Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana Seeking the Spirit | Building Community | Changing the World
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25% Sunday Plate Fund

2025-26 Sunday Plate Fund Nominees

The Social Justice Funds Committee is proud to present our nonprofit nominees for the 2025-26 fiscal year 25% Sunday Plate Fund! Please take the time to read the descriptions of each nominee below. More information will be available after service on Sundays, May 25 - June 8. Presentations are made on Sunday, June 8 and voting will take place at the following congregational meeting. 

Monroe County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

Monroe County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) serves children in Monroe County who are involved with the legal system due to abuse or neglect. Having begun in 1984, the CASA program is currently serving 141 cases, which is 230 children with an additional 56 children who are on our waitlist for an advocate. 

A director and eight staff members oversee 73 volunteers who gather information about the children, monitor progress within the case, and write a report to the court that includes recommendations about what is in the child’s best interest. They attend court hearings and testify, serving as “the voice of the children." 

Funds from the Sunday Plate would be used to implement a new, much needed program entitled Circles of Safety which would provide training for professional care-givers and youth-serving organizations in Monroe County. The intention is to create safer environments for both the children and families they serve. Confidence and skill building activities would prepare adults to proactively communicate to children their own boundaries, as well as, recognize, speak up, and prevent sex abuse. Funds from the Sunday Plate would be directly used to create and print materials and supplies needed for these trainings.

Nominated by Debbie Fish

South Central Community Action Program’s
Thriving Connections

Thriving Connections (TC) https://www.insccap.org/pages/thrivingconnections is a community initiative aimed at eliminating poverty through collaboration among diverse individuals. TC Captains and their families are community members facing poverty who seek to develop skills for a better future. TC Allies are volunteers providing support in areas like financial management and education. The program emphasizes mutual learning and advocacy to improve services and policies related to poverty.

People experiencing poverty face two big hurdles to becoming involved in the wider community:

  • They have historically been excluded from groups of higher socio-economic status, from circles where policy conversations occur, and from places where decisions are made.
  • When invitations are extended, they do not have the time and resources to attend without compensation.

With the 25% plate money, Thriving Connections will fund initiatives to address these issues:

  • The extracurricular fund aims to remove financial barriers that prevent TC youth from participating in diverse extracurricular activities. This initiative promotes engagement among peers from different socio-economic backgrounds.
  • The financial incentives fund will compensate Captains for their engagement and advocacy at events around Bloomington, sharing their lived experience and promoting the TC community. This initiative will help Captains cover gas, childcare, and lost wages. 

Nominated by Mary Mahern

Tandem Community Birth Center and Postpartum House

At Tandem, we believe reproductive justice shouldn’t end when a pregnancy is continued, and that perinatal health is foundationally supported by reproductive health and reproductive justice. Our clients are individuals from ‘puberty to menopause’ with their family included. Tandem uniquely serves these individuals and families in an intentionally inclusive and accessible way, with no religious affiliation, and an emphasis on trauma-informed care.
Tandem’s Postpartum Doula Equity Program provides doula services to all regardless of ability to pay and our Perinatal Mental Health groups are kept free to ensure the lowest barrier possible to get help. Clients who have participated in these programs describe them as “lifesaving” and “essential” in allowing their family to thrive.
Tandem’s values are in line with the UU’s 4th Trimester Project, with doulas who are trained to watch for problems and make referrals for mental health support and other needs. These doulas also bring the wealth of Tandem’s resources, ranging from diapers and clothes to car seats and more. Clients may receive doula support in their home, or at Tandem.
By voting for Tandem, you will be directly supporting The Postpartum Doula Equity Program and Free Perinatal Mental Health Groups for families in our community.

Some relevant links:
Postpartum Doula Equity Program: https://tandembloomington.org/postpartum-doula-equity-program/
Perinatal Mental Health Support Group: https://tandembloomington.org/community-care

Nominated by Anne Clark