Social Action
Home Who We Are Visiting Us Services Minister's Page Updates & Events Points of Note Religious Education Music At Buxmont Small Group Ministry Social Action Calendar Heritage Society Rent Our Facilities

 

Click on the following social action initiatives at Buxmont to learn more:

    Split Plate Program
    The Green Sanctuary Committee
    The Peace and Justice Committee
    Apartment Partners

SPLIT PLATE PROGRAM

The split plate program was initiated at BuxMont in October 2004. Fifty percent of the offertory donations (not including operating pledge money) taken on Sunday go to help organizations in BuxMont's community who serve those in need. A different organization is chosen each month. If you have any suggestions for organizations that you would like to see BuxMont help in this way, please contact Dena Condron.

Sponsorship schedule:

May: The split plate recipient for the month of May is Manna on Main Street. Their mission is to provide assistance to members of the community in obtaining the goods and services needed for daily living and basic human dignity.

Other recipients have been:

The Bucks County Opportunity Council
The Doylestown Free Clinic
UUSC Tsunami Relief
Speaking for Ourselves
TABOR Children's Services, Inc.
 The Peace Center
 NAACP
Unitarian Universalist House
Montgomery County NAMI
The Rainbow Room
UUA Gulf Coast Relief Fund (in response to hurricane Katrina)
NGA, Inc.
Philabundance
A Woman's Place
Kasey's Closet
Welcoming the Stranger
Project Reach
 ACORN (Hurricane Recovery and Rebuilding Fund)
NOVA (Network of Victim Assistance)
Embracing the Child
The Doylestown Food Pantry
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Montgomery County
The Peace Center
Inter-Faith Housing Alliance
Project Heat
Fellowship Farm
Latino Leadership Alliance of Bucks County
CADCOM (Community Action Development Commission of Montgomery County)
Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County
Victim Services of Montgomery County
Bucks County Women's Resource Empowerment Network
Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic
Mommy's Light
Buxmont Meals on Wheels

HOW SPLIT PLATE DONATIONS WORK

The Board of Trustees, the Finance Committee and the Peace and Justice Committee would like to clarify the way “basket” donations are split with the charity of the month, to assure that your contribution is credited where you intend.
1. All non-pledge cash donations will be divided equally between BuxMont and the charity.
2. All checks to BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (BMUUF) and not otherwise designated on the memo line will be credited to the donor for BuxMont’s operating budget.
3. All checks to BMUUF which one wishes to share with the split plate will be done so as indicated on the memo line. Example: “50/50,” “$40 BuxMont / $10 charity” or “All charity,” etc.  

If you itemize deductions on your income tax return, it is to your advantage to make any donations to the charity by check rather than cash. We can then substantiate your donation by including it on your giving statement.  

We continue to appreciate your generosity to both the fellowship and the “split plate” recipients.

GREEN SANCTUARY COMMITTEE NEWS

We look forward to having a Congregational Meeting in April to consider actions recommended by the Green-Sanctuary Committee based upon our environmental audit. The goal of that gathering will be for us to decide on the particular “game plan” by which our Fellowship chooses to pursue Green-Sanctuary status. Watch for the date and time of this special meeting in subsequent issues of “The Liberal Voice”. Meanwhile, explorations into good environmental information may be enjoyed at http://earth911.org (that’s with no “www”), as well as from links provided at our own www.buxmontuu.org via clicking on Social Action, then Green Sanctuary Committee News and, finally, click here for Green Sanctuary Resources.

PEACE AND JUSTICE NEWS

The Peace Initiative and the Social Action Committee have been reborn as the Peace and Justice Committee. The group will continue to carry out its newly stated mission, "To uphold the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism by supporting peace and social justice activities locally, nationally and globally and by supporting environmental advocacy." The group will consist of the sub-committees of the Peace Initiative (contact: Patti Thomas or Tom Thomas), Social Action Committee (Cynthia Jones) and Diversity Task Force (Dena Condron), in addition to the Apartment Partners Project (contact:Joy Weatherill).

Due to summer holidays and schedules, the Peace and Justice Committee has made the following changes in its meeting dates: We will not meet on July 2, August 6 or September 3 (our usual meeting date being the first Monday of the month). We will meet on Monday, July 30, and Tuesday, September 4. Both meetings will begin at 7:30 p.m. We will hold a peace vigil starting at 6:30 p.m. on the nights of our meetings.  After September, meetings will resume the regular schedule and be held on the first Monday of each month.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Apartment Partners

APARTMENT PARTNERS UPDATE

A new family has moved into apartment 3.  A mom, 9 year-old girl, 2 year old and 9- month boys have now moved in.  The mom is working on her degree in criminal justice. The last family wishes to send their thanks to BuxMont.  They have been able to find an apartment and employment in Bucks County. The Housing Group also sends their appreciation for the ongoing donations to the shelter and food pantry. The Housing Group is looking for volunteers to paint the apartments.  They also need curtains to be made or donated.  Space has been made available in the garage for furniture donations. Kitchen items, plastic "kid friendly" cups and dinnerware, and lamps are also needed.  Items not used in the apartments are given to families as they move out to help them start in their new homes.  If you have items to donate or would like to volunteer some of your time to the shelter or food pantry please contact Joy Weatherill.

Other Projects

Other ongoing projects supported by the committee include donations of eye glasses to Volunteer Optometrists Serving Humanity (there is a box in the social hall to drop off donations) and collection of used printer cartridges and cell phones that are donated to A Woman's Place. (A collection box for these is next to the Social Action bulletin board outside of the kitchen.) We also have an ongoing collection of items for the Doylestown Food Pantry (also by the Social Action bulletin board).