The Grants and Loans Committee of The Episcopal Church in Vermont is pleased to announce the approval of nearly $18,000 in grants during the first half of 2019. Grant recipients were selected from among Episcopal congregations and diocesan entities in Vermont, as well as other ministries with a strong association with the diocese. Projects were funded in part based on their positive impact on local mission. The projects include:
Rock Point Pollinator Project: $4,050
A four-year project is underway to convert the field underneath Rock Point’s 35-tracker solar farm from weeds and invasive plants into a flowering meadow that attracts beneficial insects, such as bees, that move pollen from one plant to another. Now in its third year, the Rock Point Pollinator Project is showing significant progress. A third of the 2.5-acre plot has been converted to meadow, complete with a deer fence to protect the new plantings. The remaining two-thirds will be tilled several more times before it is cover-cropped this fall and planted next year. A $4,050 grant to Rock Point Commons will support the purchase of additional deer fencing, a sprinkler, and landscaping assistance. To learn more about the project, visit https://www.rockpointvt.org/gardens.
Scholarships for Sudanese Campers: $6,000
A $6,000 grant to the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Burlington is being used to fund scholarships for 10-12 students from Burlington’s Sudanese community to attend Vermont’s renowned Rock Point Camp, which is now underway. The grant dollars are being supplemented with an estimated $3,000 in matching funds raised during a Sudanese Festival hosted at the Cathedral this spring, as well as individual contributions from members and friends of the Cathedral and other parishes, including Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Swanton, Christ Church in Montpelier, and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Colchester. This is the second year the Cathedral has created scholarships for Sudanese campers. Chol Dhoor, a Cathedral member and president of the Sudanese Foundation of Vermont, has been instrumental in the inception, administration, and success of the community-church partnership. To learn more about Rock Point Camp, visit https://www.rockpointvt.org/camp.
Jerusalem Peacebuilders Leadership Program: $7,500
Jerusalem Peacebuilders (JPB) is an interfaith, non-profit ministry that promotes transformational encounters among the peoples of Jerusalem and the wider Middle East. In partnership with other organizations, JPB specializes in experiential education programs for youth and adults that advance peace, interfaith citizenship, and leadership. A $7,500 grant has helped to offset costs associated with a summer leadership program for Israeli, Palestinian and American teens, held at the organization’s West Brattleboro location in late July. Since 2011, over 500 teens have participated in JPB programs. This year JPB launched a summer teacher-training program for Israeli and Palestinian educators at Cambridge University (UK) and continues to operate summer programs for youth and adults in Houston, TX; New Haven, CT; and Brattleboro, VT as well as in-school programs in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Haifa, New England, and Houston. To learn more about Jerusalem Peacebuilders, visit https://www.jerusalempeacebuilders.org.