Share the Plate
Since 2018, SFUU has advocated for transformative causes in our community through its Share-the-Plate program. This program aims at developing partnerships with local non-profit organizations to regularly share in receiving donations from SFUU’s Sunday offering on a month-by-month basis over the course of a year. Share the plate recipients receive 50% of all undesignated money (cash or checks) in the offering plates. The Auburn Interfaith Food Closet is always one of the recipients; the other recipients are selected annually by the Social Justice Committee. The opportunities for service that local partnerships offer us greatly benefit our church community! Click here for the Social Justice Committee’s full statement about the Share the Plate program.
Share the Plate Recipients for 2025
Auburn Interfaith Food Closet (Jan, Apr, Aug, Dec)
The vision of the Auburn Interfaith Food Closet is that all people in need who in our service area will have access to nutritious food. Thus, the Auburn Interfaith Food Closet uses donations to provide groceries to anyone who is food insecure and needs help, preserving their dignity and encouraging self-reliance.
Unity for Equality Endowment Fund (Feb, May, Jul, Oct)
The Unity for Equality Fund is a new endowment through the Placer Community Foundation. It was established to support the well-being of LGBTQ+ people in the greater Placer County Region. “The time is now…When we build resources to support the LGTTQ+ community, we align ourselves with the principles of justice, equality and basic human decency. When our community embraces diversity, eradicates discrimination, and celebrates love in all its forms, we contribute to the creation of a world where everyone can prosper. Together, let us stand united in our commitment to building a future where LGBTQ+ people are not just recognized but celebrated as an integral part of everyone’s shared humanity.”
The fund will provide long-term financial resources for a broad base of diverse services, including community education, parent counseling and training, peer-to-peer youth support and anti-discrimination training in our schools. Support will also be available for scholarships, healthcare services, legal aid, advocacy and more.
California Heritage Indigenous Research Project (Mar, Jun, Sep, Nov)
The California Heritage Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP) is a tribally-guided nonprofit dedicated to preserving, protecting, and perpetuating Nisenan culture.
Together, CHIRP and the Nevada City Rancheria Tribal Council work to identify, fund, and implement programs and projects to address and mitigate the ongoing social, environmental and racial injustices brought to the Tribe’s Homelands in 1848, until the time when the Tribe’s federal recognition (terminated in 1964) and sovereignty is restored. As part of CHIRP's mission, Tribal members are cultural resources, history holders, culture bearers, and survivors of genocide. They stand at the center of CHIRP's work.
CHIRP and the NCR successfully purchased 232 acres of land near Nevada City in September 2024 by raising money through a grassroots campaign. This land was once part of a thriving Nisenan community and town called Yulića. The money raised through SFUU’s Share-the-Plate program will be designated as unrestricted funds toward CHIRP’s Yulića Homeland Return project. The aims of this project include moving Tribal Elders into safe housing together on the land, creating opportunities for indigenous-led environmental healing and stewardship, and continuing land-based cultural revitalization for the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe. As with many Indigenous traditions, the Tribe’s health and its culture are symbiotic with the Land - neither People nor Land can thrive without relationship to the other. As such, the purchase and rematriation of Yulića provides a tremendous potential for stability and healing for the Tribe, the environment, and the fabric of the Sierra Nevada foothills community.
Share-the-Plate Recipients by Year:
2018-2019 AIFC Rainbow Hearts California Dreamers
2019-2020 AIFC Stand Up Placer SARSAS
2020-2021 AIFC Norcal Resist Sierra Streams Institute
2022 AIFC Rainbow Alliance Faithful Friends
2023 AIFC AMI Housing RAH Auburn HHC/Youth SJC
2024 AIFC Growing Peace Camp Mobile Temporary Shelter
2025 AIFC Unity for Equality CHIRP