Our monthly Social Action Collection uplifts the work of non-profit organizations whose mission and vision are aligned with our mission and our long range plan.
The Social Action Collection (SAC) is our congregation’s outreach to the larger community, both with monetary donations each month but also with engagement in the mission of organizations whose work reflects our values.
See the UUCville 2025-26 Social Action Collection Recipients and see how much money has been raised this fiscal year for each organization.
Set up a recurring donation thru our directory, Breeze. For help email office staff.
by Elizabeth Breeden
Back in the day, Satyendra Huja liked for only 12 groups to apply for the Social Action Collection…so we didn’t have to choose. Over the years, we developed an invitation system from our members who were involved in organizations and asked for those organizations to fill out an application describing their mission and budget. We published the applications on our website. We voted in a meeting where those interested in the SAC heard a 2-minute presentation by each of the organizations and voted on their top choices.
We changed this process last year. We wanted to be actively engaged with the organizations through volunteer involvement. We looked at our 5-Year Mission and Vision and realized we were engaged with organizations that fulfilled the goals of our Mission, but we didn’t have anyone representing Environmental or Criminal Justice. (It was a rush job to choose those two, but we created a wonderful Social Action Fair as a result.) Traditionally, we have had three organizations who are automatically chosen: our own Food Ministry and Hospital Meal Packets and also IMPACT.
Our Mission Statement: Should we use that as a guideline to choose organizations which fulfill our mission?
Engagement: Is our volunteer engagement an important requirement for organizations to receive our money?
Strategic: How should we invite and who should we invite?
Democratic: How should we decide?
In the fiscal year 2025-26, these are the totals for each collection so far:
July – City of Promise – $3885
August – Birth Sisters – $4538
September – PACEM – $4695
October – The Haven – $5182
November – Sin Barreras – $4700
December – PHAR – $4767
January – IMPACT – $2772
February – Food Pantry – $4046
March – Meal Packets – $5270
April – Blue Ridge Abortion Fund – $5294
May – Rivanna Conservation Alliance –
June – Uhuru Foundation –
Get involved with our Social Action Collection beneficiaries: email socialjustice@uucharlottesville.org
Click here to donate to PACEM during September People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry (PACEM) was founded in 2003 by clergy and homeless advocates in response to neighbors sleeping outside Downtown. PACEM endeavors to alleviate the challenges of homelessness through compassionate support, relationship building, and facilitation of services. Our flagship...
Birth Sisters of Charlottesville is a women of color doula collective supporting women of color through their birth journey and into motherhood. Our aim is to amplify the resiliency of Black, Indigenous, Women of Color by drawing on life experiences, shared values, training, and sacred legacies to provide culturally rooted,...
City of Promise’s goal is to make a positive impact on generational poverty and support a culture of achievement through child-centered, dual-generation initiatives in Charlottesville.
Accessing services for persons with mental illness is challenging. That’s where Partner for Mental Health (PMH) comes in – providing Navigation to connect persons with mental illness and/or substance use disorder to community supports. Click here to donate to the June collection for Partner for Mental Health PMH partners with...
The Social Action Collection (SAC) is our congregation’s outreach to the larger community, both with monetary donations each month but also with engagement in the mission of organizations whose work reflects our values. This year we decided to choose the organizations not through a general call and then a voting...
Central Virginia Community Justice provides brave spaces for restorative justice practices in our community. In our three years of existence, we have primarily done this through criminal diversions away from prosecution.
The Food Pantry has 21 volunteers who distribute food received from the Food Bank each first Friday of the month. We also get donated fresh vegetables from Whole Foods and we purchase personal care products and cleaning supplies to distribute. We average about 57 customers each month.
This month, we invite you to consider giving to support the work of our Interfaith Organizing initiative – IMPACT. IMPACT is a multi-faith coalition of more than 30 local congregations, organizing to empower citizens to create significant change through direct action. This year IMPACT is focusing on housing, childcare and...
The Story of LilyPads Housing In 2015, Charlottesville local, Jen Koym, gave birth to a little girl with a very rare and serious heart defect. Her daughter, Lily, needed open-heart surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital and their family was left scrambling to find housing while Lily was hospitalized far from...
RISE will be a vehicle for giving voice to the voiceless, strength to the weak and support for the lost within the Black community. RISE will give hope back to the Black community. Read about Rise on their website “Change will not come if we wait for some other person...