Rio Texas Methodist Federation for Social Action

“Death Row Stories” is a new 8-part series premiering on March 9 on CNN that will examine actual death penalty cases.  The show is produced by Robert Redford and narrated by Dead Man Walking star Susan Sarandon.  Redford said, “This series is about the search for justice and truth, we are pleased to … tell these important stories and give a voice to these cases.”  Prior to the premiere, CNN is offering interested parties an opportunity for a preview and the ability to participate in a Google Hangout featuring a discussion by the producers and law professors John Blume of Cornell and Robert Blecker of New York Law School.  The Google Hangout will be held March 5 at 6 pm EST and is open to the public, but an RSVP is required.

A promo for the show can be found here.  (CNN, “Death Row Stories,” Press materials; DPIC posted Feb. 21, 2014).

Hosted by the Student Engineering Council (SEC) at The University of Texas at Austin.

E-Cycling is an annual E-waste recycling drive open to the greater Austin area,  as well as to the UT community. The goal of E-Cycling is to try and create a more sustainable world by recycling old electronics: this includes anything from old cell phones and laptops to microwaves and refrigerators. 

This year the drive will be held on Saturday, March 22nd, from 8am-4pm in the LBJ Library parking lot.  In the past years the amount of tonnage we have recycled has been around 12-14 tons; we would like to increase that number this year! For more information about what can be recycled, visit http://sec.engr.utexas.edu/service/ecycling/ .

This year’s Austin CROP Hunger Walk will be Sunday, March 23rd, at Camp Mabry (2200 West 35th St). As always, 75% of funds raised go to Church World Service to help alleviate hunger around the world and 25% of funds stay in the Austin area.  The local agencies chosen to receive funds this year are:  Sustainable Food Center, Capital Area Food Bank, iACT for Refugees, and Micah 6.

If you prefer to make a donation online, go to http://hunger.cwsglobal.org/goto/uumcaustin.

Friday, April 4^th, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Where: VUKA, (411 Monroe St., Austin, TX)

Price: $52.00

GAFDI Happy hour @ 5 pm, El Chile (1816 S. 1^st st., Austin, TX )

This workshop will help participants better understand how unconscious bias influences hiring practices, evaluation, service implementation, and leadership styles. There will be an opportunity to improve decision making, diminish unconscious bias, and reduce micro-inequalities.

Presenter: Dr. Kazique J. Prince is founder and chief executive officer at Jelani Consulting, LLC providing executive consultation and coaching services focused on cultural competency.

Co-sponsored by the Greater Austin Forum for Diversity & Inclusion (GAFDI) and Austin Multicultural Friends Redux

Register online: Meetup: Austin Multicultural friends redux

iACT’s 2014 Hope Awards

Thursday, April 24, 2014

6:00 – 9:00 PM
Four Seasons Hotel Austin
98 San Jacinto Boulevard

With over 300 guests expected to attend, including some of the Central Texas area’s most prominent business, faith and community leaders, the Hope Awards is Interfaith Action of Central Texas’ (iACT) premier fundraising event to support our outstanding community service programs. Please join us in bringing hope to those we serve: impoverished seniors, disabled individuals and newly arrived refugees from around the world.  http://interfaithtexas.org/hope/

Rev. Jen Stuart is the Associate Pastor at First UMC, Austin.  She recently wrote this letter to her congregation to explain why she is transferring from the Southwest Texas Conference to the Pacific Northwest Conference.

(Excerpt) “I do not wish to make sacred ordination vows in a place where I cannot clearly speak my mind about the equality of all people in the eyes of God…I am very aware that there are many other issues that the church must deal with, but none of them involve excluding a wide swath of the population from ministry and marriage.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (UMNS) — Thirty-two people, including two United Methodist bishops, were arrested as they prayed in the shadow of the White House on President’s Day to hold President Obama accountable for the nearly 2 million immigrants deported during his administration.

United Methodist bishops Julius Trimble and Minerva Carcaño are shown here praying in front of the White House on President’s Day during a demonstration calling for an end to deportations of undocumented immigrants. (Photo by Jay Mallin, UMNS) before they were arrested.

Harriett Jane Olson, top executive for United Methodist Women, started the vigil at 1 p.m. with a prayer, “God we are gathered in sorrow and in prayer … we need help.” She was in the group arrested.

http://umc-gbcs.org/faith-in-action/church-leaders-arrested-in-d.c.-immigration-pray-in