Pynchon and Schaff Receive Social Action Award Honoring Former UU Church Member
On Sunday, June 18, Carol Pynchon and Sara Schaff were presented the Rachel Somers Grant Social Action Award. which recognizes individuals who, through their volunteer work, have helped to make the North Country a more humane and progressive community.
Carol Pynchon and Sara Schaff with Kerry Grant, husband of the late Rachel Grant in whose honor the award is given.
Carol Pynchon and Sara Schaff shared this year’s award, recognizing their energetic efforts to involve our community in activism. Carol led the effort to organize over 160 North Country residents to participate in the Women’s March on Washington, DC in January. This transformative experience introduced many women – young and old – to political activism. Sara organized the online group Write the Power: NY District 21 as a way to effectively communicate North Country interests and concerns to our representatives in Albany and Washington, DC.
Rachel Somers Grant was a member of the UU church, a teacher, and an activist who lived in Canton from 1977 until her death in 1990. She was involved in a wide variety of community groups and believed that grassroots movements were an effective means to achieving social change. She challenged the lack of responsiveness of elected officials on issues important to her community, and she had a gift for organizing diverse groups and a talent for gaining the respect of supporters and opponents alike. She was a strong advocate for causes affecting the welfare of women, families, and the environment. The award, presented annually in her name by the church’s Social Action Committee, celebrates the commitment to social justice that was central to Rachel Somers Grant’s volunteerism.