Community Plate/Sunday Collection

During worship services and special events, we pass baskets for free-will donations. We donate 100% of these collections to federally tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, both in our community and in the larger world, whose missions and values mesh well with our UU Principles.

Here are some of the organizations to whom we have donated:

• Elijah’s Promise
• FISH Hospitality Program
• Food Bank Network of Somerset County
• Giving Network
• Interfaith Hospitality Network
• Safe+Sound Somerset
• Samaritan Homeless Interim Program
• UU Faith Action New Jersey
• Visions and Pathways

We’ve also donated plate collection money to support statewide causes and relief efforts in times of national or international tragedies, as well as to organizations that serve UU ministers and religious educators.

To contact members of the Community plate team send an email to [email protected].

Each One, Feed One

Each week, we collect food at Sunday services, which volunteers from the Giving Network pick up and take to the food banks in our area. Please bring a canned or boxed food item each Sunday and place it in the baskets on the front dais during the offertory. If you are a family of four, please consider bringing four items.

Annual Pledge

UUCSH encourages members and friends to give as generously as possible. As a way of offering a general guideline, members are asked to give a minimum of 3.5% of their Adjusted Gross Income. Whatever amount you can promise to give supports the presence and the values of Unitarian Universalism in our part of New Jersey and beyond.

Building Fund

In past years the building fund made possible the purchase of our home on Cliff Street and the renovations needed to make it accessible. In 2018 and 2019 we raised and spent money to upgrade the sanctuary sound system and add video capabilities. In 2020, we raised sufficient funds to complete our warming kitchen next to Fellowship Hall that includes a new warming oven and coffee station. While there is presently no active campaign, your gift to our building fund is always welcome to prepare for our next project.

Endowment Fund

The purpose of the endowment fund is to support the long-range financial future of the Congregation, help manage short-term financial emergencies, and provide funds for capital needs and special projects that support the Congregation’s mission. This fund is financially separate from UUCSH operating funds. It is expected to grow over time, particularly with contributions of legacy givers. Created in 2018, this fund is technically a “Quasi-Endowment” fund, governed by UUCSH bylaws and not State/Federal Law. Please contact the treasurer at [email protected] for more information about the endowment fund or about legacy giving at UUCSH.