UUFSMA: “Becoming an Ally”

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Online Service

“Becoming an Ally”

Speaker: Ms. Cate Poe

Sunday, May 23, 2021
10:30 am

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/414604040 

Password: 294513

By Joseph Plummer

UUF Secretary

In April 2020, as COVID-19 sent San Miguel’s economy into lockdown, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau tweeted “We Are All in This Together! The Extranjero Community in Colonia Guadalupe united to help neighbors without work.” Echoed in News San Miguel, this story sounded good, but was it the real story?

In this UUFSMA online Sunday service, labor and community organizer Cate Poe will share the story of Por Amor a La Guadalupe, an alliance between Mexican residents and extranjero neighbors recognized as a model for grassroots neighborhood organization in San Miguel. Por Amor’s Spanish-speaking leadership and 27 street-by-street WhatsApp chats engage 85 percent of neighborhood residents in issues affecting Colonia Guadalupe. The “wireless town hall” addresses everyday issues from security to garbage collection and recycling; street repairs to development of Arroyo Walkway; from a neighbor in need of surgery to a lost pet; and, from designation of Colonia Guadalupe as part of the historic city center to COVID-19 prevention.

When COVID-19 arrived, people throughout San Miguel called Ms. Poe to see how they could replicate Por Amor’s weekly food distribution — not easily, as it turned out to be too dangerous to go door-to-door or hold public meetings. Nonetheless, shared lessons helped other extranjeros feed their neighbors. And for the long term too, residents on the network learned what it means to build community and form a neighborhood alliance.

Ms. Poe grew up on the Mexican-U.S. Border where El Paso joins Juarez. In December 2013, she moved to a place that “feels like home” in San Miguel. A grassroots organizer since age 23, for ten years she organized operations for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the former association of low- and moderate-income neighborhood groups in the United States. Later she dedicated herself to building unions for janitors, healthcare workers, clerical workers, telephone operators, strawberry pickers, college employees, and construction workers. She served also as AFL-CIO New Jersey State Director.

To participate in this Sunday Service, visit the Fellowship’s website www.uufsma.org and click on the Zoom Service button on the home page. If requested, enter password: 294513. Sign-in from anywhere Sunday mornings between 10:15-10:25 am CST.

Through grants and awards, UUFSMA donates at least fifty percent of its budget to support nonprofit organizations that provide health, educational, and environmental services for underserved communities in the San Miguel region. Please support this work by clicking on the website home page Donate button. Now more than ever, your support is essential.

Due to coronavirus, UUFSMA suspended in-person Sunday services. A growing collection of previous online services can be found on the UUFSMA’s YouTube channel. Go to https://www.youtube.com/ and enter UUFSMA in the search box. The UU Fellowship welcomes people of all ages, races, religions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.