At First Congregational Church our vision is a just, compassionate, and peaceful world that honors all of God’s creation

In the past year FCC has supported our neighbors in need and has collaborated with community partners to work toward a more just world. Thanks to the generosity of members of the congregation, almost $37,000 was given for social justice action in 2025.

  • The FCC cooking team made meals for 960 people through the Egan Warming Centers this past year. This involved more than $1000 in supplies and countless hours of cooking.
  • The FCC cooking team provided 720 meals for families at St Vincent DePaul’s Annex last year (about 70 families each month).
  • Provided 100 lunches for youth at Hosea Youth Services. 
  • Ohana Youth raised $1445 to support Neighbors Feeding Neighbors providing food to those who are hungry
  • Contributed $2400 to the Interfaith Food Hub that provides meals to those who are unhoused.
  • Provided $5891 in support to the community through the Good Samaritan Fund (help with utilities, bus transportation, rent, etc.)
  • Collected 981 pounds of food for Food for Lane County. This translates to about 817 meals.
  • Maintained a Little Food Pantry that offers food to those who need it.
  • Provided Christmas gift cards to 70 unhoused youth connected to Hosea Youth Services, and 21 gift cards for families served by ShelterCare.
  • Collected peanut butter and jelly and donated $700 to create sandwiches for Neighbors Feeding Neighbors
  • Conducted a warm clothing drive that collected boxes of hats, coats and gloves.
  • Conducted a toilet paper drive for ShelterCare
  • Conducted a back-to-school drive for Catholic Community Services that collected back to school supplies and backpacks.
  • Worked with Hosea Youth Services and Connected Lane County to develop a two year plan to help unhoused youth find a pathway to employment. Funding will begin in 2026.
  • Voted as a congregation to become a WISE church through the United Church of Christ (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive and Engaged.
  • Offered three discussion groups using Vivek Murthy’s book Together
  • Hosted a table in the church lobby every Sunday during the month of May to raise awareness about mental health issues.  Offered list of mental health resources.
  • Conducted a mental health survey for the church members to assess needs and interests.
  • Sponsored a mental health panel with four mental health professionals to discuss anxiety and depression.
  • Sponsored a mental health related sermon on self-care
  • Maintained a mental health panel on the lobby kiosk
  • Each month published articles on mental health topics in church newsletter
  • Offered a Grief Support Group for those who have lost a loved one
  • Offered three sessions for members of the congregation on Mindfulness
  • Provided a weekly column for the church news about how to reduce our use of earth resources.
  • Provided a monthly column on environmental issues.
  • Sponsored four habitat restoration events at Buford Park Recreation Area, Mt. Pisgah & Turtle Flats in collaboration with Interfaith Earthkeepers of Eugene/Springfield.
  • Participated in regular planting and invasive removal events. 
  • Participated in the Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah native plant sale, distributing plants to other faith communities in the Eugene/Springfield area. 
  • Hosted 9 Interfaith Earthkeepers meetings, collaborating with 14 faith communities to strengthen our alliance of local green teams and grow our local network for Earth Stewardship.
  • Earthkeepers also traveled to Salem and Seattle to advocate for environmental justice and explore community resilience initiatives. 
  • Ohana Youth Ministries spent a week with Sierra Service Project in Del Norte County, California, working to restore the Tolowa Dunes, building bridges and wheelchair ramps, renovating homes, conducting invasive species removal and trail maintenance in gardens and the redwood forest.
  • Completed a 9-part creation care curriculum (“Loving God, Loving God’s World”)
  • Conducted a recycling event that saved 312 pounds of plastic from the landfill and diverted more than a carload of Styrofoam.
  • Received a grant to install Smart Thermostats in the church sanctuary.
  • Participated in the Pride Parade
  • Hosted a Drag Show in the Fellowship Hall
  • Joined the Faith Caucus for Health Care for All Oregonians
  • Offered 48 weekly posts on Indigenous issues via the church email
  • Offered a 4-part study of Randy Woodley’s (2022) Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview
  • Organized a field trip to Don Bailey (Hoopa) artist talk at Don Dexter Gallery
  • Through Interfaith Alliance for Indigenous Advocacy (IAIA), offered three community film screenings and discussions. One on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and two on boarding school impacts
  • Raised $19,000 from congregation contributions for scholarships for youth and young adults to attend high school and college in El Salvador
  • Donated $1500 to the Sameer Project for relief efforts in Gaza
  • Donated $500 to Fields of Peace to support efforts in Gaza.
  • Provided a listing of Social Justice opportunities (educational and volunteer) twice each month through a bi-weekly all-church email.
  • Awarded one-year scholarships through the FCC Endowment to youth who plan to attend post-secondary training.
  • Sponsored the Congregational Preschool, a high-quality developmental school that is non-sectarian since 1959.
  • Sold Christmas wreaths to benefit PCUN, a women’s farmworkers coop.
  • Hosted two homes on our church property housing families from St Vincent de Paul.
  • Offered meeting space at no or low-cost to four 12 Step Groups, and two groups annually raising funds for local non-profits.