Share the Plate

From Bob Monahan

Your Share the Plate team works diligently to insure that recipients chosen are engaged in non-profit work that is aligned with the outreach wishes of our congregation.  Click here to view a list of criteria used by our team when selecting a monthly recipient to share our offering plate.

Share the Plate Nomination Form

The Share the Plate team is pleased to report that donations to Voces de la Frontera in April totaled $1,919.07. Click here for a complete list of Share the Plate recipients since the program began in January 2011.

Parents/guardians, please talk with your kids about this month’s recipient and how their small contributions can make a big difference! Look for the Golden Collection Box at the Social Justice Table during Coffee Hour. Check out the poster in the RE space near the downstairs elevator for more details.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Can I contribute cash to our Share the Plate partner? Yes, but be aware that all cash not designated as a pledge payment is divided 50-50 between our partner organization and the church. So when you put cash in the plate you are helping both our partner agency and our own congregation, which includes cash from the collection plate in the yearly budget. Cash contributions to Share the Plate are not hurting the church’s bottom line.

• If I write a check to our partner agency, will that amount be subtracted from their share of the 50-50 split amount? No, checks written directly to the partner agency are sent there at the end of the month. The check total has no affect on the partner’s share of the collection plate cash.

• I understand that Children and Youth will choose the Share the Plate Partner on occasion. How does that work?  The Youth Steering Committee designates the monthly partner to receive funds in March, corresponding to the presentation of their annual Youth Service. All Children and Youth who attend RE will vote one Sunday in March for the May partner agency. You will find more information about that process here.

May Recipient:   First Stage Family Partnership Program

Each month we extend an invitation to the children and youth in our Religious Education program to contribute money to the Share the Plate program.  Mindful of our UU principle to promote use of the democratic process in our congregations and in society at large, we asked the kids in RE to select our May partner organization.  On March 17 the kids in RE voted First Stage Family Partnership Program to be our May share the Plate recipient.

First Stage touches hearts, engages minds, and transforms lives by creating extraordinary theater experiences for young people and families.  The academy is committed to teaching “life skills through stage skills.”  It is one of the nation’s most acclaimed children’s theaters and the largest theater arts education program for young people.  Committed to promoting “life skills through stage skills,” the academy offers:

• Classes to inspire and engage students of all ages, cultures, and abilities.
• An inspiring, welcoming environment that encourages each student to take his or her next step as an artist and a person
• A staff comprised of some of the finest professional theater and teaching artists in the region.

Donations directly to the Partnership Program make theater education opportunities available to ALL children, regardless of financial circumstances.  Thanks to generous community support, First Stage offered financial aid to more than 100 students last season.

Please be generous with your support.  If you wish to donate only to the Partnership Program, please write a check directly to First Stage Family Partnership Program and the church will mail it for you.  Parents and guardians, please talk with your children about how even a small amount can help someone “take center stage.”