Who Are We?

The current members of the Social Justice Team are Marci Young, Glenda Barnes, and Susan Reisch. This engaged group of people are dedicated to the advancement of social justice in our community. Anyone who is interested in learning more about joining this committee is welcome to reach out to the church office at (406) 587-3690.

What does the Social Justice Team do? 

The Social Justice team gets an annual budget, which they then work to use appropriately throughout the year. The Social Justice Team is engaged in all levels of our global community, from right within the church, to the city of Bozeman, the state of Montana, the United States, and out into our beautiful international community. The members of the Social Justice team feel strongly that the responsibility of working towards social justice is held by our church as a whole. We aim for the role of the Social Justice Task Force to be one of aiding our entire community to fight for a more just world. 

Here is a brief taste of what Social Justice gets up to: 

Social Justice engagement within Pilgrim

  • In the spring of 2022, the Social Justice Team started working on the RV Project, an innovative proposal that was brought to us by the City of Bozeman. The RV Task Force (a subcommittee of the Social Justice Team) is working to facilitate the use of a couple of Pilgrims parking lot spaces by a family living in their RV. The Pilgrim congregation recently voted to continue working on this project. 

  • In June, Pilgrim held a worship service honoring Pilgrim’s 10 year commitment to their Mission Statement that includes “Open and Affirming” status.

Social Justice engagement with Bozeman

  • Social Justice makes an annual donation to the HRDC Warming Center, this year amounting to $2000 dollars. 

  • Social Justice facilitated hosting a donation opportunity to Tools for Schools, a program to help gear students in need up for the coming school year.

  • Social Justice made a donation of $500 to Bienvenidos, a program whose mission is to “welcome Spanish speaking migrants and their families to the Gallatin Valley”.

  • Social Justice has decided to host a basket at Pilgrim to provide much needed food, personal hygiene products, and other essentials to CHP (Community Health Partners), as they work to serve the wonderful citizens of Bozeman. 

  • Glenda Barnes, a member of Social Justice, facilitates a day of volunteering at Fork and Spoon once a month. Fork and Spoon is a restaurant that functions on a pay what you can model. 

  • Social Justice made a $100 donation to Lutheran Campus Ministries to support their talk by Bishop Brenda Bos on “Love for All” Spirituality, Sexuality and Wholeness.

  • The Social Justice committee made a donation of $100 to a local Black artist after singing spirituals in church on Black History Sunday. This donation was inspired by the UUCC Spiritual Reparations Project, a project that highlights how many creators of spirituals did not receive compensation for their work. Thus, Social Justice sent a donation to Nnamdi Kanaga, an actor and filmmaker to continue with his film project, “They Chose the Sea”.  

  • $500 was donated to Family Promise. 

  • Social Justice hosts several baskets at Pilgrim. These baskets collect many items that different people and organizations in our community are in need of. The baskets include: 


Social Justice engagement with Montana

  • After the disastrous flooding in Montana, Social Justice sent $1000 to the MT Disaster response.

  • Social Justice made a $1000 donation to Soft Landing, a “community-based nonprofit committed to working with refugee and immigrant families as they build new lives in Missoula”. 

  • In July, Social Justice provided supplemental financial support for the Holistic Self Defense Class, taught by Brigitte Schultz of Three Rivers Defense. This class was provided to 7 Montana Indigenous Women as a grant directive to support Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women education. This grant was awarded to the Social Justice Task Force From Thrive. 


Social Justice engagement with the United States

Social Justice engagement with the International Community

  • Heifer International is an organization that is “on a mission to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way by supporting and investing alongside local farmers and their communities.” In an event in April, Pilgrim sent $1,315.16 to Heifer International, to be matched by a donor, netting $2,630.32.

  • $1000 to the International Rescue Committee -Pakistan. Flood relief in Pakistan sometime in the last year.  

  • Social Justice donated $500 to the UCC Global Ministries for Ukrainian refugees.

Social Justice 2022 donations 


Other Pilgrim Activities with Social Justice Components

Pilgrim CROP Walkers October 2022