Our Saviour’s UMC in Schaumburg raises anti-racism awareness during a Labor Day community event that also supported its youth program.

Over Labor Day weekend, Our Saviour’s UMC (OSUMC) held an Anti-Racism event in conjunction with the Schaumburg’s end-of-summer festival and the church’s youth group annual parking lot fundraiser. 

Each year on Labor Day, the youth of OSUMC open the church parking lot to the community for those attending the village’s Septemberfest, which is held on the nearby municipal grounds and attracts thousands of people. Selling the parking spots helps fully fund the youth program for the year.

In conjunction with the Northern Illinois Conference’s Anti-Racism Task Force’s call to host DIY Anti-Racism Rallies following the July 2021 Annual Conference session, OSUMC’s Anti-Bias committee joined with the youth’s fundraiser to make the community aware that the United Methodist church “Stands Against Racism.”

The church placed signs around the parking lot and within the open house hospitality center that OSUMC offers to people who park in the lot each year. Many in the congregation also wore their “Stand Against Racism” t-shirts as part of the event.  

“We placed the signs in such a way that everyone who parked or came into the center would see the message,” said Tim Alexander, OSUMC Dir. of Discipleship.  

The church hoped they were able to reach hundreds of people in the community with their message, especially since the youth parked just over 1,200 cars in the two days the lot was available to the Fest.  

“If we assume that each car had at least three people per car, which is an average for the event, then the signs were seen by over 3,600 people. Of those 3,600 people, about 420 were served cookies and drinks in our hospitality center,” Alexander added. “We had some questions from folks about what ‘Standing Against Racism’ means and we explained the events and classes we have had during the last 15 months and our plans for the future.”

Volunteers also directed visitors to their website at OSUMC.org for resource lists, video links, and book suggestions.  
Alexander says they plan on making the anti-racism tie-in to the parking lot an annual event and hope to include the signs this fall when the UMW holds their annual holiday craft fair in early November.