Since its inception in September 2005, the UUFA Cause of the Month (CotM) program has been primarily helping groups serving people in need in the Athens area. In addition, several UU-affiliated programs have been Causes of the Month.
Each year, the Social Action Committee (SAC) invites members of the congregation to choose the organizations that receive Cause-of-the-Month funding through a two-step process. First, any member can nominate a Cause of the Month (limit one per member). Second, UUFA members vote in March on the nominations with the twelve organizations receiving the most votes becoming the Causes of the Month for the next program year (July 1 – June 30).
The goal of this process is for members to choose organizations that care for diverse populations with a primary emphasis on organizations who empower people to better themselves and move out of difficult circumstances. Hopefully, organizations are chosen ensuring that UUFA’s contribution will have the greatest impact. Above all, the selection of groups should be guided by the seven Unitarian Universalist principles and the UUFA Mission and Vision statements.
Beginning in July 2013, the congregation initiated Share the Plate. Instead of each person making an individual contribution to the Cause of the Month only on the first Sunday as in previous years, the Fellowship as a whole contributes half of the plate offering every Sunday to the Cause of the Month. Of course, the monies involved in Share the Plate do not include pledges, which are essential to fund the Fellowship’s budget. CotM donations may also be made securely online here.
Learn more about Serving Justice at UUFA here.Â