For a number of years, we have participated in the Blue Ridge Pride Festival in Asheville, sometimes in conjunction with other Unitarian Universalist congregations in the area. Our volunteers share information about UUCSV and about our status as a “Welcoming Congregation.” We have also enjoyed marching in the parade and meeting more of the LGBTQ community.

For many years, UUCSV has joined with other small churches in the fall to build an interfaith house for Habitat. Our volunteers work on a variety of construction jobs – carpentry, painting, landscaping -- learning new skills and getting to know people from other faith communities. In addition, other volunteers provide lunches for the work crews. This year we are building a two-bedroom townhouse for a deserving family who will also be contributing work hours to their new home.

In the last few years, UUCSV has begun work with Toward Right Relationships With Indigenous Peoples. This organization aims to build relationships between Native and non-Native communities based on truth, respect, justice, and shared humanity. We have taken the first steps of putting a sign on our property and reading a statement on Sunday mornings, both of which acknowledge that this land is the historical home of the Cherokee and other indigenous people. We have also promoted on-line and in-person workshops.

Small groups of the congregation get together from time to time to read and discuss a book or a series of books. The topics and frequency of these groups varies with the interests of the members. Recent topics have been anti-racism and activism in general.

Each year the Social Action Committee receives a percentage of the church budget to donate primarily to local non-profit agencies. Which causes we choose to support is determined by congregational surveys as well as by current needs and conditions in the community, such as Covid or an influx of refugees from another country.