2019 Mission Society Grant Summaries
Each year, the St. Elizabeth Mission Society provides grants for programs and projects that are in line with the mission, vision and direction of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. A Franciscan Sister of Allegany (FSA) Member or Associate must be directly affiliated and actively engaged in the program or project. The maximum grant award is $5,000 (USD).
Funded grants are projects that provide service to those who are poor and promote self-sufficiency and systemic change, including food, clothing, shelter needs, medical assistance, educational programs and supplies as well as capital improvements and equipment. An accountability report is due at the conclusion of the grant cycle.
Printable 2019 Grant Summaries – PDF
Installation of Vacuum Assisted Toilets – Alvernia Prep School – Kingston, Jamaica
$5,000.00 Sr. Teresita M. DeSouza, OSF
At Alvernia Prep, the monthly water bills were often exceeding $3,300 (U.S.) for the 200 student school. Water is a precious commodity and, at the time of request, funds that would have been going towards bettering the students learning and education are used to cover this water bill. The Mission Society grant has allowed the installation of vacuum assisted toilets within the school, which utilize mostly air as a means of disposing of waste. This has significantly reduced the waste of water and the monthly bill of Alvernia Prep.
Literacy for All – Brunswick County Literacy Council, Inc. – Brunswick Co./Supply, NC
$2,500.00 Teddy Altreuter
The Brunswick County Literacy Council’s “Literacy for All” Program focuses on educational materials and supplies for families and individuals below the poverty line, those who want to complete their high school education, those who wish to learn to speak English as a second language, and as a general means to help promote self- sufficiency. Grant funding from the Mission Society has enabled this program to update their materials and provide tutors that have assisted with 110 adult residents, ages 16 and up.
Hunger in the NY Area of the US/Northern Appalachia Region – Canticle Farm, Inc. – Allegany, NY
$4,000.00 Sr. Melissa Scholl, OSF
Canticle Farm is a non-profit, Certified Naturally Grown (CNG), Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm and is a sponsored ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. The Sponsored Share Program provides at least 20% of its CSA shares to individuals and families in need. This local, healthy, naturally grown food is distributed through local food pantries, hot meal programs, shelters and recovery sites. Recipients are educated on how to utilize the fresh vegetables into their daily diets. The Mission Society grant provides 6.5 shares of produce. One share provides sufficient vegetables for a family of five people for 17 weeks.
Support Program for Families in Socially Vulnerable Situations – Franciscan Sisters of Allegany – Region – Brazil – AFIA – Anápolis, GO
$5,000.00 Sr. Ir. Maria Isa Batista, OSF
This project has the purpose providing assistance to families and individuals that live a life below the poverty line. At the time of request, families came to the Brave Mother Convent once a month for a time of prayer, guidance, and formation, while also receiving a food basket. Grant funding helped to provide food, medical assistance, articles of personal hygiene, medical appointments and exams, clothing and blankets, and other needs that contributed to the well-being and quality of the lives of the families involved.
College Scholarships – Hermanas Franciscanas – La Paz, Bolivia
$4,500.00 Srs. Elvira Donaldson & Maria Miranda
This program strives to help young people rise from poverty and become integral members of society. Each student that is chosen to go on to college will be mentored and have their progress monitored. The estimated cost to send one student to university is about $1,500 (U.S). With the grant funding given by the Mission Society, this program had the capabilities to send three youths to college. This money helped to cover the cost of tuition, books, and transportation for each student.
Sandwiches for the Homeless Ministry – Holy Cross Parish – Springfield, MA
$5,000.00 Sr. Cindy Matthews, OSF
Sandwiches for the Homeless provides food (sandwiches/drinks), socks and underwear to 200 homeless individuals in Springfield, Mass. every Sunday. The ministry, which includes parishioners and interested groups, has been making 400 ham and turkey sandwiches every week since 2006 and began providing basic clothing in 2011. The Mission Society grant made it possible to purchase the necessary ingredients for sandwiches distributed weekly to our homeless brothers and sisters in Springfield.
Responding to the Needs of the Rural Elderly – New Ministries – Cincinnatus, NY
$3,450.00 Sr. Harriet Hamilton, OSF
This program hopes to alleviate the stressors of living alone for individuals between the ages of 70 and 90 who have limited resources due to health issues, finances, and/or isolation. The grant funding provided by the Mission Society allowed for the purchase of medical alert systems (4), mobile air conditioners (5), and suitable chairs (15) for the elderly, and computer lessons (10) to allow them to be more self-sufficient.
Water to Live – Sacred Family Community Center – Macajaba- Bahia, Brazil
$5,000.00 Sr. Ir. Cleusa Alves da Silva
This project is the work of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, along with the Caritas Parish in Macajaba. This program assisted families in the area with catching rain water, providing water-care training, and building cisterns with the capacity to hold 16,000 liters of water. A total of 15 families were helped with Mission Society funding.
Educational Programs and Supplies – Social Action Association Jesus of Nazareth – Diocese of Miracema, Miracema do Tocantins, Brazil
$2,025.00 Sr. Ir. Maria Cecilia Bandeira, OSF
The John J. Burke Social Integration Project aims for promoting socialization and inclusion among adolescents and children through the arts and art-educational activities. It is hoped that through continued involvement with this program, young people will the necessary skills to socialize and rise out of socio-economic hardships. Through the funding by the Mission Society, the John J. Burke Social Integration Program has enabled 300 children to participate in monthly art courses, music and rhythms, and exhibitions that show off the skills learned for parents and the surrounding community.
Partitions Construction in Classrooms – St. Aloysius Primary School – Kingston, Jamaica
$4,000.00 Sr. Teresita M. DeSouza, OSF
The St. Aloysius Primary School, at the time of request for funding, were using chalkboards to separate classrooms, which was not adequate for a healthy learning environment. Using the grant from the Mission Society, the primary school was able to install partitions to three of the classrooms, which has improved the quality of learning and academic performance for the students affected.
Human Concerns- Homeless Prevention Program – St. Francis Community Center, LBICC, Inc. – Long Beach Township, NJ
$4,000.00 Madeline Foley, Associate
The St. Francis Human Concerns department and food pantry serves the community of Southern Ocean county, specifically low income and poverty level families that have a variety of needs. Although usually providing food, the money granted from the Mission Society will fill in the gaps in funding to allow the program to help with homelessness. The Mission Society grant enabled them to alleviate stress explicitly tied to rent/mortgage payments. The families, estimated at a cost of $500 each, received help to remain in their homes and avoid eviction and/or homelessness.
Resource Room – St. Francis Primary and Infant School – Kingston, Jamaica
$5,000.00 Sr. Maureen Clare Hall
Serving children between the ages of 4 and 12, the St. Francis Primary and Infant School has a higher need for literacy intervention, resting at 30% of the 830 enrolled students. Currently, at the time of funding requested, the school was providing all literacy help from within the school’s library, which is not ideal as the students are constantly interrupted and distracted with other classes nearby. With the help of the Mission Society’s grant, the St. Francis Primary and Infant School was able to construct a Resource Room that is better suited for the needs of the students, as well as able to provide academic assistance to parents.
Improved Music Program – St. Joseph’s Infant School – Kingston, Jamaica
$600.00 Sr. Teresita M. DeSouza, OSF
The project “Improved Music Program” was implemented to get the students of St. Joseph’s Infant School percussion instruments. It is the ultimate goal of the school to eventually have a school band. A grant from the Mission Society enabled the school to buy enough percussive instruments for the 303 students, as well as 200 adults who attend school functions to gather a greater appreciation for different genres of music.
Front Porch Resurfacing Phase I – St. Joseph’s Infant School – Kingston, Jamaica
$1,700.00 Sr. Teresita M. DeSouza, OSF
The porch/walkway in front of the downstairs classrooms, as well as the main entrance to the school, was riddled with pot-holes and in dire need of repair. Utilizing the grant from the Mission Society, the St. Joseph’s Infant School will be able to be resurfaced, allowing for a smooth entrance and will enable to kids to play games such as hop-scotch and building blocks out-of-doors and will generally lift morale around the school.
New Freezer for Protein Pantry for the Hungry – Trinity Café – Tampa, FL
$3,225.00 Sr. Avril Chin Fatt, OSF
Trinity Café’s 365-days-a-year program provides chef-prepared meals to the poverty-stricken children, women and men in Tampa, Florida from two locations. At least 450 meals are prepared and served daily. Meals are served unconditionally to all who are hungry. An efficient and reliable freezer is paramount to a successful operation such as this. A grant from the Mission Society provided funds for the café to purchase a new commercial freezer, as well as an electrical upgrade to run the freezer and plastic bags for guests to take food home with them, enabling the ministry to continue to serve meals with dignity to the hungry in Tampa, Florida.
Equipment/New Oven – The Warming House – St. Bonaventure, NY
$4,400.00 Sr. Barbara Bartkowiak, OSF
The Warming House serves a dinner-time meal six days a week, year round. Through its service, it seeks to uphold the dignity of every guest no matter their circumstances and provide nourishment for mind, body, and soul. An efficient oven is crucial to this kind of operation. Due to its wear and age, the oven cost less to replace than to repair. With the Mission Society’s funding, the Warming House was able to purchase, deliver, and install a new commercial oven with additional racks to continue to serve meals to their community.
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