Msgr. Gregory D. Vaughan, former diocesan vicar general and moderator of the curia, announced in late June the following organizations as recipients of grants through the 2012 Bishop George W. Ahr Endowment Fund.

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.

The Bishop George W. Ahr Endowment Fund Committee selects from the pool of applicants who describe the amount needed with a detailed rationale for the request.

This year’s recipients are:

Birthright of Ocean County, $500: Birthright is a pro-life, non-political international service organization dedicated to a healthy mother having a healthy baby. Proceeds from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will give pregnant women the support they need to choose life for their unborn children by providing care and supplies before and after the birth of the babies.

Catholic Charities, Diocesan and Parish Services, Red Bank, $500: Proceeds from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will provide on-site counseling services to parishioners of St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck.

Kateri Day Camp, Wickatunk, $1,000: Kateri Day Camp is an entity of Collier Services. Proceeds from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will provide support to economically disadvantaged children to attend the camp.    

1st Way of Burlington County, Beverly, $500: 1st Way provides pregnancy tests, baby and maternity clothing, formula, food, diapers and equipment to women and girls with unplanned pregnancies free of charge.

HABcore, Red Bank, $750: HABcore is a not-for-profit corporation in Red Bank devoted to providing housing and supportive services in a family-like setting to low-income persons and those who are homeless, disabled or unable to care for themselves. The grant from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will assist with rent subsidization for the less fortunate in the Red Bank area.

Mount Carmel Guild, Trenton, $1,000: An inner-city Trenton-based diocesan agency, Mount Carmel Guild provides assistance to the poor through its Emergency Assistance Program and Home Health Nursing Program. The Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will assist with the cost of prescriptions to individuals and families in chronic or temporary crisis.

St. Veronica Parish, Howell, Faith Community Nursing Ministry, $500: Proceeds from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will assist with the purchase of blood pressure monitoring sets and pulse oximatry kits to be used by the nurses when they visit the homebound.

Chaplain, New Jersey State Prison, Trenton, $500: Proceeds from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will assist with the purchase of materials for the religious development of the inmates.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown, $500: The Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will help the parish to purchase communication equipment to maximize the learning abilities, independence and quality of communal prayer among their special needs children.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Asbury Park, $500: Proceeds from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will go toward purchasing of food to be distributed to the hungry of the Asbury Park area.

St. Anthony of Padua Parish Pro-Life Group, Hightstown, $250: Proceeds from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will help the parish to purchase pro-life literature, posters and other educational material.

St. Vincent DePaul Society Conference of Holy Eucharist Church, Tabernacle, $500: Proceeds from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will assist the conference in providing financial, food and counseling services to the needy

St. Vincent DePaul Society Conference of St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Burlington, $500:  Monies from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will be directed toward the cost of equipment the conference will need to distribute food to the poor.

St. Vincent DePaul Society Conference of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, $1,000: Monies from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will help to cover the installation cost of a new walk-in-freezer at the Caring Center and Thrift Store

St. Vincent DePaul Society Conference of St. Rose Parish, Belmar, $500: Monies from the Bishop Ahr Endowment Fund will be added to the funds being collected for the purchase of a used moving truck.