The members of First Parish in Cohasset recognize the many ways in which their lives have been blessed and cherish opportunities to return something to the local and the world communities. This is both an obligation of the ethical member of the community as well as a wonderful opportunity to expand our own lives and experiences through interaction with whom we might not otherwise connect. First Parish service projects come in many forms, large and small.

Social Action Committee

The First Parish Social Action Committee focuses its efforts on social services, especially social service projects where members and friends can participate. Peter Sexton, chair. More information is available on the main Social Justice webpage.

Carriage House Nursery School

Our biggest service project, both in terms of budget and the number of families served, is Carriage House Nursery School (CHNS). Founded by the congregation in 1978, CHNS now serves about 70 children and their families.

CHNS is a non-sectarian, child-centered preschool for children aged 2 to 4. The CHNS Advisory Board is made up of First Parish members who work with the school director to carry out the educational mission.

Mission statement: Carriage House Nursery School encourages learning and growth, curiosity and enjoyment, self-esteem and respect for others.

Our commitment to children: We provide…
• Support for families through strong school partnerships;
• Child-centered education;
• Attention to the health, safety, and responsive care of all children;
• Active, individualized, developmentally appropriate learning;
• A culture of respect for one another and for all people and the world in which we live;
• A culture of respect and awe for the natural environment, of which we are a small part.

Carriage House Nursery School recently added an innovative outdoor classroom. By providing regular outdoor education, we are raising a generation of children who will respect and care for the Earth.

Outreach Committee and Community Outreach Fund

The Outreach Fund was initially established in 1986 with an initial donation of $25,000 from Warner Bros. Studios, in appreciation for the use of our First Parish Meeting House as a location for the film, The Witches of Eastwick. The fund has grown over time through investment returns and additional donations. The fund primarily provides modest financial grants approved by the Outreach Committee.

The purpose of the Outreach Committee is to provide First Parish members and friends with opportunities to make a difference in the lives of people outside our immediate church community. Our mission is to raise awareness of and help facilitate participation in non-partisan social programs that need help and assistance.

Our funding sources come from two places. At each Sunday service half of the plate collection is designated for a specific charity. The Outreach Committee specifies the 5 charities during the year to receive the plate collections. In addition, a sixth charity is chosen to receive 100% of the plate collection on Christmas eve.

The second funding source is a Community Outreach Fund invested with Vanguard. The Outreach Committee budgets each year how to spend the proceeds of this account that are over and above a defined principal. We attempt to address local, regional, national, and international needs. In addition, congregants may apply for support for a project at a charity they are involved with.

The Outreach Committee also supports members’ efforts to get congregational support for a variety of charitable projects, such as the Christmas Angel Tree project which provides gifts for families supported by the South Shore Housing for the Homeless; holiday meal support for the Cohasset Food Pantry; Circle Ministry project for helping children in Ukraine through UNICEF; RE support for End Hunger New England; Christmas gifts for Rosie’s Place; etc.

Clothing Exchange

First Parish sponsors regular clothing exchanges for children’s clothing. Families can bring in gently used clothing that has been outgrown, and pick up gently used clothing that other families have left.

The clothing exchange not only relieves some of the financial burden on families with growing children, it also keeps good clothing out of the landfill.

We are currently (fall, 2023) exploring partnerships with other community organizations to extend the reach of this valuable community program. If you’d like to support this effort, please contact the First Parish office.

Children and Teen Service Projects

Children who are in the First Parish religious education program have a number of opportunities each year to participate in community service. These service projects are typically scheduled during Sunday services.

Our children and teens participate in service projects regularly at Holly Hill Farm, a nonprofit organic farm on conservation land in Cohasset. Other service projects may be scheduled during the year, depending on the interests in involvement of families. Cheildren and teens have also volunteered at the Scituate Animal Shelter.

For over 20 years, our children have been doing trail maintenance on Great Brewster Trail, right off Cohasset Common. The sign leading to the conservation land honors their contributions, saying “Maintained by the youth of First Parish Church.”

Ecojustice Camp

First Parish sponsors an annual week-long ecology day camp, Ecojustice Camp South Shore. “Ecojustice Camp is … a fun community of campers, a place to learn outdoor skills, a time to connect with the natural world. We believe humans can have a positive impact on each other, and on the natural world.”

This is a non-religious day camp rooted in Unitarian Universalist values of value for the interdependent web of life.

Rosie’s Place

Living in an area as beautiful and well-nourished as Cohasset and the surrounding communities, it can be a challenge to stay in touch with the rest of the world, to be aware of people nearby who are not so fortunate.

Cohasset has had a relationship with Rosie’s Place since it opened in 1974. Rosie’s Place was the first women’s shelter in the United States and today serves 12,000 women a year with meals, housing, education and support services. We support Rosie’s Place through ongoing financial support.

Common Hope

Common Hope is an international agency whose purpose is to fight poverty through diplomas, but also recognizing that education requires more than just school supplies, but extends to housing, nutrition and other forms of support.

First Parish has been active over the years with Common Hope efforts in Guatemala. Members have provided financial support for the sponsorship of children. In addition, a while ago a Vision Team from First Parish spent nine days volunteering at a Common Hope home in Antigua, Guatemala.

Angel Tree

Each year, during the holiday season, First Parish has a tradition of the Angel Tree. A tree is festooned with wish cards for clients of the South Shore Friends of the Homeless. Members of the congregation take a card from the tree and provide a gift. The total value of gifts and gift cards is estimated at almost $3,000.

Get Involved

The Outreach Committee encourages individuals to contact them at any point with ideas or ventures which they feel passionate about or would like to see sponsored and seeded on behalf of the wider church community. To contact the Outreach Committee, email the First Parish office at admin@firstparishcohasset.org.

Watch the First Parish newsletter for other opportunities to participate in service projects.