ABHMS awards more than $100,000 in COVID One Great Hour of Sharing recovery grants
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 9/14/20)—Since May 2020, ABHMS has awarded $132,841 in One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) funds for COVID-19 recovery efforts in the United States and Puerto Rico. Sixty-one organizations have received grants for communities in need.
“The state of emergency we are experiencing because of COVID-19 remains critical,” says the Rev. Rothangliani Chhangte, ABHMS senior associate for Grants, Partnerships and Strategy Alignment. “The recent news of more than 193,000 deaths and new communities with higher numbers of cases now, than in the spring, is tragic. ABHMS is working alongside of our ministry partners to disburse the funds as quickly as possible to address as many needs as possible.”
Ninety-two applications for domestic recovery have been received from organizations in 29 of our 34 American Baptist Churches USA regions. Sixty-one grants have been awarded coast to coast across 28 regions. The grants support food distribution, financial assistance for students and unemployed persons, infant and child care and medical aid to homeless persons. Two grants have also been awarded for technology to facilitate academic and community connection.
The following ministry partners are the grant recipients to date. As we receive OGHS donations for domestic response, ABHMS will continue to disburse grants for “COVID RECOVERY: Renewing Hope and Service.”
| Kodiak (Alaska) Baptist Mission
Monte Vista Cross Cultural Church, Phoenix, Ariz. New Life Christian Fellowship, Castro Valley, Calif. Iglesia Bautista Fuente En El Desierto, Los Angeles |
| University of Redlands, Calif.
Grace Solutions, San Jose, Calif. First Baptist Church of South Gate, Calif. Ministerios Manantial de Amor San Fernando Valley, Van Nuys, Calif. First Baptist Church of Denver Gardens of Divine Hope Church Inc., Denver Calvary Baptist Church, Newark, Del. Lake Street Church of Evanston, Ill. Mount Olive Development Corp., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Northern Seminary, Lisle, Ill. Peoria (Ill.) Friendship House of Christian Service First Baptist Church, Bicknell, Ind. Crooked Creek Baptist Church, Indianapolis Iglesia Bautista Betesda, Indianapolis Lynhurst Baptist Church, Indianapolis |
| Iglesia Bautista La Esperanza Inc., Logansport, Ind. |
| Zo Christian Church, Logansport, Ind. |
| Bethel Neighborhood Center, Kansas City, Kan.
Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries, Lexington, Mass. Trinity Church of Northborough, Mass. Detroit Friendship House, Hamtramck, Mich. |
| Stelton Baptist Church, Edison, N.J.
First Baptist Church of Hightstown, N.J. East Dover Baptist Church, Toms River, N.J. Latino Ministers Council, New Jersey |
| Brockport (N.Y.) First Baptist Church
Primera Iglesia Bautista de Habla Española de Nueva York, N.Y. Lifeway Community Church of North Bangor, N.Y. First Baptist Church, Painted Post, N.Y. Twin Tiers Baby Bank (a family support agency), Painted Post, N.Y. Cameron Community Ministries Inc., Rochester, N.Y. Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church, Greenville, N.C. Bondage Breakers Inc. (a prison reentry agency), Akron, Ohio Affinity Missionary Baptist Church, Cleveland, Ohio The Shiloh Baptist Church of Cleveland, Ohio The Green Church/Drexel Hill Baptist Church, Gradyville, Pa. Siloam Baptist Church, Norristown, Pa. Agape Baptist Church, Philadelphia Chinese Christian Church and Center, Philadelphia First Baptist Church of Philadelphia Philadelphia Burmese Baptist Church Somerset Academy, Philadelphia Iglesia Bautista Luz del Mundo Inc., Alto, Puerto Rico Corporación Milagros del Amor, Caguas, Puerto Rico Primera Iglesia Bautista de Canovanas, Puerto Rico Iglesia Bautista La Nueva Ebenezer Inc., Cidra, Puerto Rico Primera Iglesia Bautista de Dorado, Puerto Rico |
| Primera Iglesia Bautista de Humacao, Puerto Rico |
| Iglesia Bautista Central de Villa Las Lomas, Puerto Rico
Calvary Baptist Church, Providence, R.I. First Baptist Church in America, Providence, R.I. Benedict College, Columbia, S.C. Salama Urban Ministries Inc., Nashville, Tenn. Queen Anne Baptist Church, Seattle, Wash. Milwaukee (Wis.) Myanmar Christian Church |
| First Baptist Church dba City Park Church, Casper, Wyo. |
| Church World Service |
To give to OGHS for support of relief initiatives across the United States and Puerto Rico, donations can be made online, via your church or check payable to American Baptist Home Mission Societies and mailed to the attention of Leda Carter at American Baptist Home Mission Societies, 1075 First Ave., King of Prussia, PA 19406. Write “OGHS-COVID Recovery: US & PR” on the memo line.
To give to OGHS COVID response for support of global relief efforts, donations can be made online, via your church or check payable to International Ministries and mailed to the attention of Donor Services at International Ministries, 1003 W. 9th Ave., Suite A, King of Prussia, PA 19406. Write “OGHS-COVID RESPONSE: INTERNATIONAL” on the memo line.
One hundred percent of donations go to relief efforts; no dollars are retained for administrative costs. To ensure that your church receives credit for your gift, write the church name on your check.
One Great Hour of Sharing is administered by the World Relief Committee of the Board of General Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA. The committee facilitates American Baptist emergency relief, disaster rehabilitation, refugee work and development assistance by establishing policy guidelines and overseeing distribution of the annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering received by churches.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
International Ministries, also known as the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, works cross-culturally to invite people to become disciples of Jesus Christ and to proclaim, through both word and deed, God’s reign of justice, peace and abundant life for all creation.
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.
