Vermont Diocese Awards $10,200 in Second Quarter Grants
The Grants and Loans Committee of the Episcopal Church in Vermont recently awarded grants totaling $10,200 to help fund building maintenance, local mission, and leadership development projects within the Diocese. This latest round of awards is in addition to $22,000 grants made during the first quarter of the year, raising the cumulative total to $32,200—with two more application opportunities remaining in 2017. We are pleased to announce the latest recipients:
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Middlebury: $7,000
Originally consecrated in 1827, the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church building is a downtown Middlebury landmark that represents the bonds of spiritual community. Over the years, congregants have lovingly restored and expanded the edifice to accommodate services, community meals, and partner organizations’ meetings. The next scheduled improvement won’t be outwardly visible but is nonetheless crucial to the building’s future. A $7,000 grant will help fund the construction of a new ground water drainage system to prevent underground flooding. The urgent project coordinates with a multi-year, multi-million dollar railroad/transportation project in downtown Middlebury.
St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Hardwick: $2,900
In response to Bishop Thomas Ely’s 2016 call to congregations to foster and participate in local mission, parishioners at St. John the Baptist began volunteering for Hardwick’s Community Luncheon, a weekly event sponsored by the Vermont Food Bank. Today St. John’s volunteers not only help serve meals, but they also bake bread, a popular staple that was previously missing from the gatherings. A diocesan grant of $2,900 will help fund necessary improvements to the St. John’s kitchen in order to sustain this vital mission.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Chester: $300
In anticipation of the changing spiritual needs brought on by the evolving demographics of the Chester parish and surrounding community, the vestry of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church will be embarking on a leadership retreat later this year. The event is supported in part by a $300 grant from the Diocese. “Unbinding,” the theme of the retreat, is based on Jesus’ words in the gospel account of the resurrection of Lazarus. To St. Luke’s, the title connotes “new ways of thinking and doing” in order to cultivate a vibrant church and community.
More to come!
The Grants and Loans Committee plans to make discretionary awards several times this year. Application deadlines for 2017 are May 19, July 21, September 15, and November 17. Members, parishes, and institutions of the Episcopal Church in Vermont are invited to apply. Forms and criteria can be found online at http://diovermont.org/grants-and-loans-committee/.