The voting is complete for the 2024 Share the Plate recipients.

The Social Action Committee thanks everyone who voted this year with a total of 50 completed ballots being received. Below are the results for the eleven categories showing the new recipients for 2024. Thanks to our congregation’s generosity, we have donated over $133,000 in Share the Plate contributions to community charities since 2011. Thank you for your participation in this program.

What is Share the Plate?

Share the Plate is a community outreach project that reflects the UUCC social justice philosophy. By donating one half of our Sunday non-pledge collection to a nonprofit group selected by the congregation, the UUCC gives back to the community in a meaningful and ongoing way. Thanks to our congregation’s generosity, we have donated approximately $133,000 in Share the Plate contributions to community charities since 2011.

The organization that is the recipient for the current month is asked to provide a representative to share with the congregation about the work that they are doing to help us better understand their mission and to spend time meeting our members.

Past Share the Plate Collections

Dec 2022   Transitions Homeless Center         $ 858
Jan 2023   Minister’s Discretionary Fund          $ 711
Feb 2023   SC Appleseed Legal Justice           $ 820
Mar 2023   Congaree Riverkeeper                    $ 668
Apr 2023    Mirci                                                $ 815
May 2023   Planned Parenthood                       $ 859
Jun 2023    Good Samaritan Clinic                    $1025
Jul 2023     Justice 360                                      $1007
Aug 2023   Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter   $ 725
Sep 2023   Harriet Hancock Center                   $ 813
Oct 2023    Cotton Branch Branch                     $ 829
Nov 2023    Harvest Hope                                  $ 874

Share the Plate Calendar for 2024

Below are the 2024 recipients for Share the Plate and the months they will visit UUCC and tell us about their organizations. Thanks for your contributions and for participating in this process each year.

2024 Recipients

Congaree Riverkeeper is affiliated with the Waterkeeper Alliance, a global movement of on-the-water advocates who patrol and protect rivers and coasts all over the world.  We work to protect and improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreation on the Congaree, Lower Saluda and Lower Broad Rivers through advocacy, education and enforcement of environmental laws. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. congareeriverkeeper.org

Cotton Branch Farm Animal Sanctuary provides a safe haven for abandoned, abused, neglected, and elderly farm animals. While there are many shelters and rescue organizations for animal companions such as cats and dogs, and wildlife, there is a lack of sanctuary for farm animals, who make up 98% of the animals killed in the US each year. It is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. cottonbranch.org

Good Samaritan Clinic is a faith-based organization offering free health and dental care primarily to the Hispanic community in four South Carolina locations. With the dedication of volunteer physicians, nurses, interpreters, and administrative assistants, as well as the generous support of our funding partners, the clinic is able to serve our communities in the tradition of the Good Samaritan. goodsamaritansc.org

Harriet Hancock LGBT Center located in the heart of Columbia is the hub of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender activity in the Midlands of South Carolina.  Our facility offers a variety of resources including a free lending library, meeting spaces for LGBT-supportive groups, and a directory of LGBT-friendly businesses, organizations, and counselors while also serving as the headquarters for the South Carolina Pride Movement. It is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. lgbtcentersc.org

Homeless No More (The Family Shelter) is a nonprofit organization that believes family homelessness is entirely solvable. Their continuum of care – from emergency services to transitional and affordable housing – keeps each family together and meets their needs at the right time with the right services. By providing the support to move each family toward a permanent, self-sufficient solution, they can eradicate family homelessness and help parents and their children achieve lasting independence. homelessnomore.org

Justice 360 Columbia promotes fairness, reliability and transparency in the criminal justice system for individuals facing the death penalty and juveniles facing lengthy sentences in South Carolina. They accomplish this by using resources and support for lawyers tasked with representing capital and juvenile defendants and representing individual clients. They advocate for policy change to address systemic flaws in the criminal justice system and educate the public to raise awareness about the administration of capital and juvenile sentencing in South Carolina. https://justice360sc.org

MIRCI (Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc.) assists individuals with mental illness to recover in the areas of their lives impacted by their illness through housing, behavioral healthcare, and assistance with obtaining and managing their disability income. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. mirci.org

Palmetto Place Children & Youth Services provides a safe and nurturing environment for abused and neglected children and unaccompanied teens, offering them a broad range of services concentrating on personal healing and development. The shelter is open 24 hours each day of the year and provides medical and mental health care, crisis adjustment/transitional counseling, after-school tutoring, and recreational and social activities in addition to food, clothing, and shelter. It is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. palmettoplaceshelter.org

Planned Parenthood has promoted for nearly 100 years, a commonsense approach to women’s health and well-being, based on respect for each individual’s right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning.  Contributions to Planned Parenthood Federation of America are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. plannedparenthood.org

SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center fights for low income South Carolinians to overcome social, economic, and legal injustice. Their goal is to influence policymakers to ensure the law is fair, to educate the public and their advocates about the law, and to assist attorneys in bringing systemic litigation where the law is unfair. They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. scjustice.org