CiP grant presented during ABHMS board meeting

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 6/22/16)—During American Baptist Home Mission Societies’ (ABHMS) board of directors meeting here this morning, ABHMS Executive Director Dr. Jeffrey Haggray presented a $4,000 Justice for Children Initiative Children in Poverty (CiP) grant to Second Baptist Church of Germantown (SBCG), Philadelphia, to support the Children’s Initiative of the Philadelphia Interfaith Housing Network (PIHN).

SBCG is a member of PIHN. Today is the final day of a three-day ABHMS board of directors meeting at DoubleTree by Hilton hotel.

Employing three components—art therapy, summer camp and school uniforms—the Children’s Initiative provides care to homeless children who stay in PIHN’s churched-based shelters. SBCG writes that the grant will provide 30 one-hour group art therapy sessions for 25 children; 75 30- to 60-minute art therapy sessions for 10 individual children; 25 camp scholarships; and 20 school uniforms.

Homeless children and those in poverty can suffer academically, psychologically and socially, and the long-term effects of homelessness and poverty on children are well-known. PIHN’s counseling, art therapy and other offerings can help children cope with and recover from the effects of homelessness and poverty.

This grant presentation represents one of many CiP grants awarded by ABHMS. A list of other 2016 Justice for Children Initiative CiP grant recipients is available online.

American Baptist Home Mission Societies ministers as the caring heart and serving hands of Jesus Christ across the United States and Puerto Rico through a multitude of initiatives that focus on leadership, discipleship and healing communities.

American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with over 5,200 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.