The Christian Reformed Church is pleased to announce it has awarded more than $89,000 in Sea to Sea grant funding to 10 deserving projects across North America so far. Of the $1.5 million in proceeds raised by the Sea to Sea 2008 Bike Tour last summer, a significant portion—about $350,000—was entrusted to the Christian Reformed Church Foundation to be awarded in grants for poverty-related programs according to guidelines pre-approved by the Sea to Sea steering committee. This is the first group of projects that has received grant money from that fund.
The CRC Foundation Board met on February 25, 2009, to look over the first 10 grant proposals. At this meeting, the Board decided to cap the gift amount at $10,000 per project, which was within the guidelines, thereby spreading this money out to many communities across the U. S. and Canada. The first group of ten grants totaled $89,920.
With the current economic situation, many organizations have sent in their applications and we expect the remainder of the money to be awarded this year. If you are working on a grant request for Sea to Sea, please send it in to the contact on the application form by April 15th so that the Board can consider it at its next meeting on April 29th. After that meeting, the Board will report all the requests that have received funding, as well as if there is any money left.
Below are the first 10 grant recipients.
Summary of Grants awarded from the Sea to Sea 2008 Funds
Crossroads Christian Reformed Church – San Marcos, CA
$800
Crossroads Christian Reformed Church will use this grant to buy supplies for an after school program that focuses on a Spanish speaking community. The program tutors students to help improve their education and offers help to their parents in learning English.
Urban Family Ministries – Grand Rapids, MI
$10,000
This grant will help fund Urban Family Ministries to expand a pilot program geared toward eliminating generational poverty by increasing youth’s independent living, employability skills and attitude about education through a mentoring/work study program. This organization targets at risk teens and those about to turn 18 who are no longer eligible for foster care, and helps them find employment within their community and provides life skills classes.
Chicagoland Prison Outreach – South Holland, MI
$10,000
Chicagoland Prison Outreach will use this gift to kick off a matching gift campaign that will go towards the startup of an additional automotive or welding class, in addition to the classes currently offered to ex-cons who have participated in the Chicagoland Prison Outreaches weekly Bible study. These programs teach ex-cons a vocation and then help them secure an apprenticeship as they reintegrate into society.
Providence Christian Reformed Church – Holland, MI
$9,120
The gift to Providence Christian Reformed Church will provide start up funds for a Pig Micro Finance program in Mityana, Uganda. This program provides families living in extreme poverty a way to provide for their family by raising pigs and selling them, while furthering the program by giving one piglet from each litter to another needy family.
Family Network – Wyoming, MI
$10,000
Family Network will use their grant over the next year to meet basic needs through food programs that are desperately needed to help individuals and families in the Wyoming area. Family Network provides a Client Choice Pantry, Special Diet Pantry, Mobile Food Truck and Emergency Food bag services.
Health Intervention Services – Grand Rapids, MI
$10,000
This grant to Health intervention Services will be used to expand the number of uninsured, impoverished individuals treated by medical personal at the clinic in 2009. Health Intervention Services provides the following services; medical exam and labs, vision exam (including glasses if needed), dental exam and follow up, dental hygiene cleaning, medications assistance, social work consultation, psychological treatment, health education and spiritual care.
Starfish Ministries – Inver Grove Heights, MN
$10,000
Starfish Ministries will use its gift to begin a community development effort in a neighborhood inhabited by the Karen people, refugees from Myanmar. This ministry’s goal is to start a childcare center for the Karen people with hopes that this will lead into a full-fledged community center, with many services for the Karen people.
Rose City Kids – Fenwick, ON
$10,000
This gift will be used to expand Rose City Kids, programming in Welland, ON, focusing on neighborhoods with high poverty. The program provides opportunities for children on Saturday afternoons, through home visits and also Junior Leadership, Summer to Remember, Gift of Christmas and Operation Birthday Child.
CAUSE Canada – Canmore, AB
$10,000
CAUSE Canada will use this grant for the Women’s Literacy and Leadership Program in Koinadugu, Sierra Leone and will match the grant 3 to 1 from outside funding. This program works to assist women and their families through integral training in literacy, financial management, leadership and health.
Diaconal Ministries Canada – Burlington, ON
$10,000
The grant to Diaconal Ministries Canada will be used to support Operation Manna. This program is an intermediary organization which helps fund programs that work with refugees, single moms, teen moms, youth and those suffering from mental health issues.
