Becoming Beloved Community

The mission of Saint Matthew’s Becoming Beloved Community group is to follow the call of Jesus to restore dignity and autonomy to those deprived of access to sufficient resources to meet their basic needs for physical survival, emotional wellbeing, and human fulfillment. We do this by building personal relationships with members of Saint Matthew’s and the surrounding community, identifying needs and opportunities, collaborating with other faith-based groups, and organizing civic actions to influence public policy. The aim is to become a beloved community of love, justice, truth-telling, and solidarity with those in need.

Come and join us to help make this vision a reality!

Monica Dorcey (left) and Riana Alexander listen to Chandler Uni ed School District board president Jason Olive respond to a question during a civic academy on youth mental health in Chandler on March 13, 2023. Alexander is a senior at Chandler High.

Current Projects

One way we are implementing this mission is by collaborating with Valley Interfaith Project (VIP), a non-partisan organization committed to organizing people to achieve sustainable social and economic improvement in the community.

Two current issues we are addressing in Chandler and the East Valley are increasing services to address mental health problems, especially for teens, and increasing affordable workforce and senior housing.

Research actions, leader training, and public actions on these issues are ongoing.

Recent and Upcoming Actions

  • MENTAL HEALTH

    In March, 2023, with the help of other VIP member congregations, we hosted a Civic Academy at St. Matthew’s to educate the surrounding community about teen mental health needs and press the Chandler Unified School District to increase resources to respond to these needs (which they have done).

    'IT COULD HAVE BEEN ME' AZ CENTRAL ARTICLE

  • AFFORDABLE HOUSING

    In November 2023, St. Matthew’s Becoming Beloved Community members had leadership roles in a VIP Civic Academy held at Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Chandler to educate the community on the pressing need for the city of Chandler to approve more affordable housing projects especially for seniors and veterans.

  • Memory Cafe

    We are encouraging the development of a congregation ministry, called Memory Café, to provide support for families in the community with a member who has dementia.

    Find Out More

Contact us.

For information on Becoming Beloved Community projects and notice of upcoming meetings and events contact Larry Dumka or Jess Trias.