Learn about the 2007 Thank Offering recipients

Learn more

To learn more about the Thank Offering, contact the PW associate for special offerings, Cindy Goodman at (888) 728-7228, x5387.

The Creative Ministries Offering Committee met in Louisville, Kentucky, February 2007, to review 77 proposals and approve grants totaling $983,194 from the 2006 Thank Offering of Presbyterian Women. Forty-nine projects received grants; 16 are in the United States and 33 are international.

Projects must meet criteria established by the committee:

• Be consistent with the mission concerns and policies of the PC(USA)
• Show a purpose that meets basic human needs
• Provide a form of aid that relates directly to the people being served
• Be a creative project less than three years old or a new direction for an existing program

The committee selects programs based on merit, regardless of geographic location. At least 40 percent of the Thank Offering funds go to health-related projects.

Synod of Alaska Northwest

Grace Clinic
Dental Expansion Project, Kennewick, Washington, $28,225

Increase size of a nondenominational, faith-based, free medical clinic by adding two dental treatment rooms.

Mission/Purpose Statement
Bringing Christ’s love and healing to those in need, Grace Clinic is a non-denominational, faith-based, free medical clinic, established in 2002 at United Methodist Church in Pasco, Washington. The clinic serves the medical needs of people who are in need in southeastern Washington state. Approximately 18,000 people in that area are uninsured and have incomes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level guidelines.

Read thank-you letter from Haller Lake Christian Health Clinic.

Haller Lake Christian Health Clinic
Serving More Patients at HLCHC, Seattle, Washington, $10,000

Provide quality, compassionate health care — primary medical, basic dental, professional counseling and spiritual care services — to people in north Seattle who are uninsured and have low incomes.

Mission/Purpose Statement
Haller Lake Christian Health Clinic is a free, non-denominational clinic whose mission is to provide quality compassionate health care to people in north Seattle who are uninsured and have low incomes. The clinic provides primary medical, basic dental, professional counseling and spiritual care services. Operating two half days per week, the volunteers provide service for more than 600 appointments annually.

Synod of the Lakes and Prairies

Supply meals and social interaction to senior citizens.

Mission/Purpose Statement
We are Presbyterians on a spiritual journey seeking to follow Christ by nurturing individual growth, caring for our Christian family and reaching out to the community.

Synod of Living Waters

Southminster Child Care Center
Playground Renovation, Nashville, Tennessee, $25,000

Renovate the church playground that provides an effective play area for the childcare center, the church and the children of the neighborhood.

Mission/Purpose Statement
Through positive interactions between children and their families, the center promotes health and well-being to the family unit, which strengthens the family, the neighborhood they live in and the city as a whole.

Southminster provides quality, individualized, holistic support for each child they serve. By supporting every aspect of a child’s development early in life, the program seeks to optimize children’s chances for success later in life.

Presbyterian AIDS Network (PAN)
HIV/AIDS Seminary Project, Louisville, Kentucky, $16,600

Share 2004 survey findings with meeting participants, generate ideas for best practices, ascertain gaps in practices and resources, and provide for resource development.

Mission/Purpose Statement
Seeking to follow God’s purposes for humanity and the model of Jesus, PAN works to promote healing and restoration to the community of people living with HIV/AIDS. PAN also seeks to empower people living with HIV/AIDS as well as those who minister with and care for them. PAN advocates for people with HIV/AIDS who are unable to speak for themselves or whose voices are unable to reach those in power. As PAN encourages and supports those who provide direct spiritual, physical and psycho-social care for people with HIV/AIDS, members of PAN witness to their own faith and invite others to deepen their faith in Christ. PAN is one of the 10 networks of the Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Associate (PHEWA).

Synod of Mid-America

Presbyterian Children’s Services, Inc.
Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Mothers and Fathers, St. Louis, Missouri, $30,000

One-on-one mentoring of children who have one or more parent(s) who are incarcerated or recently released from prison. Help link families to resources and services in the community.

Mission/Purpose Statement
Based upon the teachings of Christ, Presbyterian Children’s Services provides compassionate and therapeutic social, psychological and educational services to children and families of all faiths. Presbyterian Children’s Services is one of the largest child welfare agencies in Missouri, providing services to children and families for more than 90 years.

Programs include counseling, mentoring, case management, shelter, family centered casework/intensive family preservation, supported community living, group living and residential treatment. The goal of the agency is to prevent and reduce child abuse and neglect, promoting peace within families and justice in our community. The mentoring program tries to prevent child abuse and neglect by mentoring children and providing them with non-violent lifestyle choices and also by supporting parents upon release from prison.

Read thank-you letter from Presbyterian Children’s Services.

Synod of Mid-Atlantic

Meeting Ground, Inc.
Aftercare Program for Children, Youth and Families, Elkton, Maryland, $30,000

Provide support services, follow-up care and activities for families experiencing homelessness.

Mission/Purpose Statement
Meeting Ground helps meet basic human needs and address the root problems that perpetuate the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Bringing together homeless and non-homeless persons in a context of shared life and work, the program provides hospitality, shelter, food and education. At Meeting Ground, in humility, “all sit at the same table” in ministry one to another —  regardless of needs, differences or gifts — each seeking to discover one’s identity.

The AfterCare Program for Children, Youth, and Families is designed to address some specific problems that contribute to the spread of homelessness into subsequent generations. The program seeks to establish relationships with children experiencing homelessness in the Meeting Ground facilities, then follow up as these young people and their families find permanent housing. The aim is to provide activities (with scholarships) and support services by engaging mentors and volunteers with children and youth to build up the children’s self-esteem and to develop their strengths and aptitudes.

Read thank-you letter from Meeting Ground.

Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN)
African American Pastor’s Institute, Charlotte, North Carolina, $16,850

Provide compassionate care, education and leadership development for people affected by AIDS.

Mission/Purpose Statement
RAIN engages the community to transform lives and promote respect and dignity for all people touched by the AIDS crisis through compassionate care, education and leadership development.

Synod of the Northeast

Forked River Presbyterian Church
LEAP — Learn English at Preschool, Forked River, New Jersey, $29,800

Provide start-up funds for a formal volunteer resource. Assist local immigrant families in learning English.

Mission/Purpose Statement
Forked River Presbyterian Church acknowledges and declares the presence and power of the triune God. They are committed to becoming a church where every person has an opportunity to be connected to God and to others in a safe, loving and inclusive community where faith grows, the gospel spreads and the mission of caring for each other and God’s world is advanced.

The LEAP project will assist local immigrant families in learning English, enabling them to communicate with school staff, reinforce the learning and educational development of their children and assimilate into the community, workforce and nation.

Jericho Road Ministries
Women Mentoring Women Transformational Health Pilot Program, Buffalo, New York, $29,050

Hire a medical case manager to develop and implement programs that assist women as they navigate confusing medical systems, and enhance access to health care services and resources.

Mission/Purpose Statement
Jericho Road Ministries, Inc. is a non-profit organization designed to meet the transformational needs of residents that reside in the east and west sides of Buffalo, New York. They work to strengthen the relationships and character of families, children and individuals through attention to health, wellness, education and spirituality that is based on mutual understanding, trust and respect.

Synod of the Pacific

Opening Doors, Inc.
Sacramento Afghan Women’s Health Outreach, Sacramento, California, $30,000

Enable Afghan women to receive health care they are hesitant to seek because of cultural and language barriers.
         
Mission/Purpose Statement
Opening Doors, Inc. is dedicated to working with refugees, immigrants and other people who are underserved to develop their social and economic skills, wellness, and personal and financial assets to successfully assimilate into society while respecting their cultural identity and individual goals. The Sacramento Afghan Women’s Health Outreach will educate medical professionals and the Afghan community about the health care needs of Sacramento-area Afghan women, while enhancing their ability to receive culturally appropriate health care.

Synod of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Council of Churches
Faith in Action, San Juan, Puerto Rico, $30,000

In a hospital setting, support the needs of 100 elderly adults and 400 children who have chronic health conditions.

Mission/Purpose Statement

Synod of the Rocky Mountains

Rainbow Bridge
Youth and Elders Program, Denver, Colorado, $5,000

Provide training for youth volunteers who participate in youth/elder partnerships.

Mission/Purpose Statement

Synod of South Atlantic

Casa de Amistad of Northeast Georgia Presbytery
Youth and Family Education Project, Athens, Georgia, $26,374

Promote the well-being of the underserved Hispanic population through education, assistance with transportation, childcare, 4-H scholarships and volunteer training.

Mission/Purpose Statement
The mission of Casa de Amistad is to promote the well-being of the underserved Hispanic population in Athens, Georgia, through creation of a caring, harmonious, multi-cultural community that provides opportunities for interaction and mutual support between Hispanics and non-Hispanics, in the context of an ever-changing society. Casa de Amistad provides education, social services and volunteer opportunities designed to:

• improve the well-being and self-sufficiency of Hispanic individuals and families;
• increase access to opportunities and services by underserved Hispanics; and
• promote interaction between Hispanics and non-Hispanics to improve cultural awareness and address issues of mutual concern.

Synod of the Southwest

Cook School for Christian Leadership
Family Violence Intervention Leaders Program, Tempe, Arizona, $13,000

Educate Native Americans to become Family Violence Intervention Leaders who will serve on reservations and in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Mission/Purpose Statement
Cook School for Christian Leadership, a multi-denominational Christian center for learning, is committed to providing Native Americans with the knowledge and skills that will allow them to excel in accomplishing the work of their churches and communities. The school maintains close connections with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is a member of the Racial Ethnic Schools and Colleges consortium of that denomination. In its 95 years of existence, Cook has educated hundreds of students, representing some 90 tribes throughout the United States and Canada.

The college’s educational programs consist of day- and week-long workshops focusing on church leadership skills, Christianity, spirituality, and health and wellness. This program seeks to educate and empower Native American community members in the greater Phoenix area to become proactive leaders in family violence intervention and prevention.

Synod of the Sun

Saline County Safe Haven, Inc.
Expansion of domestic violence shelter, Benton, Arkansas, $30,000

Increase the size and improve the condition of the current shelter by adding two bedrooms and updating the laundry room and the heating/air conditioning system.

Mission/Purpose Statement
Saline County Safe Haven promotes and provides services that address the physical, social and emotional needs of victims of domestic violence in the community. The program offers information that engenders awareness of domestic violence, facilitates access to other resources that affirm and protect the rights of victims of domestic abuse and provides crisis call response 24 hours a day.