Does the thought of watching President Bush give the State of the Union address (scheduled for January 31) leave you feeling a bit depressed? We have the solution: throw a house party to support UFPJ and your local peace and justice group. And have fun!

To support your efforts in hosting a house party, we have prepared a "Parties for Peace & Justice" kit, with instructions and a timeline for throwing a house party, a sample invitation, RSVP form and other support materials.

We encourage you to use this party planning kit throughout the year to support UFPJ and your local group's work. While you decide how to share the money raised, we recommend a 50-50 split between the local group and UFPJ. (If you're not part of a local group, you can of course throw a house party and donate the entire proceeds to UFPJ!)

When you download the kit, please register your party with United for Peace and Justice. If you register your party, we will send a weekly reminder to keep you on top of your to-do list and give you other pointers and resources so you can make your party a success.

UFPJ, several of our member groups, and allies have also put together a number of party games, discussion guides, and other materials that you can use for your party. Some are irreverent, some are serious, some are downright raucous -- choose the activities that you think will resonate most strongly with your guests.