Matching grant program provides $206,000 to local food banks.

The Church of the Brethren’s "Domestic Hunger Matching Grant" program has now provided a total of $206,000 to food banks and local hunger relief organizations across the country. That total includes amounts raised by the 217 congregations that have taken part so far, and matching grants given by two Church of the Brethren funds--the Global Food Crisis Fund (GFCF) and the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF)--in partnership with the denomination’s Stewardship department.

Earlier this month the two funds requested second allocations for the program after the original grant amount had been completely disbursed. As of Feb 23, the $87,500 designated by the funds was fully expended. The amount raised by the 217 congregations averaged $545; the matching grants averaged $403. Together, congregational gifts and matching grants have provided $206,000 to local hunger relief.

Currently, at least 16 more congregations are awaiting matching grants. "Because of two donor gifts of $20,000 each, designated for US families entrenched in poverty or hungry, we hope to be able to fulfill the remaining grant requests," said Ken Neher, director of the Stewardship department.

"Thanks are beginning to roll in from food banks," reported Howard Royer, manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund, "Johnstown, Pa.; Tonasket, Wash.; Hopewell, Pa.; Polo, Ill.; Lancaster, Pa.; Rocky Mount, Va.; Petersburg, Va.; and Baltimore, Md. thus far."

The cutoff date for the program is March 15. Go to www.brethren.org/site/DocServer/Domestic_Hunger_cong_ap_January_2009.pdf?docID=1001 for more information.

Source: 2/25/2009 Newsline