UW now offers a thriving Masters in Public Health option, this was not the case back when I got my Master’s degree!

When Nichelle asked me to write about food insecurity for the Truth & Justice newsletter, it was just the motivation I needed to do some research.

One of the first things I discovered is that there are definitions for Food Security and Food Insecurity:

  • “Food Security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”  

  • “Food Insecurity is defined as the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources."

This was a good find…but it still didn’t give me a real tangible sense of what it means to be food insecure so I did more digging. Here’s a summary of what I found:

  • Who is most likely to be food insecure? Black, non-Hispanic households (21.2%) and Hispanic households (16.2%) and single-parent households (27.8% headed by women; 15.9% headed by men)

  • How many people are food insecure? 1 in 9 people and 1 in 7 children in the state of Washington

  • What is this based on? The average cost of a meal in Washington is $3.22 or $9.66 for 3 meals/day—11-14% of people in our state are unable to spend $10.00 a day on food.

  • What does SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) provide? $1.32 per person per meal or $119 per household member

  • Who uses SNAP? More than 56% of SNAP users included families with children; 39% included an elderly or disabled family member; and more than 37% come from working households.   

  • What about the schools? 35-40% of students in the Seattle school system qualify for free meals. This is income-based—a family of 2 with an annual household income of no more than $23,606 qualifies; a family of 8 with an income of no greater than $81,622 qualifies.

  • Who is most likely to use the lunch program? Children who are African American (82-84%), Hispanic (60-65%), Native American (60-70%), or Pacific Islander (75-80%).

  • What are the paradoxes of Food Insecurity?

    • People who are food insecure are 32% more likely to be obese. A reflection of the quality of food available when you have less than $10/day to spend.

    • Adults in food insecure households are 15 percentage points more likely to suffer from a chronic illness, and it is likely they will not have healthcare benefits to see a Registered Dietitian.(Medicaid and Medicare offer minimal coverage for nutrition care)

    • It’s estimated that we waste 30-40% of our food supply in this country. Our schools waste about 36.5 pounds of food per student per year. 

    • Food Service Workers and restaurant workers are among the most likely to experience food insecurity. One in 6 restaurant workers lives in poverty—This is double the number of any other profession.

As my husband, Mike, and I left work today, we discussed our dinner plans. After some deliberation, we decided to go with takeout, opting for Bongos, a highly recommended restaurant we had yet to try.  Now usually I’m all for the idea of takeout and trying new places. It’s a relief to not have to worry about making dinner. Tonight, however, I felt a twinge of discomfort. I had spent the day researching food insecurity. I recognized the privilege we had to be able to make this choice.

As we neared the restaurant, I asked Mike how much our meals would cost. With great pleasure, he told me, “$36…By far the least we’ve spent on a take-out meal in a long time!”  Thirty-six dollars. That’’s $18.00 per person for one meal. That’s more than twice the amount some people have to spend on 3 meals for one day…and we were excited to be getting a deal. The discomfort started to swell…I tried to rationalize spending this much (though much less than our usual) on dinner, and then I realized I was stuck.  

By making a conscious effort to order take-out meals several days a week, we have been trying to do our part to support the industry, the food service and restaurant workers who are already at risk for food insecurity; to support the creativity of our local chefs and restaurateurs and to help them sustain the communities they’ve built based on the celebration and sharing of food. Not ordering take out was not the answer. It wasn’t going to help anybody.

While I now have a better understanding of what food insecurity is, I’m not sure I have any answers. Food insecurity is complicated. It’s systemic. It mirrors all of the inequities in our culture, and it clearly does not reflect the vision of creation that our God, whose intention is to ensure our every need is met, had in mind.  But while it’s overwhelming, becoming overwhelmed is not the answer. Actions that seem like they have a small impact on a global scale, can still have a huge impact on the local and individual level. Over the past few months, I’ve learned about many exciting programs in our city, and I feel fortunate to say, through our church, that we are helping to bring healthy food to people in need.  It is through these efforts that we’ll be able to make a difference.

Reflection by Alysun Deckert, Registered Dietitian at the University of Washington Medical Center & Elder at Union Church.

For additional resources for learning, advocating, and taking action around nutritional health, read below.

LEARN

ADVOCATE

  • Contact your representative and show support for the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2020 which would expand Medicare Part B coverage for outpatient medical nutrition therapy services for people with diabetes and renal disease. These diseases place an individual at higher risk for COVID-19 and also disproportionately impact people of color. Attached to this email is an information sheet about the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2020, and a copy of a letter you can modify to send to your representative. More info here.

ACT

  • Join the dedicated volunteers and make lunches for SYM & ICS, roll hundreds of burritos on Saturdays, and deliver meals to Compass House. Contact Adrienne or Renee for safe distance service opportunities.

  • Donate! Make a contribution to your local food bank as their shelves are decimated by the ongoing needs related to the pandemic.  

  • Do you or someone you know need nutritional support? This map is updated weekly to show Emergency Food Resources in Seattle.

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Truth & Justice Studio MISSION STATEMENT :: Truth & Justice creates space to educate and mobilize people by lifting up marginalized voices as catalyst for social change. We are a community within Union Church in Seattle, WA. 

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