Episcopal Church Public Affairs Office
The Episcopal Church Executive Council approved during its June meeting more than $1 million in United Thank Offering grants, designated for 22 projects related to the worldwide incarceration crisis in countries where the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion are present.
The funds came from the United Thank Offering’s 2022 Ingathering, where monies collected in UTO donation “blue boxes” at Episcopal churches throughout the year are given in gratitude for the many blessings of life.
This year’s focus for grant applications was projects addressing the worldwide incarceration crisis, specifically preventative programs and intervention, prisoner support outreach, prison reform work, or post-prison reentry.
“The worldwide incarceration crisis affects us all, whether or not we know someone directly affected by incarceration,” said UTO Board President Sherri Dietrich. “Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 and the [Episcopal Church’s] ‘Way of Love’ encourage us to work for justice in the world and to respect the dignity of every human being, including prisoners and their families. The grants UTO funded this year will create that ministry in new places around the world.”
The UTO Board received about $2.6 million in requests from 49 applications. It was able to fund eight projects within the Episcopal Church and one project from a diocese that receives a block grant from General Convention; 12 projects within the Anglican Communion; and three historical grants.
Grant recipients are listed below by category. Read details about each project.
Episcopal Church Awards
- Episcopal Diocese of Arizona — Building Bridges: $55,000
- Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem — Cyprus House Bakery: $50,000
- Episcopal Diocese of Chicago — St. Leonard’s Ministries and St. Andrew’s Church: Community Gathering Space: $100,000
- Episcopal Diocese of Ecuador Litoral — Sowing Love and Education: $79,604.14
- Episcopal Diocese of Iowa — Well Time 2.0: Empowering Reentry: $22,048
- Episcopal Diocese of Maryland — Partner for Success: $31,408
- Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma — Diocesan Justice Liaison Project: $50,299
- Episcopal Diocese of Western New York — Enhancing Human Rights through Clergy Jail Monitoring: $37,500
Anglican Communion Awards
- Bilateral Partner: Brazil, Missionary District — Young People Republic of Compassionate Anglicans of Campo Verde: $55,000
- Bilateral Partner: Brazil, Southern Diocese — Guitar and Flute Apprentices for Socially Vulnerable Children: $1,207
- Covenant Partner: Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America, Diocese of Costa Rica — Enabling Recreational Space in the area of Siquirres: $55,000
- Covenant Partner: Mexico, Diocese of Cuernavaca — Itinerant Church: Brother Filemon: $39,040
- Burundi, Diocese of Buhiga — Construction of Buhiga Social Integration Center: $55,000
- Kenya, Diocese of Butere — ACK Butere Tailoring School: $56,102.45
- Kenya, Diocese of Thika — Youth Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation Program: $51,288.87
- Middle East, Diocese of Jerusalem — Improving the Wellbeing of the Vulnerable Prisoners in Palestine: $54,000
- Tanzania, Diocese of Kondoa — Empowering Clothing: Adolescent Girls and the Elderly: $55,000
- Tanzania, Diocese of Tanga — Establishment of Palliative Care Services in Prisons: $53,928.98
- West Africa, Diocese of Ghana — Ankaful Prison Support Outreach: $38,422
Historical Grant Awards
- Presiding Bishop in Partnership with the Diocese of Zambezia — Church Versus Criminality: $50,600
- Emery Trust No. 335 Award — Episcopal Service Corps: Resiliency Training and Education: $81,000
- The Great EpisGOpal Race — Episcopal Migration Ministries: Neighbor to Neighbor: $8,152.10
Every penny given to the United Thank Offering is given away to support innovative mission and ministry. Since 1889, UTO has awarded more than 5,400 grants for over $142 million. Click the “Resources” tab on this page to view a complete list of all UTO grants. Learn more about the United Thank Offering.
