In times of need, OCUUC and its members give tangible support to the needs of others. We divide half of the loose plate collected on Sundays to many different non-profits and communities in need.
To read more about our current Plate Share Recipient, read the latest edition of our monthly newsletter, The Reach (link here).
If you are a Member or Friend of OCUUC, you may nominate a worthy organization by using the Plate Share Nomination Form.
Plate Share Recipients 2020
October 2020: Laura’s House
The inception of Laura’s House was inspired by a true story about a woman called Laura who was a victim of domestic violence.
Since 1994, Laura’s House has continued to grow and offer a multitude of programs and services which provide vital support and education aimed at avoiding such tragic circumstances from ever occurring again.
Laura’s House provides unduplicated domestic violence-related services to the 915,000 residents of Orange County, California and beyond. Over the past 26 years, Laura’s House has provided shelter and supportive services to more than 5,000 abused women, men and children and counseling, life skills, education and legal advocacy to over 55,000 persons.
Today, Laura’s House continues to be the only state-approved comprehensive domestic violence agency in South Orange County. Annually, Laura’s House provides residential shelter services, transitional housing, counseling and workshops, and legal services to thousands of individuals. Over 2500 crisis calls come in each year on the 24/7 Crisis Hotline.
The target population is families experiencing the effects of domestic violence in need of emergency shelter, support, education and counseling. Laura’s House operates on the philosophy that domestic violence is multi-dimensional and often cyclical in nature and must be addressed through a range of interventions. The goal is to provide supportive service programs that will prepare clients and their children to live independent and violence free lives, with an emphasis on education and prevention for future generations.
September 2020: Stand Up for Kids Orange County
Stand Up for Kids Orange County serves homeless and at-risk youth and young adults 25 and younger. Programs in Orange County offer street outreach, mentoring, housing support and so much more. Programs have the overall goal of leading homeless youth to self-sufficiency and preventing at-risk youth from gang involvement, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and from dropping out of high school.
Youth that have been served include sexually exploited youth, victims of abuse and/or neglect, LGBTQ youth, kids with disabilities, pregnant and parenting young people, and kids forced out of their homes. For information about Stand-Up for Kids contact them directly at 714 356-5437. www.StandUpForKids.org
August 2020: Community Action Partnership of Orange County
Since 1965, Community Action Partnership of Orange County has worked to enhance the quality of life in Orange County by eliminating and preventing the causes and effects of poverty.The staff of Community Action Partnership of Orange County are committed to serving the communities where they work and live. They come from all walks of life rallying to support those in need, ending poverty and building stronger communities. Our agency is celebrating more than 50 years of helping people and changing lives. For more information see their website at https://www.capoc.org/about/index.html.
July 2020: Stand Up for Kids Orange County
June 2020: Camp deBenneville Pines
This month’s Plate Share is for our Unitarian Universalist Camp deBenneville Pines in Angeles Oaks, California. Our Mountain Camp exists for all of us, providing much needed respite from our daily lives, and has been in operation since the 1960’s. COVID-19 has dealt a severe blow to the Camp with resulting cancellations of all Spring 2020, June and July 2020 and most likely other Summer 2020 camp experiences. The financial implications are enormous with already over $160,000 of lost revenue. This number is expected to increase several fold if all summer camp events are cancelled. Our Unitarian Universalist Camp provides children, teens and adults of all beliefs and identities an environment for centering, solitude, fresh air, a welcoming community of peers, art, music, yoga and the chance to make lasting friendships in a mountain top setting. Please give generously to help our mountain retreat remain viable and available for generations to come. Contact Janet James at 909-794-2928 or visit the web site at (https://www.uucamp.org/).
May 2020: Stand Up for Kids Orange County
April 2020: Orange County Justice Fund
The Orange County Justice Fund (“OCJF”) was founded in 2017 by a coalition of immigration law professors, attorneys, and grassroots organizers in Orange County. The purpose of OCJF is to increase access to lawyers for detained immigrants facing deportation and to establish an immigrant bond fund to provide support so that individuals eligible to be released from detention can do so without being financially devastated. In less than one year of operation, OCJF's bond fund has paid for all or part of the immigration bond for 30 people (as of early January 2020). Learn more at https://ocjusticefund.org
March 2020: Stand Up for Kids Orange County
February 2020: The Teen Project
The Teen Project (TTP) was founded by a former Orange County foster youth, human trafficking and drug addiction survivor turned aerospace executive, foster parent, and nonprofit innovator. Their mission is to provide young women exiting foster care, homelessness or human trafficking with all of the support of an intact family allowing them the greatest opportunity for a successful transition to adulthood.
January 2020: Stand Up for Kids Orange County
Volunteer Guide
Keep in mind that a number of the members of our congregation do more than just give money. They take a “hands-on” approach and work to help programs in a variety of ways.
From time to time, visitors and members at OCUUC ask about getting involved with community outreach and volunteering to be of service to others. To this end, we would like to be able to provide a listing of possible service opportunities and to be able to refer those interested to members of our congregation who are already acting in “hands-on” efforts helping to meet real community needs. Please let us know what you are doing, where you are volunteering… with young people/old people, health and nutrition, the homeless, education, addiction, the arts, the environment, political action or any activity where others may join you so they might benefit from the great rewards that are derived from being of service. OCUUC continues to seek to identify non-profit groups who can use our financial assistance and now we would like to be able to help by providing a guide for volunteerism.