Grants from Church of the Brethren funds support disaster relief, food security, and congregational outreach projects

A number of grants have been made recently from Church of the Brethren denominational funds including the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) for disaster relief, the Global Food Initiative fund (GFI) for food security, and the Brethren Faith in Action fund (BFIA) to support congregational outreach projects.

Emergency Disaster Fund

$25,000 supports the ministry of the Deportation Defense Response Team initiated by Church of the Brethren districts with Intercultural Ministries and On Earth Peace, and to provide legal assistance to immigrants facing unjust actions. The team is supporting the 37 congregations in 5 districts directly affected by the escalation in immigrant detentions and deportations. The districts have raised funds for program staff but assistance is needed for other expenses. The partners in this project are seeking to raise $100,000 to support legal assistance for immigrants at risk of deportation.

“Since Jan. 20, 2025, the United States has seen a dramatic escalation in immigrant deportations and voluntary departures under President Donald Trump’s administration,” said the grant announcement. “Many of those being deported have been in the United States for years, are working and paying taxes, and have families and children in the US. The breaking apart of families, deporting one or both parents of young children, and often deporting the family’s primary breadwinner, is causing a crisis in immigrant communities. The ongoing raids and presence of ICE officers in these communities only add to the trauma experienced by children and families of US citizens as well as legally present immigrants and those who lack documentation.

“The crisis is directly impacting Church of the Brethren congregations…. Our own congregations have experienced firsthand the devastating injustices committed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Many members have been unjustly detained and deported, and many more are living in fear—afraid to attend church services, work, or go to necessary medical appointments. Throughout the country, we are witnessing beloved church members, neighbors, fathers, mothers, and children being torn from their homes, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods. They are isolated from their families and communities, and many reportedly remain in horrific conditions within overcrowded detention centers. If efforts to release them fail, many of our brothers and sisters are deported to a country they had previously fled, and some even to foreign prisons or camps.”

$33,000 is supporting the Brethren Disaster Ministries response to Hurricane Helene that affected much of the east coast in September 2024 and caused devastating flooding in western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and southern Virginia. A two-week short-term rebuilding response in Spruce Pine, N.C., took place on May 11-24. Brethren Disaster Ministries now has a new partnership opportunity in eastern Tennessee where International Orthodox Christian Charities, a fellow Church World Service member and long-time global partner for Brethren Disaster Ministries, is doing extensive work in three counties. Brethren Disaster Ministries has been invited to provide volunteers to help lead their work with the Johnson County Long Term Recovery Group from Sept. 21 to Nov. 15. Volunteers will be based in Mountain City, Tenn.

Find out more about Brethren Disaster Ministries at www.brethren.org/bdm. Support this work by giving financially to the EDF at https://churchofthebrethren.givingfuel.com/bdm

Global Food Initiative

$2,500 supports Ellisforde (Wash.) Church of the Brethren’s work with the Tonasket Emergency Food Bank, which was initiated as a nonprofit by one of the church’s deacons in 1984. In collaboration with other local churches, the congregation has provided the bulk of volunteers who attend the food bank, and the church participates in monthly conversations and reviews regarding how to continue the ministry. Due to reductions in funding from state and federal programs, there have been short falls in available resources while there also has been an upsurge in households seeking assistance. The food bank has close to 600 households registered and provides more than 15 pounds of food to 250 to 300 households each week. Children, disabled adults, and seniors make up more than two thirds of the vulnerable individuals served. The grant will support the purchase of local meat and local produce, supporting community households in need and local farmers at the same time.

$2,500 supports Akron (Ohio) First Church of the Brethren’s Community Blessing Box, which is open to anyone in need. The grant will keep the box stocked for more than a year with non-perishable food, helping the church offer better food choices with more variety in an area where low-income families and families with children face difficulty meeting their food needs. The church also has a prayer request book at the Blessing Box for people to submit prayer requests.

Find out more about the GFI at www.brethren.org/gfi. Support these grants with your financial donations at https://churchofthebrethren.givingfuel.com/gfi

Brethren Faith in Action

$5,000 is supporting the Gun Buy Back Program of Spirit of Peace Church of the Brethren and other congregations and groups in Lansing, Mich. An event is planned for Oct. 18 when guns will be received for destruction by the Lansing Police and Ingham County Sheriff’s Office. Grant funds will be used to purchase handguns and rifles, which law enforcement agencies will then destroy. Participation in the program is a significant extension of the church’s witness to promote awareness of gun violence after a mass shooting at Michigan State University in Feb. 2023. A group in the church, Plant Justice Grow Peace, continues to advocate for additional legislation to improve gun control.

$5,000 to Sunnyslope Church, a joint Church of the Brethren and United Church of Christ congregation, supports work to increase their hospitality to the community through technology, social gatherings, and hospitality. The congregation is updating part of its technology system to help increase visibility in the community; is purchasing storage bins and other equipment for Packing Friendship, a hunger relief program; is purchasing a barbecue and other kitchen essentials for hosting and serving meals; and is purchasing art supplies, resources, and supplies for development of children’s programs.

$5,000 supports the WildWood Gathering Church of the Brethren, which has been part of a Thriving Congregations cohort with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in a Lilly Endowment-funded initiative equipping churches to “fulfill their unique call and, by extension, thrive in today’s chaotic world.” Through this work the idea of a WildWood Retreat was formed to deepen relationships and strengthen community culture. Part of the grant will cover some of the costs of the retreat, making it as accessible for anyone who would like to participate. Part of the grant will purchase materials for a small group study of religious/spiritual poetry using the monastic practice of lectio divina (divine reading), which was started in 2024. In addition, funds will assist in some technological upgrades.

$3,639.75 supports Prince of Peace Church of the Brethren’s marketing and community outreach. The grant helps fund the congregation placing Facebook ads promoting their projects and outreach to the community, purchase of yard signs that share their values and promote community, the hosting of community events, creating an espresso ministry, and interacting with the local elementary school.

For more information about the BFIA and how to apply for grants, go to www.brethren.org/faith-in-action

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