The 2024 Bennett Award has been given to four congregations for their meaningful social justice work:

• Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Fullerton, CA
• North Shore Unitarian Church, Deerfield, IL
• First Universalist Society Franklin, MA
• Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Knoxville, TN

Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Fullerton, CA

Unitarian Universalist Congregation has been recognized for their two-year reproductive justice campaign.

We were impressed by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Fullerton’s bold and creative approach to reproductive justice. Your two-year campaign not only raised nearly $20,000 to support those in need of abortion access, but also reactivated congregational life and deepened community bonds after the isolation of the pandemic. We were especially moved by the breadth of your engagement—from protests and Pride festivals to bake sales and original theatrical productions. Your campaign exemplifies intersectional justice work grounded in UU values, with meaningful partnerships, multigenerational participation, and a deep commitment to supporting marginalized communities. This is the kind of ministry that doesn’t just talk about justice—it practices it, publicly and persistently.

North Shore Unitarian Church, Deerfield, IL

North Shore Unitarian Church has been recognized for their work with/on food justice within Waukegan, Illinois.

The award committee noted:

We were impressed with the creation of a unique partnership that encourages connection across different communities. It is exciting to see the educational work to provide skills to young people with valuable life skills. We also appreciate that this is a commitment to working in partnership , and not as you stated a “one and done” approach. This project demonstrates that the work of justice can look so many different ways.

First Universalist Society, Franklin, MA

We were impressed by the intentionality you have put into crafting a robust program that embodies solidarity rather than charity in the practice of mutual aid. The longevity of your partnership with the Franklin Food Pantry, coupled with your leadership’s waiver of rent for Pantry activities and your team’s collaboration to develop multigenerational opportunities to engage, is a profound example of the impact congregations can have locally when they are attuned to the needs of their broader community. Furthermore, the range of ways your team and congregation have shown your commitment to a complex understanding of food insecurity — including collecting donations, advocating for critical legislation, and organizing a community care campaign during a time of real crisis — is reflective of the power and responsibility we know congregations have to be engaged in collective and transformative care.

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Knoxville, TN

We are impressed by your congregation’s justice work in so many intersecting areas, TVUUC, including the reproductive justice work you highlighted in this application. It is clear you are part of a vibrant, focussed coalition of organizations, that you are following the lead and prioritizing the needs of those most impacted by the erosion of reproductive rights, and that you are making an impact both within and beyond your congregation. Your story about your role in creating and providing Post Abortion Care Packages is a beautiful example of that. We appreciate how you keep your community informed about legislative issues and provide a variety of onramps for their engagement in the work of reproductive justice, and how you simultaneously tend to the need for education within your community and the need for practical support and encouragement for those whose access to care is threatened.