UUCOC Share the Plate
On the second Sunday of every month we offer our congregation the opportunity to make contributions to a local non-profit organization supporting causes we believe in. We started this program in 2013 benefitting a new organization every month or so, but since 2015, our Social Justice Ministry has selected four recipient organizations the year and we distibute the collected funds on a quarterly basis. Any contributions in the collection plate on the second Sunday that are not specifically marked as being for pledges are added to the share the plate funds for the quarter's recipient organization.
Whenever possible, we work with the organizations to have representatives make brief presentations about their organizations before the share the plate collections. We also coordinate our First Tuesday Social Justice Film Festival film selections with the missions of our share the plate recipients whenever possible.
Please visit our Donation Page for details on contributing safely and securely online using Paypal or our Text2Donate Option.
Donation Options
Our Share The Plate Recipients
Congregational Social Justice Resolutions
2009: Our church passed a Medical Marijuana resolution by a unanimous vote of the congregation.
We believe that licensed health care providers should not be punished for recommending the medical use of marijuana to seriously ill people, and seriously ill people should not be subjected to criminal sanctions for using medical marijuana if their health care provider has told the patient that such use is likely to be beneficial.
Current work on passing a Texas Medical Marijuana law is being done by Texas Coalition for Compassionate Care.
2009: Our church passed an Anti-Sweatshop Resolution by a unanimous vote of the congregation.
This was a resolution to encourage the Dallas City government to pledge to avoid sweatshop garments when purchasing their uniforms. Current work on Sweatshops is being done by Sweat-Free Communities. They help communities, governments, churches, schools, etc., develop sweat-free policies.
School of the Americas Watch
The Social Justice Ministry of the UUCOC and the Dallas Peace Center have sponsored trips to the annual November The School of the Americas (SOA) Watch rally and vigil as part of our ongoing work for human rights.
Our representatives at the 2007 SOA Watch
Located at Fort Benning, Georgia, and renamed as the "Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation" in 2001, SOA is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers whose graduates have consistently used their skills to wage war against their own people. The mission of SOA Watch, as a nonviolent movement that stands in solidarity with people of Latin America, is to close the SOA/WHINSEC and change the oppressive U.S. foreign policy that the SOA represents.
Oak Cliff Churches for Emergency Aid (OCCEA)
This is a collective effort with many of the churches in the Oak Cliff area working together to meet the emergency needs of persons living in Oak Cliff. By combining resources, OCCEA is able to distribute food, personal items, and financial aid to many people. Referrals are made to service providers who can help with long-term needs.
OCCEA is located in the Oak Cliff Presbyterian Church at 6000 S. Hampton. Visit the OCCEA website or call them at 214.943.7757. Volunteers are always welcome!
Dallas Area Interfaith
The UUCOC congregation voted in November of 2007 to join the Dallas Area Interfaith Association; a group of 60 congregations in the Dallas metropolitan area. This allows us to partner with a broad coalition of religious organizations working on local issues of importance. DAI makes it easy to step in and get involved in a number of issues that affect our community.
Rev. Mark Walz speaks at a rally in downtown Dallas
to end the Iraq war.
Green Sanctuary
We have begun our journey to become a "Green" Church and are actively working on raising environmental awareness within our membership and community. The UUA's Green Sanctuary Project involves an extensive process to "green" every aspect of church life, as well as work to bring envoronmental justice to our community. We are implementing programs to control our environmental impact and help educate ourselves and others on what can be done to preserve the resources of this planet.
Bring in your old printer cartridges and cell phones for the recycling box in the foyer.
In February of 2011 UUCOC worked on a very special
Social Justice program.
A number of our members, friends, and members of the community participated in the "It Gets Better Project," a campaign started in response to the many suicides of gay teenagers who had been bullied and mistreated.
The community was invited to share their "It Gets Better" stories which were videotaped and are being edited and posted on our UUSocialJustice YouTube Channel as well as on the "It Gets Better" website.
Remember: If you need to talk to someone about these issues, you can always call the Trevor Lifeline Project at 1(866) 488-7386.
The Pledge:
Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are.
I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors.
I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work.
I'll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other bullied teens by letting them know that "It Gets Better."
