The Diocese of Allentown has announced that 18 programs and agencies from the five counties that make up the Diocese have been awarded Poverty Relief Fund grants totaling a record $119,000. The money is allocated from the proceeds of the Poverty Relief Fund collection taken up in the 84 parishes of the Diocese on the third weekend in November.
Applications for the grants came to $143,000, more money than was received in the collection.
This year’s recipients, their awards, and the programs the grant will fund are as follows:
- $8,000 to Holy Family Manor, Bethlehem for services to indigent residents.
- $5,000 to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Allentown for counseling services at schools throughout the Diocese.
- $5,000 to the Central City Project at Allentown Central Catholic High School for an urban garden and community dinners for the poor.
- $10,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at the Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena Parish in Allentown for basic needs of people in emergency situations.
- $3,500 to the Bountiful Table Program at St. Matthew the Evangelist Parish in Minersville for its delivery food program.
- $5,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. John XXIII Parish in Tamaqua for its baby food ministry.
- $10,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Joseph Parish in Coopersburg for emergency and longer term housing needs.
- $10,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Anne Parish in Bethlehem for its rental and utility assistance program.
- $10,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at Notre Dame Parish in Bethlehem for rental, utility and food assistance.
- $10,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Joseph Parish in Summit Hill for community dinners, utility relief, a community garden, clothing and household item support.
- $1,000 to the Divine Mercy Cenacle at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Orefield for its food pantry.
- $2,000 to the Outreach Group at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Allentown for food, clothing and financial assistance.
- $1,500 to St. Mary Parish in Kutztown to support local ecumenical efforts for the Potato Project.
- $10,000 to Servants to All, an emergency shelter that offers supportive services to the homeless in Pottsville.
- $10,000 to the School Sisters of St. Francis in Bethlehem for restoration of an outbuilding at their farm project, which provides vegetables and food for area food banks.
- $4,000 to Stephen’s Place in Bethlehem, a transitional housing program for male inmates to provide recreation activities, life skills and counseling.
- $4,000 to the Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative through St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Whitehall.
- $10,000 for Clare of Assisi House in Reading, which provides transitional residential services and life skills training for women coming out of prison.
The 2019 Poverty Relief Fund collection will be taken up at all churches in the Diocese of Allentown on November 16 and 17.
