VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 11/16/17)—Forty Matthew 25 Grants ranging from $250 to $3,000 were awarded in October to applicants who provide a large 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 address 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 weekly meals for homeless and disadvantaged people;
• 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;
• Purchase food for holiday meal programs for a community;
• Provide educational materials to support an after school program that offers tutoring;
• Provide clothing closets for elementary school children;
• And more.

Please visit www.abc-usa.org/matthew25 for additional information. Materials for the 2019 cycle will be available July 1, 2019, with a September 1, 2019 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.