Bishop Ahr fund to assist diocesan social services
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
Social service groups throughout the Diocese of Trenton often rely upon the generosity of donations and grants to supplement their work in the community. One resource – the Bishop George W. Ahr Endowment Fund – is now accepting requests for grants from such organizations.
The endowment fund was created to award grants for special projects that fulfill a spiritual need. Any parish, office, apostolate, individual, parish special ministry or organization is invited to apply for a grant. Eligible institutions work within the community to provide services for vulnerable and/or poor families and individuals.
Past recipients of endowment fund grants include the Center for FaithJustice, Catholic Youth Organization of Mercer County, HABCore of Red Bank, Mount Carmel Guild, Interfaith Health and Support Services of Manahawkin and St. Vincent de Paul chapters, as well as individual parish outreach groups.
In 2014, Mercer CYO used its grant to help fund food programs it operates at its Trenton sites. Despite receiving state assistance, the program is always in need of extra financial support.
“We work with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture,” said CYO grant proposal writer Nancy Podeszwa, “but we always spend more than taken in.” Podeszwa added that the Endowment Fund “has been very helpful” in their efforts to combat hunger, especially among underprivileged school children, many of whom attend the CYO’s preschool, summer camps and after school programs.
Mount Carmel Guild director Marie Gladney explained that their food assistance program also received a grant from the Endowment Fund in 2015. The money was used to help replenish MCG’s food pantry.
“It was most definitely helpful,” Gladney said. “It all goes toward serving our clients and nursing patients. We are just very grateful for any assistance we receive to help us serve the poor.”
Interfaith Health and Support Services – a non-profit 501(c)(3)organization comprised of 23 participating congregations – was also a Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund recipient in previous years. The group provides services at no cost to members of the community who are struggling to maintain their independence, many of whom are still dealing with the aftereffects of Super Storm Sandy. Services for the frail and elderly homebound include grocrey shopping, social calls, rides to medical appointments and relieving primary caregivers.
“In order to carry out our services, we need to provide proper training materials and equipment,” said IHSS executive director Maryann Collett. “We were so grateful to have received a grant from the Fund ... to help Interfaith in the training of our volunteers. The care [recipients] have also benefited from the grant to help them be independent and remain in their homes.”
Stephanie Peddicord, president of Center for FaithJustice, said that the grants they have received from the endowment fund have supplemented their youth service programs, which include middle school service projects, high school summer service camps and young adult projects – each of which can have more than 600 participants.
“Our high school program, JusticeWorks, is an overnight service immersion experience,” Peddicord explained. “It’s equal parts direct service to those in need as well as catechesis and education about community service.”
CFJ runs programs not only in the Diocese of Trenton, but also in the Diocese of Metuchen, Philadelphia and Appalachia; grant monies supplied by the Endowment Fund in 2014 and 2015 helped supplement service projects in the Diocese of Trenton – working with places like Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Crisis Ministry and community cleanups, to name a few.
“All of us in the non-profit sector, we’re reliant on financial support,” Peddicord said. “Our program fees only cover about 75 percent of what we need, so external sources help us keep the doors open. It enables us to offer good-quality programs.”
Grant monies are determined by the Bishop George W. Ahr Endowment Fund Committee. The grant is the endowment fund interest that is accumulated in a year’s time, which amounts to approximately $10,000 available for distribution.
All requests should be forwarded to Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, Pastoral Center, P. O. Box 5147, Trenton, NJ 08638, on or before May 1, 2016.
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Social service groups throughout the Diocese of Trenton often rely upon the generosity of donations and grants to supplement their work in the community. One resource – the Bishop George W. Ahr Endowment Fund – is now accepting requests for grants from such organizations.
The endowment fund was created to award grants for special projects that fulfill a spiritual need. Any parish, office, apostolate, individual, parish special ministry or organization is invited to apply for a grant. Eligible institutions work within the community to provide services for vulnerable and/or poor families and individuals.
Past recipients of endowment fund grants include the Center for FaithJustice, Catholic Youth Organization of Mercer County, HABCore of Red Bank, Mount Carmel Guild, Interfaith Health and Support Services of Manahawkin and St. Vincent de Paul chapters, as well as individual parish outreach groups.
In 2014, Mercer CYO used its grant to help fund food programs it operates at its Trenton sites. Despite receiving state assistance, the program is always in need of extra financial support.
“We work with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture,” said CYO grant proposal writer Nancy Podeszwa, “but we always spend more than taken in.” Podeszwa added that the Endowment Fund “has been very helpful” in their efforts to combat hunger, especially among underprivileged school children, many of whom attend the CYO’s preschool, summer camps and after school programs.
Mount Carmel Guild director Marie Gladney explained that their food assistance program also received a grant from the Endowment Fund in 2015. The money was used to help replenish MCG’s food pantry.
“It was most definitely helpful,” Gladney said. “It all goes toward serving our clients and nursing patients. We are just very grateful for any assistance we receive to help us serve the poor.”
Interfaith Health and Support Services – a non-profit 501(c)(3)organization comprised of 23 participating congregations – was also a Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund recipient in previous years. The group provides services at no cost to members of the community who are struggling to maintain their independence, many of whom are still dealing with the aftereffects of Super Storm Sandy. Services for the frail and elderly homebound include grocrey shopping, social calls, rides to medical appointments and relieving primary caregivers.
“In order to carry out our services, we need to provide proper training materials and equipment,” said IHSS executive director Maryann Collett. “We were so grateful to have received a grant from the Fund ... to help Interfaith in the training of our volunteers. The care [recipients] have also benefited from the grant to help them be independent and remain in their homes.”
Stephanie Peddicord, president of Center for FaithJustice, said that the grants they have received from the endowment fund have supplemented their youth service programs, which include middle school service projects, high school summer service camps and young adult projects – each of which can have more than 600 participants.
“Our high school program, JusticeWorks, is an overnight service immersion experience,” Peddicord explained. “It’s equal parts direct service to those in need as well as catechesis and education about community service.”
CFJ runs programs not only in the Diocese of Trenton, but also in the Diocese of Metuchen, Philadelphia and Appalachia; grant monies supplied by the Endowment Fund in 2014 and 2015 helped supplement service projects in the Diocese of Trenton – working with places like Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Crisis Ministry and community cleanups, to name a few.
“All of us in the non-profit sector, we’re reliant on financial support,” Peddicord said. “Our program fees only cover about 75 percent of what we need, so external sources help us keep the doors open. It enables us to offer good-quality programs.”
Grant monies are determined by the Bishop George W. Ahr Endowment Fund Committee. The grant is the endowment fund interest that is accumulated in a year’s time, which amounts to approximately $10,000 available for distribution.
All requests should be forwarded to Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, Pastoral Center, P. O. Box 5147, Trenton, NJ 08638, on or before May 1, 2016.