2022 Social Justice & Outreach Grants
St. Peter’s has a long-standing commitment to outreach and social justice in our Charlotte community, as part of our vision to be a place of unconditional welcome and a beacon of God’s love in the heart of Charlotte. Every year, the Social Justice & Outreach Grants Committee convenes to review applications and offer grants to not-for-profit partners in the Charlotte region who address critical needs and make a strong impact in our community. The grants process was streamlined this year to facilitate ease of application. In addition to a simpler application, this year the SJO Grants Committee piloted the Meet the Applicant initiative. Applicants were invited to a luncheon where they were provided the opportunity to further highlight the work of their organization, network with fellow applicants, and meet the SJO Grants Committee members and other St. Peter’s clergy and staff. It was wonderful hearing first-hand from each of our applicants about their important work and the impact that they make across Charlotte.
Our annual grants this year were funded by an allocation of the St. Peter’s Endowment, which was increased this year, a one-time gift given in memory of a parishioner that was directed to outreach ministries, and allocations of the operating budget and vestry reserves. St. Peter’s is making a total of $80,000 in grants this year. We partner with nonprofits which align with St. Peter’s strategic priorities, including social justice issues like voting rights, ecojustice, racism, and economic mobility, as well as outreach issues like homelessness, food insecurity, immigrant needs, and education.
These grants were approved by the Vestry, and we have communicated these awards to the grantees.
Special thanks to the 2022 SJO Committee who participated in this work: Vera Greene, Patricia Massey Hoke, Nelda Leon, Jill Owens, Deacon Robin Sands, Adam Santalla Pierce, Allison Elrod, Charmaine Welch, and Mary Gotschall. If you are interested in serving on this committee in the future, please contact Deacon Robin Sands.
We also invite you to give of your time to these organizations – all welcome volunteers to serve in a variety of ways. If you are interested in coordinating a parish-wide outreach event with one of these organizations, please contact Deacon Robin Sands.
In addition to these financial gifts, please join us in lifting up these nonprofit partners in prayer. We pray for those whom they serve, for their employees who are devoted to such important work, and for an end to the issues in our world which cause the need for these nonprofit partners to persist. We give these gifts joyfully and with hope for what they will make possible outside of our church walls.
Mary Gotschall, Vestry Liaison for Outreach, and Charmaine Welch, Vestry Liaison for Social Justice, on behalf of the Social Justice & Outreach Grants Committee
Servant Ministry Partners are the agencies supported by St. Peter’s through which we serve our neighbors, beyond and within its doors. Daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal opportunities are available to support our parish Servant Ministry Partners and faith journeys. Click here to learn more about St. Peter’s Servant Ministry Partners and how to get involved.