2024
December Offertory:
Family Promise
Family Promise Rochester provides families with meals, a furnished bedroom, education and case management for up to 120 days. Family Promise currently has a wait list of 44 families wanting to enter their shelter program. They moved into their new facility in November and will be in-taking families early January of 2025. The new facility will be able to house 6-10 families at a time and will have more volunteer opportunities.
Total Raised: $2161.45
Guest At Your Table
Total Raised: 647.86
November Offertory:
Community Food Response
Community Food Response is a non-profit, volunteer-led organization serving hungry adults and children in the Rochester area since 1993. Volunteer drivers collect food donations from hospitals, restaurants, cafeterias, businesses, and grocery stores and bring the food to their distribution site. The food is sorted and then distributed, free of charge, to anyone facing food insecurity. They require no registration, residency, or income requirements. In addition to helping people in need, CFR helps our partner food donors avoid sending edible food into our waste stream.
Total Raised: $2606.59
October Offertory:
COPAL
COPAL is a Latine-led organization that focuses on direct service and systems change work to build collective power, transform systems, and create opportunities for Latine families to have dignified lives in Minnesota.
Total Raised: $1,653.18
September Offertory:
(9/1 & 9/8): MUUSJA – UU the Vote postcard campaign
MUUSJA – UU the Vote postcard campaign, promotes Democracy and Electoral Justice. We are working to send out our postcards by September 17, National Voter Registration Day, urging recipients to make sure they are registered to vote! We’re almost there but we need to finish adding postage. With your help, we can send these postcards to young apartment dwellers, the demographic least likely to register.
Total Raised: $1251.53
9/15 Immigration Justice Fund
First UU Immigrant Justice Fund, so we can continue to help refugees, sponsor asylum seekers, and support immigrant justice.
Total Raised: $1245.33
9/29 UUA Disaster Relief Fund
The UUA disaster relief fund provides aid to UU congregations and partners suffering damage from harsh climate impacts, storms, and more.
Total Raised: $551
August Offertory:
Jeremiah Program
Jeremiah Program (JP) ’s mission is to disrupt the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their children, two generations at a time. Our primary goal is to support and empower JP moms to enroll and graduate from college and launch a family-sustaining career, allowing them to attain economic mobility. Recognizing that the success of a mother and her child are inextricably linked, our signature two-generation (“2Gen”) program invests simultaneously in a mother’s vision for future – her post-secondary, career, and leadership goals – and the growth and development of her children.
Total Raised: $1862.69
July’s Offertory:
Boundless
Boundless is an indoor play space and activity center brought to you by SEMCIL. Southeast Minnesota lacks fully accessible play spaces, particularly indoors and in rural communities. We’ve designed Boundless to remove as many barriers as possible and to open the play experience in a new way. Your donations will help us make sure that as many people as possible can experience Boundless
Total Raised: $1697.60
June’s Offertory:
Southeastern MN Interfaith Immigrant Legal Defense (SMIILD)
SMILD is a non-profit organization that provides legal assistance to people from our region who are in ICE detention and who lack the means to hire an attorney. Having an attorney improves the chances of avoiding detention and deportation by six to twelve times.
Total Raised: $2,650.25
May’s Offertory:
Med City REFUGE ~ Receiving Everyone Fully Unapologetically with Grace and Extravagance.
MedCity REFUGE (MCR) is an organization that supports those who come to Rochester, MN for Gender Affirming Care. Their goal is to assist people on their gender-affirming journey in accessing the care, the community, and the resources they need to heal and thrive in peace.
Total Raised: $2,344.85
April’s Offertory:
The Village Agricultural Cooperative
The Village Agricultural Cooperative creates opportunities for our communities to grow culturally relevant food. Their goals are founded in our community needs, and by creating space for public and market gardens in urban areas, they address the health needs of our people and planet while building hope for future generations. They believe that sustainable agriculture creates healthy communities.
Total Raised: $2,486.66
March’s Offertory:
Planned Parenthood
The Rochester Planned Parenthood Clinic serves not just the local community but also patients out of state who are seeking access to reproductive healthcare. At Planned Parenthood our mission is to ensure all people have access to the care and resources they need to make informed decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their futures.
Total Raised: $3,640.24
February’s Offertory:
Hawthorne Helps
Hawthorne Helps is a partnership between Rochester Public Schools’ Hawthorne Education Center (adult learning) and our UU Social Justice Outreach with support from local Faith Communities, service and business groups. 85% of Hawthorne students live at or below the poverty level
Total Raised: $2,919
January’s Offertory:
CERT – Community Engagement Response Team
CERT is a group of red-shirted volunteers who use one-on-one conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques to defuse problems in the community before they spin out of control. CERT is a multi-ethnic and mixed racial group made up of 30 to 35 members ranging in age from 22 to 77. They include pastors, deacons, social workers, professionals, and former prisoners.
Total Raised: $2,540.49
2023
November’s Offertory:
Community Food Response
A Rochester non-profit providing free meals to food insecure adults and children in in the community since 1993.
Total Raised: 1,576.97
October’s Justice Partner
PossAbilities
PossAbilities creates opportunities for people with disabilities to contribute and connect with Rochester and the surrounding communities.
Total Raised: $1,873
September’s Justice Partner
Family Promise
Family Promise’s mission is to help low-income families and families experiencing homelessness achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.
Total Raised: $2,331
August’s Justice Partner
Rochester for Reproductive Freedom through Planned Parenthood
Rochester for Reproductive Freedom is a youth movement to promote reproductive freedom through education, events, political organizing, and collaboration. Our goals are to create spaces for community members to learn, discuss, and take action to fight for reproductive health, freedom, rights, and justice. We are committed to making sure that everyone in our community has the autonomy to live freely and safely.
Total Raised: $1,756
July’s Justice Partner
Children’s Dental Health Services (CDHS)
Children’s Dental Health Services (CDHS) provides dental care services to underserved children. Working in an innovative portable model, Children’s Dental Health Services provides care for children at their school and is co-located at many sites in the community.
Total Raised: $1,853
June’s Justice Partner
Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light-Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light works in partnership with multifaith communities to co-create a just and sustainable world. Together, we build transformative power and bring the lights of people’s unique gifts to addressing the climate crisis.
Total Raised: $1080.50
May’s Justice Partner
Pfund TRANSCEND Campaign –The TRANSCEND Campaign is raising funds for distribution to partners across the region doing on-the-ground work to protect and assist trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive youth.
Total Raised: $2,603.18
April’s Justice Partner
Land Stewardship Project – Advocating for sustainable agriculture and healthy communities by transforming our food and farming systems. They have three main locations, including here in Southeast Minnesota.
Total Raised: $2,619.18
March’s Justice Partners are:
March 5 and 12:
UUSC’s Request to support Global Fund for Human Rights in response to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria
Total Raised: $1,669
March 19 and 26: split evenly between these two funds:
Immigration Justice Fund (to support legal assistance for work authorization for the family our church has been supporting)
Total Raised: $1260.50
SMIILD (Southern MN Interfaith Legal Defense) is in need of additional funds to provide legal representation to immigrants from southeast Minnesota who are in ICE detention.
Total Raised: $1260.50
February’s Justice Partner: Hawthorne Helps
In 2015, a partnership between First UU’s Social Justice Outreach & Rochester Public School’s Hawthorne Education Center with support from local faith, business & service groups began. First UUs distribute essential items to adult students that cannot be purchased with SNAP. 85% live at or below poverty level, struggling to make a better life for themselves & their families through education. Most are people of color, and many are immigrants. First Semester of 2022, we served 1,424 student shoppers, distributed 400+ winter items & shared 340 bags of school supplies. Your donations will allow us to continue living UU principles – remembering the inherent worth & dignity of all with equity & compassion.
Total Raised: $2,594.50
January’s Justice Partner: NAACP – Rochester, Minnesota Branch
Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. Their vision is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination. How do we get there? Through equity and social justice. The Rochester Minnesota Branch of the NAACP was established October 11, 1965.
Total Raised: $1,955.53
2022
Christmas Eve’s Justice Partner: Crisis Nursery of Olmsted County, MN
Crisis Nursery is a child abuse prevention and family support program that provides temporary, short-term care for children in Olmsted County while families address a crisis situation. Additional services include: crisis counseling and support, parent education, and referral to community resources- all at no cost.
Total Raised: $1,330.00
December’s Justice Partner: Family Promise
Family Promise delivers innovative solutions for family homelessness including prevention, shelter, and stabilization services. Families come to them in crisis. They help them rebuild their lives with new skills and ongoing support.
Total Raised: $3,006.00
November’s Justice Partner: The Village Agricultural Cooperative
The Village Agricultural Cooperative creates opportunities for our communities to grow culturally relevant food. Their goals are founded in our community needs, and by creating space for public and market gardens in urban areas, they address the health needs of our people and planet while building hope for future generations. They believe that sustainable agriculture creates healthy communities.
Total Raised: $1,885.01
October’s Justice Partner: Immigration Justice Fund
The Immigration Justice Fund provides support to individuals and families navigating refugee, immigration, and asylum processes. This fund is an ongoing fund of First UU Church and supports various initiatives, including current support for an asylum-seeking family.
Total Raised: $8,442
September’s Justice Partner: UU the Vote
UU the Vote is our national Unitarian Universalist campaign organizing on the state and local levels to fight for fair elections, advance voting rights, protect abortion access, and resist the targeting and criminalization of Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities.
Total Raised: $1,586
August’s Justice Partner: Channel One
Channel One Regional Food Bank provides food assistance to low-income individuals and families and rescues surplus donated food product from the food industry and distributes the food to area food shelves, meal programs, group homes, and shelters throughout Southeast Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.
Total Raised: $1,366
July’s Justice Partner: Just the Pill
Just the Pill is a nonprofit organization in the upper Midwest dedicated to improving abortion access in the face of increasing restrictions, especially in underserved communities. It provides mobile care, positioned to provide access near borders of states with restrictive care.
Total Raised: $1,526.03
June’s justice partner: Immigration Justice Fund
Immigration Justice Fund provides support to individuals and families navigating refugee, immigration, and asylum processes. This fund is an ongoing fund of First UU Church and supports various initiatives, including current support for an asylum-seeking family.
Total Raised: $7,255
May’s Justice Partner: PFund
As the regional LGBTQIA+ grant maker in the upper Midwest, PFund supports activists, organizers, practitioners, artists, educators and communities. They support many communities in the work of eradicating homophobia and transphobia for lasting change.
Total Raised: $823.50
Revolutionary Earth works to restore a natural ecosystem in Rochester that rejuvenates soil, reduces
pollution, rehabilitates pollinators, and replaces the current food system with one that focuses on the health and well-being of everyone, starting with those who are most food-insecure.
Total Raised: $1,122
Total Raised: $566.50
March 13, 2022 – Special Full Plate Offering Sunday for Ukraine Relief
Total Raised: $4091.00
February’s Justice Partner: Southeastern Minnesota Interfaith Immigrant Legal Defense (SMIILD).
Southeastern Minnesota Interfaith Immigrant Legal Defense (SMIILD) is a non-profit corporation formed in December 2018. Since October 2019, through two non-profit immigrant legal services organizations, we have provided legal representation to 12 people in ICE custody. In 2022, we extended our contract to represent people not in detention also, including asylum seekers and people released from ICE custody who still have unresolved cases. Our UU Church has been a key supporter of SMIILD.
Total Raised: $833.50