VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/27/17)—Thirty-eight Matthew 25 Grants ranging from $500 to $2,100 were awarded in October to applicants who demonstrated a wide variety of service to people in need across the United States and Puerto Rico.

The Matthew 25 Grant, sponsored by the American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) Office of the General Secretary and the Board of General Ministries, is funded by a generous anonymous donor whose goal is to help meet the needs of “housing, feeding, education and health with regard to the less fortunate.” Applications are accepted once annually, and are due on September 1 of each year. The Matthew 25 Grant initiative began in 2013.

Detailed stories about the outcomes of Matthew 25 Grant awards can be found here, as recipients send in progress reports about their ministries.

In the most recent Grant cycle, awards were given to meet the following needs:

• Furnish weekend meals for children receiving free or reduced cost meals at their schools;
• Provide summer camp scholarships for children of low income families;
• Supply food for summer school programs;
• Provide school supplies and winter coats for children in a high poverty district;
• Purchase food and personal hygiene items for families in need;
• Purchase new shoes for children;
• Provide educational materials to support an after school program;
• Provide early learning reading materials for low income families;
• And more.

Please visit www.abc-usa.org/matthew25 for additional information. Materials for the 2018 cycle will be available July 1, 2018, with a September 1, 2018 deadline.

American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.