UCC Global H.O.P.E. Grants 2022

Domestic

JULY 2022

Shadow Rock UCC, Phoenix, Ariz. – $7,000 to assist Afghan diplomat families stranded in countries they worked in and at risk of deportation back to Afghanistan with expenses of relocation to the Phoenix area. Funding pending identification of qualifying family(ies).(Refugee & Migration Services Seed Grant) (Afghan Resettlement)

Brightmoor Connection, Detroit, Mich. – $20,000 to help households whose economies were negatively affected by the COVID pandemic. Funds will help with payment of water bills for those households who had experienced water shutoffs during the pandemic, and provide some limited emergency housing assistance for families experiencing eviction and displacement. Funding source: Disaster Ministries Recovery and Repair Grant.

R3SM, Inc., Hattiesburg, Miss. – $20,000 in construction assistance for underserved populations, especially marginalized populations impacted by natural disasters giving priority to residents who are living with disabilities, elderly, in households with underage children and low income. The expected goal is to serve at least 10 families in multiple locations with repair and/or reconstruction needs. Disaster Ministries Recovery and Repair Grant.

JUNE 2022

UCC Montana-Northern Wyoming Conference – $3,000 Solidarity Grant for costs related to recovery from extreme flooding from rapid snow-melt and heavy rainfall in June 2022 in Carbon, Stillwater, Park, Gallantin and Yellowstone counties in Montana. The conference will hold the funds as a block grant, for distribution by local pastors (up to $800 each) for emergency supplies and repairs; housing, food, medical and other bills and expenses, and expenses of churches’ first responders while doing flood response and recovery.

Journey United Church of Christ in Slingerlands, N.Y. – $7,000 refugee resettlement grant to support teaching English as a second language, helping.refugees and immigrants build sustainable lives. A focus will be given to the recent influx of over 400 refugees from Afghanistan to the Capital Region. By opening a 2nd site, we hope to work with RISSE to multiply their impact and meet the ever-growing need.

Bowling Green/Warren County, Ky., Long-Term Recovery Group – $5,000 for organizational necessities for the LTRG’s case management and coordinated program of recovery from tornados in December 2021 and January 2022.coordinated recovery program of case management for Bowling Green and Warren County residents affected by the disaster.

Appalachia Service Project – $3,000 for transport and maintenance of shower trailers for use by volunteers coming into flood-affected areas to muck, gut and restore damaged homes.

Christian Appalachian Project – $3,000 for counseling services for those traumatized by the floods. Typically, a $3,000 grant would serve 11 individuals for one year.

Union UCC in Berea, Ky. – $3,000 toward immediate and short-term needs of Berea College student members and their families along with mission partners addressing poverty and health in Martin, Hindman and other towns.

MAY 2022

Douglas County, Neb., Community Emergency and Natural Disaster Recovery Group for The Kings Garden – $20,377 Recovery and Repair Grant, to fund completion of reconstruction of the four remaining homes of 108 severely damaged by flooding in March 2019. Funding source: Emergency U.S.A.

UCC Heartland Conference, Columbus, Ohio – $16,000 Recovery and Repair Grant to be leveraged to purchase a used pickup truck to immediately help Pathways to Homeownership in Dayton in response to the May 2019 tornadoes. The pickup, conference tool trailer and smaller trailer also will be used in other disaster recovery efforts including in the UCC Indiana-Kentucky Conference. Funding source: Emergency USA.

District 4 Disaster Recovery Group (D4DRG) Long Term Recovery Group in partnership with the UCC Michigan Conference – $5,000 Long-Term Recovery Seed Grant for start-up capital. The disaster: flooding on the far east side of Detroit in June 2021. Funding source: Emergency USA

APRIL 2022

Fulton County, Ky., Community Foundation of West Kentucky, Inc. – $5,000 toward increased capacity through purchase of two laptops, a printer/copier, ink and copy paper and securing safe storage space.

Hickman County, Ky., Community Foundation of West Kentucky, Inc. – $5,000 toward increased capacity through purchase of two laptops, a printer/copier, ink and copy paper and securing safe storage space.

Pennsylvania VOAD – $5,000 seed grant. Hurricane Ida brought tornadoes and severe flooding to Pennsylvania in September 2021.Expenses related to building PAVOAD’s capacity through the Disaster Case Management of the DART system to provide support and other services to those who are providing case management to the most vulnerable of the survivors. Of the estimated 5,000 families with unmet needs, we expect the Unmet Needs Roundtable will provide vital services to at least 225 of the most vulnerable of the survivors.

Fulton County, Ky., Community Foundation of West Kentucky, Inc. – $5,000 Seed Grant. Funds will be used to increase the capacity of the LTRG serving households in Fulton County impacted by tornado activity on December 10, 2021, through purchase of two laptops, a printer/copier, ink and copy paper and securing safe storage space. Funding source: Severe Storms 2021.

Hickman County, Ky., Community Foundation of West Kentucky, Inc.- $5,000 seed grant. Funds will be used to increase the capacity of the LTRG serving households in Fulton County impacted by tornado activity on December 10, 2021, through purchase of two laptops, a printer/copier, ink and copy paper and securing safe storage space. Funding source: Severe Storms 2021.

Eastern Shore Long-Term Recovery Committee Seed Grant – $5,000 toward recovery following an unnamed tidal flooding storm hit the lower Delmarva Peninsula on October 29, 2021. No access to state or government funding is available for temporary housing for these underserved, poor, racially, and culturally diverse households. Most, if not all, of the grant would be used to purchase materials to replace at least eight homes (new builds) and repair of over 115 homes. It will also support salary for the disaster program manager if the grant allows, with whatever cap is established. Funding source: Severe Storms 2021.

MARCH 2022

The Briggs Center for Faith & Action, founded by the Westmoreland Congregational UCC and UCC Potomac Association – $7,000 to help offset one-year housing expenses for an Afghan refugee family of six. Funding sources: $3,500 Refugee Enabling/$3,500 Emergency USA

Trinity UCC, Gettysburg, Pa. – $7,000 Afghan Refugee Resettlement Seed Grant for education and job training. Current Afghan refugee family of 10 with eight children ages 4 to 20. Funding sources: $3,500 Refugee Enabling/$3,500 Emergency USA.

Inspiritus Disaster Relief Recovery and Repair – $20,000, with $15,000 to be used to assist in bridging the gap for a Disaster Relief Program Manager and $5,000 for costs for Lead Disaster Construction Manager and Leadership Team to travel to Waverly, Tenn. Goal: repair/rebuild of 100 homes over the next year. Funding: 2021 Severe Storms Appeal.

FEBRUARY 2022

One Stop Center for Micronesians in Hawaii – $7,000. Initial focus: helping immigrants get health insurance, then to build capacity for expanding services to help new Micronesian immigrants with languages other than English as their first language navigate all systems. Funding: Emergency USA

Disaster Preparedness and Response Ministry Team – $20,000 for recovery from devastating damage from tornadoes in western Kentucky in December 2021. Funds will subsidize both volunteer work crews and construction material. Funding source: 2021 Severe Storms Appeal.

First Church of Christ Congregational, Farmington, Conn. – $7,000 to subsidize administrative expenses, housing expenses and health care needs during first three months of Afghan refugee resettlements. Funding sources: $3,500 Refugee Enabling, $3,500 Emergency USA

Faith UCC, Iowa City, Iowa – $3,000 to subsidize six months of rent for an Afghan family in the church parsonage. Funding sources: $1,500 Refugee Enabling Fund/$1,500 Emergency USA

Ada Congregational Church, Ada, Mich. – $4,000 to subsidize housing and utility costs for an Afghan refugee family of two parents and five teenaged children for 12 months. Funding sources: $2,000 Refugee Enabling Fund/$2,000 Emergency USA

Eleventh Street Bridge Community LTRG, Wilmington, Del. – $5,000 for recovery efforts for 15–20 families affected by flooding from Hurricane Ida in September 2021, including administrative needs. Funding source: 2021 Severe Storms.

First Congregational Church, Boulder, Colo. – $3,000 to assist 13 low-income families connected to the church’s Family Learning Center who lost their housing in the December 30, 2021, wildfire.

JANUARY 2022

Church World Service – $4,000 for the funeral expense and burial plot for an Afghan refugee killed in an auto/bicycle accident in December 2021. Funding source: II Corinthians Fund

Jackson County (Oregon) Community Long-Term Recovery Group – $5,000 for training in support of the LTRG’s organizational restructure.

Disaster Leadership Team, Oregon – $10,000 to support the team and its three mentors for four wildfires recovery groups.

International

JUNE 2022

ACT Alliance Horn & East Africa Appeal – $20,000 ($5,000 of which is designated through CWS) for emergency response, early recovery and resilience building for drought-affected populations in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Global Ministries partner Christian Council of Ghana – $5,000 to help women fish smokers and mongers rebuild their businesses after losing their livelihoods to torrential rains and flooding in May 2022. Funds will go toward rebuilding smokers/ovens for 20 women, purchase of fish during the bumper harvest for smoking, support for 12 families to recover their homes, and to reach 240 community leaders with sensitization of the effects of climate change and efforts to mitigate it.

ACT Alliance Ukraine Appeal – $75,000 for food, shelter, protection against violence and human trafficking, and other survival necessities for refugees and IDPs in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Subgrantee: Lutheran World Federation. (Funding Source: UCC Ukraine Emergency Appeal)

International Orthodox Christian Charities – $25,000 to support refugees, IDPs and host families in Ukraine, Romania and Poland with basic aid, including travel assistance, protection and psychosocial support. (Funding Source: UCC Ukraine Emergency Appeal)

Church World Service – $25,000 for humanitarian assistance in Moldova and Romania, including shelter, food, medical, transportation assistance, spiritual and psychological care, and anti-gender-based violence and human trafficking. (Funding Source: UCC Ukraine Emergency Appeal)

Global Ministries partner Perichoresis – $13,660 toward rent for five apartments for six months to house Ukrainian refugee families in Katerini, Greece. (Funding Source: UCC Ukraine Emergency Appeal)

Reformed Church in Transcarpathia – $12,000. One-third of the church’s members have fled the violence, yet most pastors and church leaders remain, housing IDPs, meeting needs and supporting the work of the relief and distribution centers. (Solidarity support from UCC Ukraine Emergency Appeal.)

L’Arche – $10,000 in support of persons with disabilities and their families inside Ukraine (in Lviv and Ternopil) and in Lithuania and Poland, for daily needs assistance, technology, transportation and staff support. (Funding Source: UCC Ekraine Emergency Appeal)

MAY 2022

ACT Alliance Ukraine Appeal – $50,000 for food, shelter, protection against violence and human trafficking, and other survival necessities for refugees and IDPs in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Subgrantee: Hungarian Reformed Church in America. (Funding Source: UCC Ukraine Emergency Appeal)

Zimbabwe Council of Churches via UCC/Disciples Global Ministries – $7,500 for recovery in northeastern Zimbabwe from Tropical Cyclone Ana in January. The project will train 254 households in small-scale livestock production and rehabilitate or establish 24 community gardens benefiting 450 households. Funding source: International Emergency.

Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola via UCC/Disciples Global Ministries – $10,000 via UCC/Disciples Global Ministries to help targeted communities In southwestern Angola ride out the worst drought in 40 years through food distribution and cash transfer, safe shelter, promotion of gender and climate justice, improved access to clean water, training for 300 community leaders and livelihood resilience support. Funding source: International Emergency.

APRIL 2022

Global Ministries Middle East and Europe Area Office – $10,000 in support to vulnerable Jordanian and Syrian families in Jordan. Since the pandemic and economic aftermath, they are in need of hygiene, food kits and winter clothing and of vocational training and work kits to help affected women cope. The funds also will be contributing to keep children in school; strengthening awareness of basic health practices among women, especially countering the spread of COVID-19; addressing gender equality and gender-based violence, and increase economic capacity and access to new job opportunities and home care training of men and women. Funding source: International Emergency and COVID Relief Fund.

Christian Council of Mozambique – $3,000 toward food for 140 households containing the most vulnerable in the Chimbonde district-Tete in Mozambique who lost homes in flood waters from Cyclone Ana on January 25, 2022. Funding source: International Emergency. CCM is a UCC Disaster Ministries partner through Global Ministries.

Council of Churches in Zambia – $7,000 to provide clean and safe drinking water and food to vulnerable households that were impacted by heavy flooding in the Southern and Western Provinces of Zambia in early January 2022. Funding source: International Emergency. CCZ is a UCC Disaster Ministries partner through Global Ministries.

FEBRUARY 2022

Forum for Development, Culture and Dialogue, Lebanon – $5,000 to help prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19 with distribution of emergency food and hygiene items to Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities for two months. Funding source: COVID Relief Fund. The Forum is a UCC Disaster Ministries partner through Global Ministries.

Forum for Development, Culture and Dialogue, Syria – $5,000 to help stabilize 540 displaced Syrian households to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19 with distribution of emergency food and essential hygiene items for two months. Funding source: COVID Relief Fund. The Forum is a UCC Disaster Ministries partner through Global Ministries.