Banner Newsletter | July/August, 2022

GET CONNECTED | FELLOWSHIP & FAITH DEVELLOPMENT
United Women in Faith (the new name of United Methodist Women) works to improve
the lives of women, children, and youth by acting boldly for justice. You are invited to
be part of the campaign to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. The “school-toprison
pipeline” is a term describing how children (some as young as pre-schoolers)
and youth of color are rerouted and funneled away from educational success toward
the criminal justice system when they are over-policed and punished in schools. To
successfully interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, we must
resist efforts to criminalize children of color and move toward
comprehensive, community-rooted solutions that offer genuine
safety for all children.
You have an opportunity to easily take action in this initiative. The
Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act would shift federal
funding away from harmful, criminalizing approaches (police in schools). Instead, it
would make available a pool of federal funding to meet student needs and improve
school climate through evidence-based, age-appropriate, trauma-informed practice.
The Gospel calls us to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. Urge your
representative and senators to sign on as co-sponsors for the Counseling Not
Criminalization in Schools Act by simply going to this website:
Visit: https://p2a.co/A7PoQJZ
Enter your contact information, edit the message if you wish, and click “Send Email.”
Your voice matters! Staffers know that for every person who takes the time to email,
there are more who feel the same way but don’t make the contact.
A second bill is the “Ending Punitive, Unfair, School-based Harm” that is Overt
and Unresponsive to Trauma (PUSHOUT). The Ending PUSHOUT Act: creates a
$2.5 billion fund to incentivize schools and states to abandon unfair and
discriminatory disciplinary policies and practices that push children of color out of
the classroom; strengthens civil rights monitoring and enforcement; and establishes
a task force to address school pushout, with particular attention to the needs of girls
of color. Participating states and schools would be supported to invest in restorative
practices, trauma-informed care, counselors, social workers and mental health
professionals. Funds could not be used for police in schools. While this bill is not
a one-and-done fix, it would be a substantial step forward in the ongoing work of
interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline and ending school pushout.
Visit: https://p2a.co/lMYo6cz
Barrington United Methodist Women continues to meet via Zoom
Barrington United Methodist Women are still staying connected via weekly Zoom
meetings. Anyone who would like a chance to “visit” with old or new friends is welcome
to join. We “gather” at 10:00 on Thursday mornings. If you would like to join us, please
email Linda Osikowicz, Lmosikowicz@comcast.net, to receive the weekly meeting link.
Each weekly “chat” is a time to share and support one another as well as learn about
the mission and social action work of United Methodist Women — “the program” topic
bounces around! We would love to have you join us. Also, we continue to assemble
“Have a Heart” pillows for mastectomy patients at Good Shepherd Hospital; please let
Linda know if you would like to tie and/or stuff pillows.
Who Can We Be Together? Building Communities of Hope and Joy
Do you remember the song “This Little Light of Mine”? Is your light dimming? Is your
support system struggling? Join others on August 19-20 at Mission u 2022 — “Who Can
We Be Together?” Let’s find that spark again as we gather in community across Northern
Illinois and beyond. During this time together we will learn ways to build communities
like Jesus created. With inter-generational learning around Jesus’ work in Luke 13, we
can find hope and therefore joy. With one overall study theme we have studies for adults,
children (ages 5-11) and youth (ages 12-17). Mission u will be offered in person ($90) in
Buffalo Grove, Rockford, Downers Grove, and Morris and virtually ($35).
Being in community is God’s desire for all of us! In recent history, our communities are
struggling to stay positive as they deal with loss, grief and fear. God’s community is as
varied as we are: different abilities, ages, cultures, outlooks, races. What communities
do we find ourselves in and are we torn between them? Just as the fig tree (Luke 13) was
allowed another year to flourish, what can we do in our communities to empower them
and us to flourish this year?
For a paper registration form and more information, contact Linda Osikowicz,
Lmosikowicz@comcast.net. The easiest way to register is online:
https://mission-u-summer-2022-august-19-20.cheddarup.com
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