VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 11/15/16)—Thirty-four Matthew 25 Grants ranging from $500 to $3,000 were awarded in October to applicants who demonstrated a wide variety of service to people in need across the United States.

The Matthew 25 Grant, sponsored by American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) 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 now being accepted once annually, on September 1 of each year. The Matthew 25 Grant initiative began in 2013.

Detailed stories about the outcomes of Matthew 25 Grant awards are regularly posted on this website as recipients send in progress reports about their ministries. Watch for stories that may generate ministry ideas for outreach in your neighborhood!

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 free transportation for homeless individuals or families, ex-offenders or people in crisis;
• Purchase mattresses for people in need who lack bedding;
• Purchase school supplies for orphaned children;
• Payment of utilities and provision of food for families in need;
• Purchase beds, kitchen tables and chairs for disadvantaged households;
• Provide retreat support for women survivors of human trafficking and sexual violence;
• Provide security deposits for homeless individuals now ready to move into their own residences;
• And many more.

Please check our website for an updated application which will be available July 1, 2017, with a September 1, 2017, deadline, at www.abc-usa.org/matthew25.

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