Fall 2009 Grants Announced

Press Release

November 16, 2009

The Board of Directors of the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. has approved grants for the Fall 2009 Grant Cycle.  Grants totaling $980,200 will be made available to 15 charitable organizations the week of December 7, 2009.  The following is a brief description of each recipient and the purpose of the grant.

Connectional Ministries of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

A $20,000 grant to Connectional Ministries, an agency of the South Georgia Annual Conference, to support two South Georgia Conference Confirmations Retreats during 2010 for the children of the conference churches that are preparing for church membership.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (www.secgafca.org)

­A $25,000 grant to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to provide salary support for a Fellowship of Christian Athletes representative in Camden County.  This represents the first of a two-year commitment to this program, with the second year funding being issued as a challenge grant.  The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is an interdenominational organization promoting positive, Christian principles to individuals around the world.  It conducts programs through over 200 field offices in rural, suburban and urban areas spreading the Gospel to young people in junior high, high school and college.

The Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy (www.ferstfoundation.org )

A $45,000 grant to the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy to provide funding for a program which partners with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to send out age appropriate books to children ages birth to 5 years old at no cost in Camden County.  The organization encourages children to dream through reading and encourages parent involvement to achieve early school success with the goal to assist every child to be reading ready before entering kindergarten.

The Methodist Home for Children and Youth (www.themethodisthome.org)

A $24,200 grant to the Methodist Home for Children and Youth in Macon, Georgia to assist in the re-tooling and operation of the Valdosta group home.  The Methodist Home is an agency of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church that seeks to provide a healing, nurturing setting for children, youth and families in need through regional group homes.

Valdosta State University Wesley Foundation (www.vsuwesley.com)

A $30,000 grant to Valdosta State University Wesley Foundation to support the Intern Program.  This represents the first of a three-year commitment to this program, with the second and third year of funding being issued as challenge grants.  Valdosta State University Wesley Foundation is an agency of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.  Their mission is to minister to students on campus and to further the Kingdom of God in the area He has called people to.  They aim to make disciples of Jesus Christ who live with the resolve to love both God and people and they seek to educate and equip emerging young adults to live lives manifesting both personal and social holiness.

American Red Cross – Southeast Coastal Georgia Chapter (www.coastalredcross.org)

A $25,000 grant to the American Red Cross – Southeast Coastal Georgia Chapter to provide funding for personal assistance to families who experience house fires in Glynn and Brantley Counties.  The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief free of charge to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. 

America’s Second Harvest Food Bank of Coastal Georgia (www.helpendhunger.org)

A $100,000 grant to America’s Second Harvest in Brunswick, Georgia to fund a portion of the capital campaign to build and equip a new warehouse located in Glynn County.  America’s Second Harvest Food Bank of Coastal Georgia was established in Savannah in 1981 to provide hunger relief services to 21 counties in coastal Georgia.  The food distribution warehouse located in Brunswick, Georgia serves southeast Georgia including the four counties of Camden, Glynn, Brantley, and Charlton. 

Magnolia Manor (wwwmagnoliamanor.com)

A $75,000 grant to Magnolia Manor to support the resident charitable assistance program called the League of the Good Samaritan for fiscal year 2010 – 2011.  Magnolia Manor is a ministry of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church established to provide long-term care and affordable living to the elderly.

Salvation Army – St. Marys Service Center

A $25,000 grant to the Salvation Army to provide funding for the long term assistance program in fiscal year 2010 for Camden and Charlton county residents.  Their mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

Coastal Counseling Center (www.coastalcounselingcenter.org)

A $30,000 grant to the Coastal Counseling Center in St. Marys, Georgia to support fiscal year 2010 operational expenses.  Coastal Counseling Center provides mental health and substance abuse counseling services for adults in Camden County through a sliding scale fee that is relative to a family’s income level.  

Hospice Satilla

A $50,000 grant to Hospice Satilla to provide salary support for nurses of Hospice patients in Brantley and Charlton County.  Hospice Satilla exists to provide comprehensive, quality care services to terminally ill patients and their families using a holistic approach and addressing the physical, emotional, psychosocial and spiritual issues associated with the dying process.  They strive to relieve suffering, enhance comfort, promote quality of life, foster choice in end-of-life care and support effective grieving. 

United Way of Camden and Charlton Counties

A $31,000 grant to the United Way of Camden and Charlton Counties to provide funding for the implementation of a 211 information system for Camden County.  This represents the second year of a three-year commitment to the project.  The 211 system is an easy to remember telephone number that connects callers to information about critical health and human services for every day needs and in times of crisis.  The system is also web based so individuals as well as service providers can seek and update information online.

ECHO (www.echonet.org)

An $80,000 grant to ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger) in Ft. Myers, Florida to establish regional offices and create formal partnerships in East and West Africa to make the agricultural resources of ECHO more accessible.  This represents the second year of a three-year commitment to this project. ECHO is a Christian organization established in 1981 to strengthen the ministries of missionaries and national churches as they work with small rural farmers and urban gardeners in developing countries.

UMCOR (www.umcor.org)

A grant of $100,000 to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to support the development and implementation of a U.S. based disaster management software system.  The web-based system provides the capability to communicate with the Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN) and consequently any other disaster response agencies that utilize a web based database and will benefit disaster victims and organizations (including but not limited to UMCOR) that respond to disasters for many years to come. This represents the third and final year of a three-year commitment to this project.  UMCOR was established by the United Methodist Church in 1940 in response to the suffering of people during World War II and continues to provide a channel through which people may express their Christian compassion for people around the globe, often the poorest in society, who are undergoing hardship and suffering as a result of natural catastrophes, conflicts or wars. UMCOR is called on to provide immediate relief and long-term recovery wherever and whenever needed.

Church World Service (www.churchworldservice.org)

A $320,000 grant to Church World Service to support an expansion of the Africa Initiative – Giving Children Hope Program in East and Southern Africa. This grant represents the second grant in the second year of a 3-year partnership between Church World Service and the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation referred to as the Africa Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to protect the rights of and to provide support to orphans and vulnerable children living in the countries of Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia who have been affected by HIV/AIDS, war and famine that they may be empowered to manage their own well being and the stability of their families, to participate in the social and economic development of their communities, and to live in the shelter of hope. The initiative will reinforce the capacity of and support the expansion of church and related organizations to build child-centered programs and networks.

The St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. was organized in January 2001 to support the charitable activities of the St. Marys United Methodist Church. Annual grant distributions will typically represent about 3% to 5% of the Foundation’s value. The Foundation awards grants twice each year, in the spring and the fall. Grant proposals are accepted year round. Proposals received from December 2^nd to June 1^st will be considered for the Fall cycle while proposals received from June 2^nd to December 1^st will be considered for the Spring cycle. Proposals to be considered must be related to:

Children, Youth and Family – Agencies of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs in southeast Georgia (Camden, Glynn, Brantley and Charlton Counties) that promote the spiritual, mental and/or physical well being of children, youth and families.

Adults and Elderly – Agencies of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs in southeast Georgia (Camden, Glynn, Brantley and Charlton Counties) that promote the spiritual, mental and/or physical well being of adults and elderly.

Health, Mental Health, and Mental Retardation – Agencies of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs in southeast Georgia (Camden, Glynn, Brantley and Charlton Counties) that provide research, treatment, or care in the fields of health, mental health and mental retardation.

Christian Education, Evangelism, and Missions – Agencies of the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs that equip God’s people for evangelism, programs whose sole focus is spreading the Gospel, and mission programs which seek to spread the Gospel through local southeast Georgia (Camden, Glynn, Brantley and Charlton Counties).  

Additional information about the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. is available on the Internet at www.smumcfoundation.org or by calling 912-510-9350.

Jeff Barker, President

Spring 2010 Grant Cycle Deadline Approaching

November 2, 2009 

GENERAL NOTICE

The deadline for the Spring 2010 Grant Cycle of The St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation will be December 1, 2009. Proposals will be accepted pertaining to the following guidelines and focus categories:

Children, Youth and Families: Agencies of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs in Southeast Georgia* that promote the spiritual, mental, and/or physical well being of children, youth and families.

Adults and Elderly: Agencies of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs in Southeast Georgia* that promote the spiritual, mental, and/or physical well being of adults and elderly.

Health, Mental Health and Mental Retardation: Agencies of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs in Southeast Georgia* that provide research, treatment, or care in the fields of health, mental health and mental retardation.

Christian Education, Evangelism and Missions: Agencies of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs in Southeast Georgia* that equip God’s people for evangelism, programs whose sole focus is spreading the gospel, and mission programs which seek to spread the gospel through local Southeast Georgia* and international services and projects for people in need.

*Our definition of Southeast Georgia is Camden, Glynn, Brantley and Charlton Counties.

The international focus of the SMUMC Foundation is primarily on Christian programs in Africa that benefit children, particularly those who have been orphaned, but also those who suffer the dire consequences of AIDS/HIV, war and famine.  However, please note we will not be accepting new requests for international projects until further notice.

For further information, please see our website at www.smumcfoundation.org or call the Foundation office at (912) 510-9350.

Nonprofit Highlight – Hospice of the Golden Isles

Hospice of Golden Isles was established in 1979 and provides care for people who have a disease that will not benefit from further aggressive treatment, so that they can live as fully and comfortably as possible. Hospice recognizes the physical, emotional, spiritual and financial needs of each patient and their families. Hospice affirms life and regards dying as a natural process and believes that through the personalized service of their team, patients can live well, with dignity and grace, until death.  The Hospice staff strives to relieve suffering, enhance comfort, promote quality of life, foster choice in end-of-life care and support effective grieving. 

Hospice continues to expand services and opened Jolley House, an eight bed addition with a bereavement / educational center, in the summer of 2007.  Jolley House is the first Hospice facility in Southeast Georgia to offer residential services to indigent and low income persons who are terminally ill.  Additionally, Jolley House has a designated bereavement center for the families of the patients and for the community at large.

For more information about Hospice of the Golden Isles, please visit their website at www.hospice.me.

Nonprofit Highlight – Open Door Community House

Open Door Community House, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 mission agency of the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.  Their mission is to meet the basic needs of and to empower low-to-moderate income people of Muscogee County, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Open Door was established as a Methodist ministry in 1935, in response to the closure of one the largest mills in the area by providing childcare to women who were able to find work.  The ministry quickly expanded over the years to address many other needs in the Columbus, Georgia area and today serves people through the following programs:

• Children and Youth Programs including after school care, full day summer academy and the Sharing Christmas program providing children with new toys and clothes
• Parent Network
• Senior Adult Programs including a weekly lunch program, transportation to essential services and special outings
• Homeless Services including a transition home for women in crisis and a 12-bed shelter for homeless women
• Community case management for homeless women and their children in all shelters and on the streets in the Columbus area
• Showering Program for unsheltered homeless men and women, which provides a shower, clean clothes, breakfast and a lunch to go
• The Open Door Institute which provides 12 weeks of culinary arts and life skills training in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank

For more information about Open Door Community House, visit their website at www.opendoorcommunityhouse.org.

Community Needs Assesment

Dear Foundation Friend,

We would like to ask for your assistance in completing a community needs assessment survey for Coastal Georgia.

Understanding the needs of our local community is vitally important.  We are asking those receiving this email to take a few moments and complete the survey and pass this information along to clients and other community members.  The information gathered will give our local nonprofit community a clearer vision of what the community sees as the area’s greatest needs.  In this time of limited resources, community leaders, government officials, and local nonprofits need this information to help better direct their efforts for the good of all of us in the community.

This survey has been commissioned by the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, the United Way of Coastal Georgia, the United Way of Camden, Family Connections, the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and the Archway Project of UGA, has released a community needs assessment survey to be completed by the general public.

The survey takes no more than 10 minutes to complete and all surveys will be anonymous.  To complete the survey, login to http://www.coastalneeds.com.  You will need to enter an access code.  This access code would be NONPROFIT for all nonprofit staff members, SERVICE if the person completing the survey is a client of a nonprofit, or CITIZEN if the person completing the survey is an individual community member.

PLEASE NOTE, YOU MAY HAVE RECEIVED THIS INFORMATION FROM ANOTHER SOURCE.  PLEASE ONLY COMPLETE THE SURVEY ONCE.

Sincerely,

Marcie Montgomery

Grant Administrator

St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc.

www.smumcfoundation.org

Nonprofit Highlight – ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization)

The Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO) is a non-profit, Christian organization established in 1981 to strengthen the ministries of missionaries and national churches as they work with small rural farmers and urban gardeners in developing countries. Beginning with a small 5-acre farm in southern Florida, ECHO has developed into a 50 acre Global Village Demonstration farm that acts as a “living classroom” where over 10, 000 visitors each year can see practical options available to those working with the poor. 

They have also developed a seed bank, which now contains about 350 varieties of hard-to-find vegetables, multi-purpose trees, fruits, and other tropical crops. These plants hold special potential for producing under difficult conditions, where it is too dry, too wet, or too hilly for most crops. As a result, they are ideal for the environments associated with many of the underdeveloped countries of the world whose people are in need of physical and spiritual assistance.

ECHO is currently impacting 180 Countries reducing hunger and improving lives.

For more information about ECHO and their various programs visit their website at www.echonet.org.

Nonprofit Highlight – Georgia Center for Nonprofits and The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation

This month we highlight our local nonprofit resource partners who have partnered with the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation to address the needs of the local nonprofit community.

The Georgia Center for Nonprofits is Georgia’s association for nonprofit, charitable organizations. Their mission is to serve, strengthen and support Georgia’s nonprofit community. The Center advocates to improve the environment in which nonprofits work and helps nonprofits manage better by offering information, training, consulting and nonprofit jobs services.

Through a three-tiered delivery system, the Center provides Georgia nonprofits with a comprehensive set of high quality services and information to meet their needs. Through the use of technology, its special member services and its advocacy program, the Center serves and supports nonprofits in every corner of the state.

While providing information, training and consulting to meet the spectrum of nonprofit management needs, the Center works to increase nonprofits’ access to and use of technology to help them become and remain effective in an economy more and more reliant on technology.

For more information about the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, you can visit their website at www.gcn.org.

 

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in Coastal Georgia by promoting and increasing responsible, effective philanthropy—now and for future generations.  They accomplish this in several ways:

Linking donors’ interests with community needs

At the heart of their mission is the unique desire and ability to link donors’ charitable interests to critical community needs. The Foundation serves as a conduit by helping philanthropic individuals and families achieve their charitable goals. Donors choose the Foundation as their philanthropic partner because of the personalized, customized service we provide and because of our broad, flexible mission to serve our local communities–making a difference where it is needed most.

Builder and caretaker of community resources

The Foundation is comprised of a collection of endowed funds. Endowments are fundamental to philanthropy and are created when charitable dollars are invested. Charitable funds are essential to philanthropy. Through them, legacies are built. Funds that have been and will be established at the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation will benefit our region today and for generations to come. Our vision is to ensure that each donor’s investment will help enrich lives and improve collective good works long after the donor’s lifetime.

Grantmaker

The Foundation provides grants annually to charitable organizations through Camden, Glynn and McIntosh counties. Through the Foundation’s donor advised funds, grants can be made to any qualified nonprofit organization in the country.

Convener and collaborator

The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation aims to serve as a community catalyst and leader. Over time, the Foundation will become a convener on critical issues. We will commission studies, produce reports, and facilitate and connect local nonprofits to national resources and /or partnerships. We will be an incubator for innovative programs and services. Because the Community Foundation does not have an “agenda” other than building community through effective, responsible philanthropy, we can and often will take the lead on many social issues that might otherwise be overlooked.

For more information about the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, please visit their website at www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org.

United Way Launches New 211 system in Camden County

Beginning this week, a new service is now offered to Camden County residents that will make it easier to find information about services offered by local nonprofit organizations and governments.

211 , a United Way program, is an easy to remember telephone number that connects callers to information about critical health and human services available in their community.  211 provides callers with information about and referrals to human services for every day needs and in times of crisis.  The system is also web based so individuals as well as service providers can seek and update information online. 

Under the United Way 211 program, residents can dial 211 from a land phone line to reach an operator or to go online to 211.org to learn about services such as local youth programs, where to find free medical help, how many beds are available in homeless shelters, suicide prevention programs and housing assistance.

The service does not include listings for physicians, attorneys or churches but will list programs that may be associated with hospitals, legal defense organizations or religious groups.

So far, more than 80 local nonprofits are participating in the program.

For more information or to sign up with 211, contact Jena Long, Program Coordinator, at 912-729-5362.

Nonprofit Highlight – The Vashti Center

The Vashti Center for Children and Families is a ministry of the United Methodist Church and a mission of the United Methodist Women. Established in 1903 as a home for homeless girls, the center now serves boys and girls, ages 6-17 who are in need.  Vashti provides some of the following services: 

• An Emergency Shelter for boy and girls 6 – 17
• Level 5 Residential Care – intermediate residential treatment program for boy and girls
• Therapeutic Wraparound services for 6 counties in Southwest Georgia
• A Second Chance Home for teen mothers and their infant and toddler children
• Bishop Hall Charter School serving at risk children from 9^th  through 12^th  grade
• First Placement / Best Placement evaluation services

For more information about The Vashti Center, please visit their website at www.vashti.org.

Spring 2009 Grants Announced

May 18, 2009

The Board of Directors of the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. has approved grants for the Spring 2009 Grant Cycle.  Grants totaling $819,800 will be made to 12 charitable organizations the week of June 1, 2009.  The following is a brief description of each recipient and the purpose of the grant.

Care Net Pregnancy Center (www.ourpartners.org)

A $45,500 grant to the Care Net Pregnancy Center to support operational costs for the Kingsland and Brunswick, Georgia Centers. Care Net is a Christ-centered ministry dedicated to advancing the sanctity of human life and sexual purity by providing abstinence education, free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds and counseling for women with unplanned pregnancies.

Communities in Schools of Glynn County

A $60,500 partial challenge grant to Communities in Schools of Glynn County to provide operational support for “Focus Graduation 2012 and Beyond” in the 2009 / 2010 school year. $30,250 of the grant would be awarded initially with the remaining $30,250 provided as a challenge grant.  Communities in Schools brings adults into the schools to help address children’s unmet needs, providing a link between educators and the community.  The program provides before-school academic support programs, incentives, case management, parental engagement / family support services and on-site program coordination in hopes of preventing at-risk students from dropping out of school.

The Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy of Glynn (www.ferstfoundation.org )

A $41,000 grant to the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy to provide funding for a program which partners with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to send out age appropriate books to children in Glynn and Charlton Counties ages birth to 5 years old at no cost.  Established in 2001, the goal is to assist every child in Georgia to be reading ready before entering kindergarten. The organization encourages children to dream through reading and encourages parent involvement to achieve early school success.

The Gathering Place (www.thegp.org)

A $24,000 challenge grant to the Gathering Place in Brunswick, Georgia to assist in the support of the operating budget for the Urban Ministry Development Program. The Gathering Place, established in 1981, is a multifaceted, youth oriented Christian ministry serving Glynn County. Specifically, the Urban Ministry Development Program will target “at risk” urban students grades 6 – 12 in Glynn County that may otherwise not have the opportunity to hear the Good News.  The purpose of the challenge grant is to provide the Gathering Place with the opportunity to attract new sources of financial support, specifically from the many churches in Southeast Georgia that benefit from the ministry programs. 

Safe Harbor Children’s Shelter, Inc. (www.safeharborshelter.org)

A $67,500 challenge grant to Safe Harbor Children’s Shelter, Inc. in Brunswick, Georgia to provide support for the Hamer House for Boys for fiscal year 2010.  Founded 18 years ago, Safe Harbor is a temporary shelter for runaway, homeless, abused and neglected youth. 

Wesley Community Centers of Savannah, Inc.  (www.wesleyctrs-savh.org)

A $75,000 grant to the Wesley Community Center in Savannah, Georgia to support the FY2009/2010 operating budget.  The Wesley Community Center is an agency of the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church which serves children of all abilities, and has many programs and services to cater to the needs of low and moderate-income women, children, youth and families throughout Savannah and the surrounding area.

Glynn Community Crisis Center / Amity House  (www.amityhouse-gccc.com)

A $46,500 challenge grant to Glynn Community Crisis Center to support the first year of operation of Hope House in 2009 – 2010.  The Glynn Community Crisis Center provides emergency shelter and services to individuals and their children suffering from domestic abuse.  Hope House will provide a continuum of housing and support to families exiting the emergency shelter that are in need of additional services and collaboration with community resources to become self-sufficient.

Board of Ordained Ministry

A $7,800 conditional grant to support a Ministry Exploration Retreat for the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2009 focusing on young people, ages 15-20, providing insight into a career as a minister, children/youth director, program director, music director and other church related ministry positions. 

Society of St. Andrew (www.endhunger.org)

A $32,000 grant to the Society of St. Andrew to support operating expenses for the regional gleaning office located in Tifton, Georgia.  The Society of St. Andrew is a ministry of the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church which distributes millions of pounds of food annually to food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, churches for local distribution and individuals. 

The Georgia Center for Nonprofits (www.gcn.org)

A $50,000 grant to the Georgia Center for Nonprofits to develop a coordinated needs assessment for the region, further community collaboration and establish a “back-office” infrastructure to be shared among non-profits.  The needs assessment would be conducted in collaboration with the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation.

Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (www.coastalgeorgiafoundation.org)

A $10,000 grant to the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation to establish a community foundation to serve southeast and coastal Georgia.  This represents the fifth and final year of a five-year commitment to this project.  The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation is a collaborative effort of several foundations, including the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, organizations and individuals created to increase the philanthropic capacity of coastal Georgia.  The community foundation is a creative, cost-effective and tax efficient way for people to invest in the local community and potentially will increase the amount of funding available to local nonprofits, create increased awareness of local nonprofits and community needs and improve the quality of life in southeast and coastal Georgia.

Georgia Center for Nonprofits (www.gcn.org)

A $40,000 grant to the Georgia Center for Nonprofits to continue the support of the establishment of a satellite center in Brunswick, Georgia to serve nonprofits in southeast and coastal Georgia.  This represents the fifth and final year of a five-year commitment to this project.  The Georgia Center for Nonprofits works to serve, strengthen and support local nonprofits by providing them with information, nonprofit management and business skills training, consulting, technology, insurance and employment services. 

Church World Service (www.churchworldservice.org)

A $320,000 grant to Church World Service to support an expansion of the Africa Initiative – Giving Children Hope Program in East and Southern Africa. This grant represents the ongoing support of a partnership between Church World Service and the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation referred to as the Africa Initiative. The goal of this initiative is to protect the rights of and to provide support to orphans and vulnerable children living in the countries of Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia who have been affected by HIV/AIDS, war and famine that they may be empowered to manage their own well being and the stability of their families, to participate in the social and economic development of their communities, and to live in the shelter of hope. The initiative will reinforce the capacity of and support the expansion of church and related organizations to build child-centered programs and networks.

The St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. was organized in January 2001 to support the charitable activities of the St. Marys United Methodist Church. Annual grant distributions will typically represent about 3% to 5% of the Foundation’s value. The Foundation awards grants twice each year, in the spring and the fall. Grant proposals are accepted year round. Proposals received from December 2^nd to June 1^st will be considered for the Fall cycle while proposals received from June 2^nd to December 1^st will be considered for the Spring cycle. Proposals to be considered must be related to:

Children, Youth and Family – Agencies of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs in southeast Georgia (Camden, Glynn, Brantley and Charlton Counties) that promote the spiritual, mental and/or physical well being of children, youth and families.

Adults and Elderly – Agencies of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs in southeast Georgia (Camden, Glynn, Brantley and Charlton Counties) that promote the spiritual, mental and/or physical well being of adults and elderly.

Health, Mental Health, and Mental Retardation – Agencies of the South Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs in southeast Georgia (Camden, Glynn, Brantley and Charlton Counties) that provide research, treatment, or care in the fields of health, mental health and mental retardation.

Christian Education, Evangelism, and Missions – Agencies of the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church and programs that equip God’s people for evangelism, programs whose sole focus is spreading the Gospel, and mission programs which seek to spread the Gospel through local southeast Georgia (Camden, Glynn, Brantley and Charlton Counties).

Additional information about the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. is available on the Internet at www.smumcfoundation.org or by calling 912-510-9350.