Drive a Senior – Building Relationships One Ride at a Time

Drive a Senior enables older adults to live independently, avoid social isolation and age in place by providing free, volunteer-based
transportation and other support services to senior adults in Austin since 1985, including:

– Daily rides to medical appointments and errands,
– Weekly rides to HEB for groceries,
– Monthly rides for social outings and events,
– As needed handyman services, tech assistance, and social visits.

Our mission is transportation, but our impact is relationships. Our volunteer-based rides come with care, empathy, and inclusion. Our clients are treated like family and build meaningful relationships with our staff and volunteers.

First UU is a founding congregation of Drive a Senior, originally called North Central Caregivers. Our congregation formerly contributed annually to its work and has provided many volunteers since its inception in 1985.

Presented by The Veganistas of First UU and The Vegan Association of Austin

First UU is excited to welcome Lauren Bernick, an Austin-area health advocate, speaker, and educator, for a special talk in room 13 on Sunday, September 6th, following the 11 am service.

Plant-based snacks (oil-free options welcome!) will be shared starting at 12:30 pm, with Lauren’s presentation beginning at 1:00 pm, followed by a Q&A session.

In 2015, Lauren was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Through a whole-food, plant-based diet, she reversed her diagnosis, lost weight, lowered her blood pressure, and regained her energy. She now hosts a popular podcast where she interviews plant-based doctors, longevity experts, and everyday people who are aging well, and she’ll share lessons from those conversations along with her own health journey.

“You’re in good hands. No one likes to eat as much as I do. I love eating a whole-food, plant-based diet because you can eat a lot and enjoy it immensely.” (Lauren Bernick)

This event is co-hosted by The Veganistas of First UU and The Vegan Association of Austin, two local groups dedicated to supporting the Austin community in exploring plant-based living.

You can learn more about Lauren and her work and can also download her free whole-food, plant-based cookbook. For more information, please visit www.wellelephant.com.

You don’t need any plant-based experience or a special diet to attend, just curiosity is welcome. All are invited, and guests are encouraged to bring a plant-based snack to share.

Children’s Defense Fund-Texas (CDF-TX) and the Immigrant Services Network of Austin (ISNA) invite you to join us on Thursday, September 10th from 6 to 8 p.m. at SAFE Alliance, 4800 Manor Rd, Bldg. K, Austin, TX 78723, to learn about the impacts of ICE kidnappings, detention, and deportations in Austin and be equipped to stand alongside our immigrant neighbors as allies.

Black Mamas ATX

August’s Second Sunday offering is for Black Mamas ATX.  Black Mamas ATX’s mission is to reduce the alarming maternal mortality rates among Black mothers in Central Texas through culturally aligned birthing and mental health services. Black mothers are the backbones of their families, and supporting them positively changes outcomes for generations. 

Both Reproductive and Racial Justice pillars of the First UU Social Action Council support Black Mamas ATX, a Black women-led organization, as community partners in the fight for our UU values of Equity and Justice. 

Learn more about Black Mamas community work in Central Texas.

VEGAN POTLUCK & VEGFEST SUPPORT RALLY!

Saturday, August 8th, 6:30 PM

Sponsored by the Veganistas! / UU Animal Ministry Chapter & the Austin Vegan Association 

Our usual robust potluck plus SAVE THE VEGFEST support rally! 

The Texas VegFest needs our help to keep going. Please show your love for the most important annual event that has been uniting the vegan community in Texas for 11 years.  Don’t let this be the last year! 

What to Bring:

• A vegan dish serving 10+ 
• We ask that food be free of all animal products such as honey, gelatin, animal broth,  dairy (whey, butter, yogurt, cheese, milk), eggs, fish, or meat. 
• Be prepared to give information about allergens like nuts or gluten. Bring your recipe. 
• Small serving utensil for your dish

Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just veg-curious, you’re welcome to join us. For more information, please email Vegan@AustinUU.org

Death Cafe

Sign up now!

The Democracy Pillar and Climate Pillar of the Social Action Committee are partnering to give First UU members an opportunity to support civic participation in the 2026 midterm elections through the Texas Postcard Project, organized by Bob and Victoria Hendricks.

Research consistently shows that voter participation drops significantly in midterm elections. In Texas, recent redistricting has left only a handful of U.S. House races truly competitive. The Texas Postcard Project focuses on the only three congressional districts still competitive, all in the Lower Rio Grande Valley—TX-15, TX-28, and TX-34—where increased voter participation can have an outsized impact.

These districts include large Latino populations and have historically experienced substantial declines in turnout during midterm elections. Supporting participation in these communities advances both democracy and environmental justice by helping people speak for themselves through the power of their vote.

The project uses publicly available voter history data and turnout modeling to identify registered voters who voted in the 2024 presidential election but did not vote in the 2022 midterm election. Research suggests these voters are among the most likely to respond to postcard outreach.

The project also targets voters who score highly on Yale Program on Climate Change Communication models that identify people who are especially concerned about climate change. The goal is not to persuade people what to think, but to encourage participation by voters whose voices are often missing in midterm elections.

This approach is based on findings from dozens of peer-reviewed voter turnout studies involving hundreds of thousands of participants. Every aspect of the project has been designed to maximize effectiveness while remaining nonpartisan and focused on civic engagement.

To learn more, talk with Bob or Victoria Hendricks in Howson Hall after Sunday services or visit the project information page.

Caring for our planet and future generations is a core part of our faith and our commitment to justice. The First UU Climate Committee helps our congregation put those values into action by working to heal environmental harms, advance climate justice, and build a more livable world for our children and grandchildren.

We are launching a new chapter of this work and would love to welcome new voices and ideas. The Climate Committee meets on the second Sunday of each month, including our next meeting this Sunday on July 12 from 12:30–1:30 PM in Room 13.

This year we are beginning the Green Sanctuary 2030 process, a UU program that helps congregations connect climate action, climate justice, and our shared values. Over the coming months, we will develop a vision, set one- and five-year goals, and create a practical action plan for our congregation.

You do not need expertise in climate science, policy, or advocacy to participate. You do not need to commit to long hours. If you care about the future of our planet and want to help First UU make a difference, we invite you to join us.

PFLAG Austin is a chapter of a national non-profit organization and provides free, confidential support groups for Austin, Texas-area LGBTQ persons (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning) along with their family and friends.  We strive to make a safer world for LGBTQ people and their family members by dispelling myths and communicating the truth about LGBTQ families and friends. PFLAG Austin reaches out to schools, faith communities, and other organizations to encourage leadership that fosters acceptance of diversity.  We promote the health and well-being of LGBTQ people, their families, and friends through support to cope with an adverse society; education to enlighten the public; and advocacy to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights.

Thank you to everyone at First UU Austin for your many years of uplifting support! 

 

First UU members have a very important and special opportunity to go to Dilley, TX, on Saturday, June 27, with the Texas UU Justice Ministry and the National Coalition to End Family and Child Detention. First UU is helping sponsor a bus that will leave Austin that Saturday morning and get back Saturday mid-afternoon. This will be a peace-centered rally with national and local faith leaders in Dilley Park — not going to the gates of the concentration camp.

 

It will be the high-profile culmination of a three-day faith leader pilgrimage from Crystal City, TX, where the US imprisoned Japanese-Americans during WWII, including elders who were in those camps and activists whose ancestors were in those camps, sharing their powerful stories. TXUUJM and partners will be highlighting the US history of concentration camps, including its influence on Nazi Germany, and calling to close the camps and free families. Sulma Franco, who was in sanctuary at First UU, is one of the organizers, along with Rev. Erin and Michelle from TXUUJM.

 

If you were inspired by the Buddhist monks’ recent pilgrimage across the country, this is your chance to be part of something similarly peaceful and inspiring for justice in Texas and beyond. Please see the sign-up link in the TXUUJM blurb to join the June 27 rally in Dilley. Registration is required, whether you want to ride the bus or drive yourself. We are proud of this work and hope to get a big group from First UU! 

 

Link: https://secure.everyaction.com/BwRk9j6lTEiA0GOHgD7xtg2

Next Sunday, May 31st at 3:00 p.m., First UU will host Voces Olvidadas (Forgotten Voices), a powerful concert presented by Unwound Sound and featuring our Adult Vocal Ensemble.

The program includes the world premiere of a moving new work by Colombian composer José Martínez exploring memory, humanity, and hope amid the violence of war, alongside a new collaboration between Austin Poet Laureate Zell Miller and musician Brent Baldwin.

Admission is free, with donations benefiting the Austin Sanctuary Network.

We hope you’ll join us for this unique and meaningful afternoon of music and community.

There IS a Planet B – An Evening with Dr. Sailesh Rao 

Wednesday, June 3rd in Howson Hall

6:30 PM – Vegan snacks & fellowship 

7:00 PM – Presentation by Dr. Rao

Join internationally known speaker, author, and founder of Climate Healers, Dr. Sailesh Rao, for a powerful evening exploring the connections between climate change, food systems, biodiversity, health, and compassion.

Dr. Rao is the author of There Is a Planet B and Guide to Planet B.  He travels the world speaking at global conferences and on podcasts about practical solutions for restoring balance on Earth.

This inspiring presentation will invite the audience to rethink humanity’s relationship with the living world and to imagine a more compassionate future for all life on Earth.

Hosted by:

The Veganistas of First UU of Austin – a chapter of the UU Animal Ministry 

San Marcos UU Fellowship Environmental Advocates

The Austin Vegan Association

Free and Open to the Public. All are welcome.

Casa Marianella

-ICE is here in Austin, picking up students, workers, dreamers, and parents.

-Texas is building many detention centers for people from out of state, with our tax money.

-Asylum seekers who go to local courts for a final hearing are losing their cases. Their last recourse might be a habeas review for possibly unlawful detention.

Casa Marianella has all-hands-on-deck for asylum seekers, refugees, and other immigrants. Your contributions help!

Why don’t immigrants just get in line? The truth is that “There is no line.” Instead of “a line,” there’s a convoluted system that is applied unevenly among different nationalities and ethnicities. However, we UUs believe in fairness, inherent worth, justice, and diversity. We help our neighbors avoid deportation and work, live, and raise their kids here. 

Emergency and transitional housing are provided in small homes for women and children, single men, single dads, and families. Support includes food, clothing, legal and medical resources, English classes, a bicycle program, and much more. Residents may stay for 3 months;  some of them move to host homes for another 3 months as they try to get on their feet. 

Convivo is a monthly celebration on the last Sunday of the month (except November and December, when it’s on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day). Residents, staff, volunteers, neighbors, and friends like us enjoy live music, excellent food, fellowship, and dancing. Join the fun at 821 Gunter St, Austin, TX 78702, from 6-8 pm.

More info at https://www.casamarianella.org/.

On the first Sunday in March, the Austin community will gather to fight hunger both at home and around the world. Visit the First UU Austin CROP webpage to donate to this important event and learn more about the walk.

The walk will be held at Camp Mabry at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 1st, and the route is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. If you are interested in walking, feel free to contact Emily Speight at espeight2003@gmail.com with questions. The local beneficiaries of this year’s walk are the Central Texas Food Bank, Casa Marianella, Micah 6 of Austin, iACT for Refugees, Hope Food Pantry, Urban Roots, and Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Central Texas.

Together, we will continue to fight against disease, disaster, displacement and other challenges that leave people hungry. Join with us as we raise funds to help neighbors near and far get the meals they need for today and sustainable food security for tomorrow!

Sign up Now!