Will your congregation support our work?
Sharing plates during meals is customary in many cultures. When strangers eat the same thing, their similar food choice can be a bond that increases trust and cooperation, suggests research by Kaitlin Woolley and Ayelet Fishbach.
This concrete act has a strong symbolic meaning, too: we become what we eat. When we share what we eat, we become a little bit more similar, more alike. When we share our goods and our money in order to nourish a community’s goals, we become more alike and a little bit more akin to those in need. That’s how giving enriches us.
Within the Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist world “Share-the-Plate” (STP) is a well-known and widely practiced initiative inviting congregations to donate their Sunday offering (or part of it) to support causes, a special project or organization in their nearby community or beyond. The practice is to give part of the offering to a cause that reflects their values.
The work of the International Convocation of U*U Women (ICUUW) welcomes this congregational support. It strengthens our capabilities and enables us to implement our programs and services effectively. The core purposes of the STP are to
- encourage congregations to dedicate a Sunday collection to ICUUW;
- encourage congregations – or congregational committees – to organize fundraising events (holding potlucks, selling handmade objects, etc.) for the ICUUW;
- support ICUUW’s mission of women’s empowerment, leadership development, advocacy, and equity for women and girls worldwide;
Last year eleven congregations contributed a Share the Plate to ICUUW. We appreciate the following congregations:
Edmonds UU Congregation (WA) • UU Community Church Park Forest (IL) • Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County (NJ) • Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet (IL) • San Marcos UU Fellowship (TX) • Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church (TX) • All Souls Unitarian Church, Tulsa (OK) • First UU Church Houston (TX), European Unitarian Universalist (Europe) • Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook (NY) • Westminster Unitarian Church (RI).
As a sign of our deep gratitude, each of these congregations received a Chalice Award. We recognize the importance of these efforts by these congregations. Without them we could not do the work we do advancing women’s leadership and self-determination. Thank you!
We invite more congregations to support our work with a Sunday collection. ICUUW relies on congregational support to fund our work this year, too. We use all funding in support of our work:
- global leadership programs for women and girls
- awareness and empowerment initiatives
- International UU women’s partnerships and advocacy work
Please talk to your congregation’s decision makers in order to schedule a date and plan for a STP event. Feel free to reach out to Rev Erika Orban (email
Share-the-Plate emphasizes practicing interdependence and strengthening global connections among UU communities. Join us!