Northlake Share the Plate Program
Each month, the Northlake “Share The Plate” program shares the first $1,000 of undesignated funds from the Sunday Collection with organizations that support the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in King County, with occasional support of emergency situations such as Haiti’s earthquake and Japan’s ongoing disasters. If you would prefer, you can designate your donation to the church specifically by putting money in an envelope found in the basket or by writing “church” on the memo line of your check. Please feel free to suggest organizations for the Share The Plate program. Thank you for your generosity.
February, 2012 — Solid Ground
Solid Ground addresses urgent needs and emerging trends among homeless and low-income people throughout Seattle and King County, helping them secure and maintain stable housing, access healthy food, advocate effectively for themselves, and increase their independence. More than 64,000 people in Seattle/King County access their nearly 30 programs each year. Solid Ground is rightfully proud of at least five unique and important qualities that define their work: innovation, leadership, scope & breadth of impact, direct service, advocacy, and the will to say yes in undertaking promising new ventures.
January, 2012 — Eastside Winter Shelter
The shelters will be open each evening until Mar. 15 to assist homeless individuals living in cars or in the woods during the harsh winter nights. The Eastside Winter Shelter is a collaborative social service that uses funding from the cities of Redmond, Bellevue, Issaquah and Kirkland, along with several private organizations, including The Sophia Way and Congregations for the Homeless. This type of emergency shelter is provided for persons unlikely to enter more organized programs, and often becomes a stepping-stone to help them become more receptive to available services that can help to end homelessness and to promote self-sufficiency.
December, 2011 — Congregations for the Homeless
Twelve Eastside churches each provide overnight housing from 7pm–7am for participants in the program. Thirty-one churches assist with donations and helping to provide food purchasing and preparation. Watch a heartwarming 7 min. video of men telling their personal stories and staff members who describe the program.
November, 2011 — Hopelink
Hopelink is celebrating 40 years of serving homeless and low income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Since 1971 Hopelink’s mission has been to promote self-sufficiency for all members of our community. Their services include: case management, food banks, emergency financial & home heating assistance, emergency shelter & transitional housing, adult literacy, computer and financial education, family development programs, employment skills development, transportation, connections to community resources, & interpreter services.
Hopelink is one of the largest social service providers in north and east King County. They partner with other agencies to help provide free or low-cost children’s' health insurance, to find childcare for working parents, and to obtain free or low-cost bank accounts and free check cashing through “Bank on Seattle.”
Watch a very moving 9 min. video. Staff share their feelings about various programs; clients speak of their experiences at Hopelink.
October, 2011 — Francis Village in Totem Lake
Imagine Housing (formerly known as St. Andrew’s Housing Group) empowers individuals and families, supports diversity and strengthens communities by developing permanent affordable rental housing and providing supportive services. Imagine Housing’s newest property, Francis Village, in the Totem Lake neighborhood of Kirkland is nearing completion. It will provide 60 affordable apartment homes with 45 of them targeted to individuals and families transitioning from homelessness. Two units will be occupied in December 2011 with other residents moving in after the 1st of the year. Residents who want or need supportive services will benefit from a Resident Services Program, designed to help build residents’ skills, increase their financial stability, provide children with educational assistance and cultivate a strong community.A new construction like Francis Village has many common areas that need furnishing. Northlake’s October Share the Plate collection is earmarked to purchase needed items, anything from can openers to computers.
September, 2011 — Eastside Domestic Violence Program
Serving North and East King County since 1982. As a voice against domestic violence and an advocate for victims, EDVP’s programs and services have provided over 100,000 victims of abuse with a path from domestic violence to self-sufficiency. Support services include two confidential shelters that provide emergency housing to victims of domestic violence fleeing an abuser. The Rental Assistance Program helps families with children move into safe communities by assisting with move-in costs and rent for nine to twelve months. Professional counselors and advocates help survivors by providing support, guidance and encouragement while the family works towards independence. This is the 5th year that NUUC has chosen EDVP as a Share the Plate recipient.
July & August, 2011 — Habitat for Humanity of East King County
This organization has a long history of helping people into home ownership who might otherwise not be able to own their own home. There are homes being built all over the world by Habitat—just ask our own Dave Thompson, who traveled to the far east earlier this year! There are builds going on in King County as well. See their web site for the details and to sign up to volunteer your time and efforts.
June, 2011 — Friends of Youth
On any given night, up to 2000 youth in King County are homeless — half of them are escaping violence in the home, while nearly 80% have been sexually abused or assaulted. Friends of Youth provide young people with temporary safe shelter and services to help put them on a path to long-term stability.
May, 2011 — Wellspring Family Services
Wellspring Family Services is taking on the root causes of homelessness and instability for children, adults, and families in King County. Every day they help homeless families find and hold onto a place to live, teach abusive partners non-violent behaviors, provide counseling, and empower parents to nurture their children's emotional development.
April, 2011 — Japan Fund of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
The UUSC has joined with the UUA in responding to the disaster through the new UUA-UUSC Japan Relief Fund. The UUA and UUSC will walk with partners on the ground in Japan in the directions that are ultimately chosen and will make all appropriate decisions about the distribution of the funds.
March, 2011 — The Sophia Way
The Sophia Way provides supportive services, overnight shelter, and one-bedroom apartments to women as they transition from homelessness to permanent housing and an independent, stable life. Currently, they are the only staffed overnight shelter for single adult women on the Eastside. On weekdays, it is housed at Bellevue First Congregational Church and on weekends, it moves to host churches.
February, 2011 — Tent City 4 / Kirkland Congregational Church
The recipient for February is Tent City 4 / Kirkland Congregational Church. When the TC4 host scheduled for January – April 2011 fell through, KCC offered their parking lot and facilities once again. We are helping…
January, 2011 — Real Change
Real Change exists to create opportunity and a voice for low-income people while taking action to end homelessness and poverty. The Real Change newspaper in Seattle is transforming the lives of poor and homeless people by offering work, meaning, and community, building long-term solutions to poverty while making a real difference in people’s lives right now. Changes Them, Changes You.
December, 2010 — Solid Ground
Solid Ground is a Seattle organization that has been around since 1974 and helps the most vulnerable community members overcome economic crises and develop the skills and resources they need to thrive, helping hundreds of thousands of people throughout King County break the cycle of poverty.
November, 2010 — Hopelink
The recipient for November is something of a tradition — Hopelink. This is the social service agency involved in running food banks, transitional housing and lots more, as well as the organization for whom we will also be collecting produce for Thanksgiving.
October, 2010 — UUSC-UUS Joint Pakistan Flood Relief Fund
For October, we are detouring from the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in King County for an emergency exception. Northlake will be contributing the shared plate to the UUSC – Pakistan Flood Relief effort. Currently, more than 17.2 million people have been affected by the flooding, 1,600 people have died, over 1.2 million houses have been damaged or destroyed, and nearly 14,000 square miles — almost one and a half times the size of Massachusetts — of crops have been lost.
September, 2010 — Eastside Domestic Violence Program
The Eastside Domestic Violence Program is a voice against domestic violence and an advocate for victims for more than 25 years. EDVP’s programs and services have provided more than 100,000 victims of abuse with a path from domestic violence to self-sufficiency. There is a crisis line and shelters which provide safety and community for clients and their children
August, 2010 — Sibling House
Sibling House is a network dedicated not only to providing a haven for children, but also to raising the public awareness of, and to helping contribute to the education of, the general populace about foster care and the entire foster care system. This includes identifying, and providing support, through the Mentoring and Outreach Program, to other foster homes that provide care to siblings in foster care.
July, 2010 — First Place
Our July recipient is First Place, which includes a school for children from shelters and difficult situations — a school where they can be themselves and relax and learn. Other services are available at First Place for their families as well.
June, 2010 — YWCA Family Village
Our June recipient is the Family Village run by the YWCA. The Family Village provides transitional housing with on-site support services to help homeless families stabilize and become self-sufficient as they prepare to transition to independent living in permanent housing.
May, 2010 — Chief Seattle Club
Our May recipient is the Chief Seattle Club which is currently the only social service center in Seattle devoted exclusively to meeting the needs of urban homeless American Indians, Alaska Natives, and First Nations People. The Chief Seattle Club provides food, morning shelter, showers, laundry, clothing, healthcare and a safe place.
April, 2010 — YWCA Angeline’s Eastside Women’s Center
Our April recipient is the YWCA Angeline’s Eastside Women’s Center for homeless women in Bellevue. The centers offers daytime drop-in services to women 18 years and older. Women are low-income or homeless and need a place to get resources, information and support with basic needs, including: food, laundry, shower facilities and health care.
March, 2010 — FareStart
FareStart is a culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals. Over the past 17 years, FareStart has provided opportunities for over 3,000 people to transform their lives, while also serving over 3.5 million meals to disadvantaged men, women, and children.
February, 2010 — UUSC / UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund
Emergency fundraising was planned for in the original planning for sharing the plate. Next month we will return to supporting the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in King County.
January, 2010 — Unitarian Housing Group
Unitarian Housing Group is an organization run by the University Unitarian Church which provides affordable, community-based housing with supportive services to low-income people with special needs in the Greater Seattle area.
December, 2009 — Wellspring Family Services
Wellspring Family Services (formerly Family Services) helps homeless families find and hold onto a place to live, teach abusive partners non-violent behaviors, provide counseling, and empower parents to nurture their children’s emotional development.
November, 2009 — Hopelink
Our recipient for Sharing the Plate in November will be Hopelink, the social service agency involved in running food banks, transitional housing and lots more.
October, 2009 — First Place
First Place is a service agency devoted to educating and nurturing children whose families struggle with the risk or reality of homelessness. They offer housing, culturally relevant education and support services enabling families to achieve permanent stability.
September, 2009 — Eastside Domestic Violence Program
June, 2009 — Habitat for Humanity of East King County
The recipient for Sharing The Plate in June will be Habitat for Humanity of East King County. Thanks to the hardy souls who braved moving piles of building materials at the Habitat work site on May 23rd — I’m sure it felt like old times at the Chapel.
July & August, 2009 — Solid Ground
Solid Ground is a Seattle organization dedicated to achieving a just and caring community, free from poverty, prejudice and neglect. They develop and provide creative, comprehensive and effective responses to our community's needs; offer quality human services in a manner that promotes dignity; advocate for public policies and private initiatives that give all people equal opportunities and resources; and support the efforts of others who share our vision of community. We typically see a reduction in donations in July and August so we are pledging the first $500 from each of these summer months to Solid Ground.
June, 2009 — Habitat for Humanity of East King County
The recipient for Sharing The Plate in June will be Habitat for Humanity of East King County. Thanks to the hardy souls who braved moving piles of building materials at the Habitat work site on May 23rd — I’m sure it felt like old times at the Chapel.
May, 2009 — Kirkland Interfaith Network
Once again we will be Sharing The Plate with Kirkland Interfaith Network, funding day camp and recreational opportunities for children of low income families. This will be our the third year.
April, 2009 — Real Change
The recipient for April’s Share The Plate program has been the local weekly newspaper Real Change that exists to create opportunity and a voice for low–income people while taking action to end homelessness and poverty, and which “recently won national recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists” (Seattle Times, 2009).
March, 2009 — The National Alliance on Mental Illness-Eastside
The SJ Committee has agreed to have The National Alliance on Mental Illness-Eastside (NAMI-Eastside) receive the Share–the–Plate funds for the month of March. NAMI–Eastside has programs and services to mentally ill individuals, programs that definitely serve homeless individuals but also the public at large. NAMI–Eastside is based in Redmond. They have a day facility called HERO House (an acronym for Hope, Empowerment, Relationship and Opportunity), which is a club house where “members” can stop by for job referrals, education, or for general support in a variety of different ways.
February, 2009 — Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing
The recipient for February’s Share The Plate program is Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing (KITH). KITH supports local low–income families by organizing dinners such as the one for which we supply food and fellowship on the first Tuesdays of even numbered months. KITH also organizes the recipients of the Giving Tree in which we did not participate this past year.
January, 2009 — SHARE/WHEEL for Tent City 4
In January, the share the plate program will support Tent City 4, presently at St. John Vianney Catholic Church on Finn Hill.
December, 2008 — Sibling House
In December, our plate will be shared with the Sibling House Network where brothers and sisters stay together while in foster care.
November, 2008 — Hopelink
For November, the Social Justice Committee has selected Hopelink, a social services organization in King County. Their mission is to promote self–sufficiency for all members of the community and help people to make lasting change. Have you heard that donations to foodbanks are down although the need is increasing? We hope to help the Hopelink foodbank with this month’s donation.
October, 2008 — Eastside Domestic Violence Program
In honor of October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Northlake’s Share the Plate program will be donating the first $1000 of Sunday collections to the Eastside Domestic Violence Program. They provide housing and outreach services in eastern and northern King County.
September, 2008 — First Place
First Place is devoted to educating and nurturing children whose families struggle with the risk or reality of homelessness. They offer quality education in safe small classroom settings for Kindergarten through 6th grade. They also offer counseling and social services towards achieving stability, as well as breakfast, lunch, school supplies, transportation and health screenings.
August, 2008 — FareStart
FareStart is a culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals in the Seatte area. Over the past 16 years FareStart has provided opportunities for over 2,000 people to transform their lives while serving over 3.5 million meals to disadvantaged men, women, and children. FareStart trains homeless and disadvantaged individuals to prepare and serve nutritious meals and find work through their culinary job placement program, thereby increasing self–suficiency. Celebrity chefs volunteer time to train participants in culinary and serving skills and provide opportunities to work in FareStart’s own kitchen and café where they serve meals to the public. Additionally, FareStart delivers a nutritious, quality meal every week day 365 days a year to childcare centers and homeless shelters around the Seattle area.
July, 2008 — Unitarian Housing Group
The Unitarian Housing Groupis an independent nonprofit organization. They develop and provide affordable, community-based housing and supportive services to low–income people with special needs in the greater Seattle area. University Unitarian Church owns four of the properties operated by UHG, and several of their members serve on the board of directors.
To date we have made donations to the following organizations:
- Eastside Domestic Violence Program - shelter
- YWCA Eastside Women’s Center
- YWCA Family Village
- Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing (KITH)
- Hopelink – Transitional Housing
- Hopelink – Kirkland children’s summer recreation program
- Real Change – First Things First advocacy
- Friends of Youth – overnight shelter and outreach
- Vet’s Edge – newsletter and outreach to homeless veterans
- Tenant’s Union of Washington State – translation and interpretation services
- SHARE/WHEEL for Tent City 4
- Friends of Youth