‘Share the Plate’ supports congregation chosen 501C3 organizations who reflect our UU Principles and Values and our UUWestport mission.
This outreach ministry has been going on since 2007 when Rev. Frank Hall and David Vita began this monthly offering whereby half of one Sunday’s collection would be donated to charitable organizations. The onset of Covid changed the parameters of giving, reducing the collection to once a month.
Rev. Alan Taylor, our transition minister from 2023-2025, suggested a different model for discerning beneficiaries. The congregation has the opportunity to enter the names of eligible 501C3 organizations every Spring. These are vetted and appear on a ballot at our Annual Meeting in June. Congregants then vote for their top ten choices. The ballots are tallied, listed, and shared with the congregation. Currently, we donate the entire collection plate funds (minus any pledge payments) to the organization represented on the second Sunday of each month.
Our Share the Plate program now supports twelve 501C3 non-profits in our area each year, voted on by the congregation. Causes we invest in: inner-city education, food insecurity, local LGBTQIA+ centers, abortion care, reproductive justice, education and retraining of refugees, domestic violence center, house repairs for elderly, and safe space for formerly incarcerated individuals.
The congregation appreciates hearing the representatives from each organization who come to speak on the second Sunday of each month, sharing the scope of the work they do and how community support impacts local individuals.
