“With sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church State.” Thomas Jefferson, in a le tter to members of the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802. My values are deeply rooted in a love of God, Familia, and country. My mom was a devout Catholic and my father a proud veteran. I experienced Catholic education, peer leadership, and spiritual rites of passage which ultimately led me to teach Catechism for elementary children with special needs (including my own).  I’ve set examples of Matthew’s golden rule for my children to “do unto others as you’d have done unto you” and established intentional ways that we individually and collectively help “pay it forward” in our community. An inherited call to spirituality and ancestry led me to the Yoruba belief in traditional religions and spiritual concepts of destiny and fate, which ultimately guided me to the inclusive teachings of Unitarian Universalism. Preaching the golden rule has been significantly challenged this year.  The ripple effects of federal budget cuts are deeply personal for me as someone living with disabilities and navigating the challenges of raising children with medical complexities. Recently, I faced a cut to my own grant-funded work as Project Advisory Committee Lead with Family Voices National, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Project ECHO, and the Office of Minority Health. These organizations play a critical role in advocating for health equity and providing support for families like mine—families that rely on these resources for survival. The loss of funding is more than just numbers on a page; it translates to real hardships. It limits access to life-saving medical equipment and medications, squeezes vital programs like SSDI and SSI that barely cover living expenses, and forces families into impossible decisions between paying bills or affording necessary care. Doris Maldonado Mendez These cuts also strike at the heart of systemic advocacy efforts, silencing voices that have fought tirelessly for inclusivity and equity. Community organizations are left scrambling to sustain services, while families and caregivers bear an overwhelming burden, often at the cost of their own health and well-being. As past chair of the Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry of the Unitarian Society of Hartford and a worship associate, my family and I engaged in welcoming opportunities of nourishing spirit, building community, and working for justice through a multicultural and neighborly secular blanket. My children participated in civic engagement opportunities with peers and leaders practicing the seven Unitarian Universalist principles. Community service through faith has been part of human culture since ancient times. Nonpartisan, community-led organizations provide sanctuaries of access, inclusion, and respect for the love of community and its inherent dignity. When faith-based and community organizations are excluded from public discourse, vital services such as food pantries, housing support, and crisis intervention programs suffer, leaving vulnerable populations without essential aid.  The lack of meaningful collaboration between government, community and faith organizations fosters division, creating echo chambers that exacerbate misinformation and reduce opportunities for liberty and justice dialogue between diverse groups. Policies that fail to include faith and community-based organizations in decision-making processes risk neglecting the lived experiences and unique needs of underrepresented populations, further disenfranchising marginalized voices. Without strong partnerships, voter participation, advocacy efforts, and grassroots movements lose momentum, limiting marginalized communities’ participation in policy and systemic change, and weakening collective civic engagement. The absence of faith and community perspectives in governance diminishes moral and ethical considerations in policymaking, leading to legislation that prioritizes political gain over human dignity and equity. I refuse to accept this as the status quo. Advocacy and collaboration must be amplified. Governments, businesses, and grassroots organizations must work together to create innovative solutions—whether through public-private partnerships or stronger protections for disability funding.  As the Constitution State, Connecticut has a responsibility to lead by example, guiding the nation toward stronger collaborative frameworks.  Many community centered groups are already doing this work.   Since 1830, the Hartford Unitarian Association has long been a beacon of inclusivity and social justice. Through community programs, interfaith dialogues, and advocacy, the society has worked to foster mutual understanding and provide essential services to those in need. By collaborating with other organizations like the Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance, we have extended our reach, combining faith-based and secular efforts to create meaningful change. Established in 1876 as Congregation Beth Israel, the Charter Oak Cultural Center’s mission is to tikkun olam, repairing the world through acts of social justice through the arts and lifespan. Community-led organizations like CoDE, Know thy Neighbor and others aim to further indivisible liberty and justice for all at a micro and macular level. CoDE, the Coalition on Diversity and Equity, has played a crucial role in bridging the gaps between the state and ALL communities by providing equitable resources, creating opportunities for civic engagement, and advocating for inclusive policies. Our initiatives focus on the practice of indivisible liberty and justice for all by dismantling systemic barriers, ensuring equal representation, and amplifying voices. Know thy Neighbor’s mission is to bring together Hartford residents with first responders  and others about community concerns, working together to take action that builds trusting relationships and achieves positive community-driven change.  These groups continue to address the gaps in our social networks by practicing these steady habits: Hosting community, interfaith and civic dialogues to address pressing social issues Providing legal aid and advocacy for those facing denied indivisible liberty and justice Offering mentorship programs to empower youth and emerging leaders Partnering with local governments to implement policies that promote indivisible liberty and justice for All Strengthening allyship through active listening, shared resources, and direct collaboration with ALL groups Utilizing research-based strategies to identify systemic gaps and implement community-led interventions For the People and By the People. For me, this fight is rooted in my values of faith, family, and community. Despite the challenges, I remain committed to preserving dignity, liberty and justice for marginalized communities. In the words of Isaiah, we are morally obligated as “repairers of the breach, restorers of streets to dwell in.” The system is broken, but not beyond repair as long as we hold these truths to be self-evident that no “state … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”   In solidarity, we solemnly remain “One Nation under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for ALL” because there is nothing about us without us. Doris Maldonado Mendez is a member of the Connecticut Mirror’s Community Editorial Board. ...read more read less