First Presbyterian Church Offering New Grant to Impact Young People of Pike County

A new grant being offered by the First Presbyterian Church (FPC) of Waverly is meant to support programs that address both the needs of individuals and/or systemic issues of poverty or racism that negatively impact young people.

The new annual Matthew 25 grant for projects that will have a sustaining impact on children and youth of Pike County is being offered by the church “out of a sense of obedience to a higher calling,” according to information provided by Patricia Mikelson, of FPC.

“Loving our neighbor, no matter what the challenge, is prompted by God’s amazing grace and takes us beyond the boundaries of our congregation,” the information from the church states. “We hope that this grant may just be a beginning of our attempts to reach out to the most vulnerable in our midst. Matthew 25:40: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers (or sisters), you did it unto me.”

The grant is open to any tax-exempted charitable organization, public school, library, or public agency serving children and youth in our area. In 2020, the grant will be $1,000.

According to the church, projects eligible for this grant may include one or more of the following:

• Advocacy – changing systems that disadvantage young people.
• Collaboration – programs that pull together resources to broaden support or increase the number of children served.
• Direct services that result in sustained improvement in learning and reading success, – economic skills and employment opportunities, – mental and physical health, – respect and understanding among diverse groups in individuals, – social, family and relationship skills.
• Seed money to increase financial resources for the above purposes, e.g., matching funds and/or grant writing (for non-profits without grant writing staff.)