For almost a decade, UUC has devoted our “Second Sunday” plate collections to helping fund smaller community groups, often ones that UUC or our members also support in other ways. That money adds up! The members of our Social Justice Steering Committee suspect that our congregation would be even more generous, if we heard more about the impact of our efforts. So here’s an example: 

In the church years 2021, 2022 and 2023, one of our Second Sunday plates raised $10,921.00, $12,410.25, and $6,099.50 respectively to help fund a small, fledgling grassroots group started in 2020. Green Buildings Now sought to address the climate emergency locally by supporting an effort to decarbonize (get off fossil fuels) in poorer south-end Seattle neighborhoods. UUC Climate Action Team members Nancy Maranville, Ben Pfeiffer, and Sharon Victor had joined GBN’s leadership team and sought UUC support through the Second Sunday Plates—support that had outsized ripple effects. 

After consultation with south-end partners in late 2020 and early 2021, Green Buildings Now pivoted from their initial idea—helping individual low-income homeowners install heat pumps—to supporting Bethany United Church of Christ’s plan to decarbonize their campus and create a “resilience hub.” The hub would allow Beacon Hill residents to safely gather during the dangerous extreme heat, smoke, cold spells and weather events that are becoming more common with the climate emergency. 

While the decarbonization effort proceeded, the City of Seattle decided to begin funding resilience hubs around the city. Green Buildings Now helped Bethany with a successful application for a $455,000 grant from the city and the Bethany campus is in the process of becoming one of the city’s first community-led resilience hubs. 

If you are able to contribute to additional worthy efforts like Green Buildings Now, mark your calendar for every “second Sunday” (the next one is February 11) and come to church prepared to give. And thanks.

~ Social Justice Steering Committee