Category: Social Justice

Each month we dedicate all of our non-pledge income to a community organization doing the work that best embodies our Unitarian Universalist values.

For the month of October 2026, we choose North Louisiana Interfaith.

Twice each year, we choose North Louisiana Interfaith as our give-away-the-plate recipient as a way of making good on our congregation’s membership pledge of $1500 annually.

North Louisiana Interfaith is a highly effective organization made up of partner institutions that work together to create real change in our local community and across the state through our affiliate statewide organization Together Louisiana.

Past achievements have included getting the buses to run at night, getting a renter’s code established for Shreveport, and effecting reforms of the Industrial Tax Exemption program.

More recently, the Vaccine Equity Project brought protection from COVID and other illnesses to undeserved populations around the state.

And Interfaith secured funding for two Community Lighthouses that are up and running in Shreveport, and two more set to go live within the next two to three months.  Community Lighthouses are solar-powered grid resilience hubs that can save lives in extended power outages, which are the leading cause of death in natural disasters.  Community Lighthouses are staffed by volunteers who know the needs of the neighborhood.

Together Louisiana and North Louisiana Interfaith are kicking off their “Pledge to Vote” campaign for the 3 November 2026 election.

Two ways to donate:

Online — Go to our donation site using this link.  If you are paying your pledge, select “2026 Pledges” and enter that amount for your pledge contribution.  Then select “Collection Plate” to give the amount you would like to give to North Louisiana Interfaith and then put “GATP Oct 2026” or “North Louisiana Interfaith” in the comment section.  All online collection plate contributions for the month of October 2026 will go to North Louisiana Interfaith.

Offline — Please send your give away the plate contribution checks to All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 520 Olive Street, Shreveport LA  71104.  Please put “North Louisiana Interfaith” on the memo line of the check if  you want to have 100% of your check go to North Louisiana Interfaith.  If you want less than 100% of your check to go to North Louisiana Interfaith, please put the amount you want going to North Louisiana Interfaith on the memo line.

Each month we dedicate all of our non-pledge income to a community organization doing the work that best embodies our Unitarian Universalist values.

For the month of September 2026, we choose the Northwest Louisiana Out of the Darkness Walk sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

This event is a walk to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and will take place on 7 November 2026 at Betty Virginia Park, Shreveport, Louisiana.

Out of the Darkness Walks take place in cities across the country including Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana.

Half the proceeds are devoted to suicide prevention resources in the local community while the other half goes to the national organization supporting their four core pillars:

1. Education – in schools, universities, and workplaces to help communities identify mental health warning signs
2. Support for Loss Survivors – financing healing networks and other resources tailored for local suicide loss survivors
3. Research – financing grants to study the biological, genetic, and behavioral risk factors to improve intervention
4. Policy Advocacy – supporting volunteers and staff who lobby at state and national levels for mental health legislation, including the roll-out of the national 988 hotline

Two ways to donate:

Online — Go to our donation site using this link.  If you are paying your pledge, select “2026 Pledges” and enter that amount for your pledge contribution.  Then select “Collection Plate” to give the amount you would like to give to Northwest Louisiana Out of the Darkness Walk and then put “GATP Sep 2026” or “Out of the Darkness Walk” in the comment section.  All online collection plate contributions for the month of September 2026 will go to Out of the Darkness Walk.

Offline — Please send your give away the plate contribution checks to All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 520 Olive Street, Shreveport LA  71104.  Please put “Out of the Darkness Walk” on the memo line of the check if  you want to have 100% of your check go to Out of the Darkness Walk.  If you want less than 100% of your check to go to Out of the Darkness Walk, please put the amount you want going to Out of the Darkness Walk on the memo line.