Share the Plate: March & April 2021
UCN acts directly to live our principle of “justice, equity, and compassion in human relationships.” Through the Share the Plate program UCN supports, with monthly donations from offerings, humanitarian and social justice programs in the greater Milwaukee community, other Wisconsin communities, nationally and internationally. In the months that UCN has been closed due to COVID-19, members and friends have been asked to mail in checks for offertory each week. To continue our work to support other organizations doing important social justice work, we ask you to write “share the plate” or STP on the memo line of your check.
The Share The Plate recipient for March and April 2021 was suggested by UCN members Gerry Schmitz, Nancy Neumann and Brian Monroe, all who have served in this rewarding humanitarian project. The Guatemalan Medical Resource Partnership was established in 2003 by the two Mequon Thiensville Rotary Clubs to provide medical, dental and vision care to medically underserved individuals of rural Guatemala. Care is provided free of charge by dentists, physicians, optometrists, nurses and other volunteers who all pay their own way. A local school in Oliveros is converted into a clinic and usually sees 700 plus patients over the 4.5 days. Those needing surgeries, which are performed by local or volunteer international doctors, are referred to the nearest hospital in Antigua Guatemala which is three hours away. This project, funded solely through mostly small individual donations, serves the desperately poor and all money goes to patient care. With one exception and that was this year. As the local food markets were closed due to COVID, near starvation took hold throughout Central America. Some funds were used to obtain food from the few distant markets that were open. The situation there has now stabilized. Over the years this project has improved and has actually saved many lives and has also transformed the lives of many of it’s volunteers. Any donations are sincerely appreciated.
All of us are aware of non-profit organizations that are doing important work in addressing the significant social problems we face here in southeastern Wisconsin and beyond. Please consider nominating an organization that you feel is a worthy recipient. To do so, please obtain a form from the Social Justice mailbox in the office or contact Jean Woodmansee at jwoodmansee@milwpc.com send a form via email.
