ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 6, 2004
Lutheran Women Provide Grants To Support Families, Communities
04-144-MR
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA), the women's organization of the church, awarded $161,350 in grants
to projects that strengthen families and communities domestically and
internationally this year.
Women of the ELCA's grant program has awarded about $2.75 million
since 1988, when the women's organization was born.
"Every year financial grants from Women of the ELCA support projects
that help strengthen families and communities in this country and around
the world," said Doris Strieter, grants program administrator, Women of
the ELCA.
"As a churchwide community of women, some of our most powerful
resources are the financial offerings we give in support of our
organizational commitment to 'promote healing and wholeness in the church,
the society, and the world,'" she said.
The program selection committee chose 52 projects from 148
applications it received. The committee gave priority to proposals that
demonstrate community needs; make a difference in people's lives; request
funding for one year and have objectives that can be achieved within that
year; demonstrate significant involvement of women in planning, decision
making, implementation and evaluation; and are consistent with Women of
the ELCA's purpose statement. The committee is made of up six
representatives from the executive board of Women of the ELCA, staff of
the women's organization and ELCA churchwide office, and participants from
Women of the ELCA.
The women's organization awarded $93,050 in grants to support
ministries in the United States. Of the 52 projects receiving grants, 10
are related to refugee and immigration ministries. Other ministries that
received support range from providing child care and leadership
development to housing rehabilitation, from supporting homeless children
to assisting people being released from prison.
In addition to funds awarded through the Women of the ELCA Grants
Program, special grants to programs in India were awarded through the
India Endowment Fund, a legacy of predecessor women's organizations.
Through this fund, Women of the ELCA awarded $54,300 in grants to support
health care, women's medical and nursing training, women's high schools
and higher education, and lay women evangelists.
The organization also awarded $14,000 in grants to support projects
overseas.
"The needs and challenges remain great. Through our response, we
really can touch and change lives. Sometimes it may seem that our
individual gifts don't make much of a difference, but collectively, with
each one of us doing our part, we do make a difference for the women and
children who are the recipients of our financial support. In some way
their lives are touched by love from women who remember why Jesus came
among us," Strieter said.
_ _ _
Information, criteria and application forms for Women of the ELCA
2005 Grants Program is available at http://www.womenoftheelca.org on the
Internet.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
