The
United Thank Offering (UTO) of the Episcopal Church awarded 34 grants
last week and one of them went to a project here in Southern Virginia.
St. Paul's, Newport News, was awarded a grant of $23,400 for its Inner
City Improvement project.
Newport News and Hampton have high
rates of drug and alcohol dependent individuals who are homeless and
unemployed. Drug and alcohol dependencies result in health crises and
repeated arrests and convictions. When released, individuals have no
resources with which to re-engage in the community, nor the coping
skills to prevent relapse.
The UTO grant funds will be
used to provide housing for AmeriCorps volunteers - working alongside
St. Paul's clergy, staff and volunteers - as they provide education,
outreach and connect individuals and families with services.
St.
Paul's project aims, through a holistic approach, to change not just
the lives of individuals, but the life of the community as a whole.
"Most inner city neighborhoods haven't seen the Resurrection; they're
still living in Good Friday. Resurrection is transformational."
