2006 UTO Grant Awards Made to Province 7
Elaine d’Lys McClurkan, Province VII UTO Representative
The new United Thank Offering committee members were installed at the ECW Triennial Meeting in Columbus. The UTO Committee includes a representative from all nine Episcopal provinces, three returning members at large, and the UTO Coordinator staff member. The 2006 UTO grants were approved during the ECW Triennial meeting and included 8 grants totaling $102,207 to support ministries within Province VII.
2006 UTO Grants to Province VII are –
• Arkansas – Seven Hills Homeless Center, $7300, to partially underwrite startup funds for a social worker at a homeless shelter
• Kansas – Episcopal Community Services, $5000, to train volunteers as mediators in a victim offender reconciliation program
• Northwest Texas – Lubbock Interfaith Hospitality Network, $10,000, to add case management and transportation services to homeless families
• Oklahoma – Matthew 25 Mission of Ada, Inc, $10,000, contributes to a full time director and acquire a larger space to expand a food program
• Texas – Ubi Caritas, $20,000, to construct an ADA compliant parking lot for a community medical outreach ministry, replacing the lot damaged by Hurricane Rita
• West Missouri – Episcopal Community Services, $20,000, fund for a Chef trainer position for a ministry offering job training and meals for homeless and unemployed
• Western Kansas – St Francis Episcopal Church, $9000, implement a drama and creative arts program in a residential treatment program for adolescent boys with severe behavioral problems
• Western Louisiana – The Open Door, $20,907, provide office equipment for a ministry to women on parole or probation
UTO is not a stewardship campaign or fundraiser. The United Thank Offering is a ministry of the Episcopal Church encouraging every person in the offering of daily thankful prayer for all the blessings in our lives, recognizing that all we have comes from God alone. As we recognize our blessings, our thankful prayer can lead us into a deeper relationship with God. In addition to the offering of ourselves, thank offerings made via our “little blue box” are gathered together in twice yearly ingatherings. These offerings are over and above any individuals’ regular stewardship, with the result being the annual United Thank Offering outreach grants. The UTO grant criteria is simple, each grant application must address compelling human need, and, expand the mission and ministry of the church. Each year UTO grants result in answered prayer for countless others across our communities and the world, truly an ‘action of grace’.
100% of all United Thank Offering monies are granted each year. This is made possible because national administrative expenses are covered by the UTO’s Memorial & Gift Trust Fund, established over 30 years ago for this purpose. At the diocesan and local levels, the work of the volunteer diocesan UTO Coordinator is underwritten by diocesan ECWs or diocesan Bishop’s offices. The national UTO committee members are also volunteers. There are only two paid staff members, provided by the national Episcopal Church along with the accounting services necessary to administer the offering trust funds and grant dispersals.
The next UTO Ingathering Dates are November 5, 2006, the Sunday after All Saints’, and May 20, 2007, the Sunday of the Ascension. The 2007 UTO grant applications were mailed to all the diocesan bishop’s offices the first week of October. If you are aware of any project or ministry within your diocese that could benefit from a UTO grant, please contact your diocesan office and/or your diocesan UTO coordinator. In order to be considered, fully complete 2007 UTO grants must be received at the UTO office at the Episcopal Church Center at “815” no later than January 31, 2007, and must be accompanied by the diocesan Bishop’s signature and letter of support.
For additional information about the United Thank Offering and the UTO grant process, visit the UTO website at www.episcopalchurch.org/uto. Or, contact Elaine d’Lys McClurkan, Province VII UTO Representative, at 979.492.1926 or elaine.dlys@edmcc.net
