Show me the money
Grants provide vital funds for older adult and children's ministries

By Annette Spence

Where does the money go? In the case of two different grant programs in Holston Conference, it's easy to find tangible evidence of how grant money is used to build ministries for older adult and children's ministries.

In June, the Holston Conference Foundation awarded 19 grants totaling $51,709 to church groups providing educational, recreational, and spiritual programming for seniors. The grants are awarded from the Margaret Grizzell Loving Trust, established as a permanent fund in memory of a member from State Street United Methodist Church in Abingdon District. Margaret Loving, who reportedly was concerned about senior citizens as well as youth, died in 1995.

In May, the Change for Children Committee awarded nine grants totaling $27,900 to church groups providing children's ministries. Change for Children funds are generated by local churches, which are encouraged to collect loose change for the grant program throughout the year. In 2006, an additional $27,900, donated by local churches, was equally distributed to three ministries for African children: Ishe Anesu in Zimbabwe, Operation Classroom in Liberia, and Holston's own "Hope for the Children of Sudan."

Loving the older adults
Clara Latham, age 94, is one of six older adults who is connected to South Bristol UMC, yet can no longer attend worship services. Two live in nursing homes; four, like Latham, live at home.

South Bristol also has a few senior citizens who are able to attend worship services, but have trouble hearing the services.

Two separate $1,500 grants from the Margaret Loving Trust have enabled the Abingdon District church to address these needs, according to the Rev. Charles Ledger. One grant helped pay for a CD burner, duplicator, and small CD players for the shut-ins. The other grant helped the church improve its sound system and purchase hearing assist devices. After purchasing the transmitters, Ledger discovered that more of his congregation needed hearing assistance than he realized.

"We thought there were only two," he says. "There are seven, but they don't want anyone to know they're hearing-impaired," he said. The devices are stored in the back of the church to allow worshippers to pick them up with discretion. Two extra devices are kept for visitors.

Meanwhile, shut-ins like Latham feel more connected to the church through CDs of the Sunday morning services and CD players provided by the church. Because the CD players are all the same, Ledger can even instruct senior citizens on how to use them over the telephone, when questions arise.

"Without the Loving grant and the Foundation, these two projects would not have been possible," said Ledger, adding that parishioners were inspired to provide further financial assistance because the conference did first.

At Concord UMC in Oak Ridge District, Diane Wright also expresses appreciation for a $7,000 Margaret Loving grant that she says "we couldn't do without. We're so dependent on the generosity of others."

In November 2005, Concord started a new ministry known as CADES, or Concord Adult Day Enrichment Services. The adult day center provides daytime care, companionship, assistance, and structured activities to older adults who are unable to stay at home alone.

Today, CADES serves 16 participants, an increase from 12 in April. But with only two full-time employees, this fledgling ministry puts the Loving grant as well other financial contributions to immediate and vital use.

"We've used [the grant] for everything, from antibacterial pumps to brochures," says Wright. "We used it to hire a part-time program assistant over the summer and to provide meals and snacks for our participants." Currently, the goal is to establish pet therapy, art therapy, and a music program, which all require supplies that will be paid for through the grant.

"We're in a growth phase, so we are so appreciative of this assistance," said Wright.

For more information about the Holston Conference Foundation or for a Loving grant application, visit http://holston.org/foundation or call toll-free (866) 690-4080.

Change for Children
"On a good day," Community UMC has 25 to 30 in worship attendance, says Tina Shelton. Yet every Tuesday night, this Kingsport District congregation serves 60 children with supper, games, and Christian education, as well as with Christmas gifts, school supplies, and other needs as they arise.

"I really didn't understand how much it costs to feed 60 children, until now," said Shelton, who helped her church begin the "Terrific Tuesdays" ministry in 1999. Through a $2,500 Change for Children grant, Shelton and her co-parishioners are able to keep the ministry going for the low-income community it serves.

"Our back door looks out on this project," she said, adding that only 10 of the 60 regular participants are from church families. "We just take it one day at a time, asking businesses and other churches to help us. This Change for Children grant is a wonderful thing for us, because we can use it for food, materials, or whatever comes up."

At Brainerd UMC in Chattanooga District, a $5,000 grant helped support Summerfest, a free, four-week summer day camp for 80 children "with limited circumstances," according to Jean Moore. Recommended by teachers and guidance counselors, the children participated in prayer, classes ranging from music to manners, field trips and physical education.

"There's nothing more helpful - in a community where people are struggling and working hard - than to have a safe, fun, good, and interesting place for children to go to in the summer," said Moore, Brainerd's Summerfest Committee chair.

The Change for Children grant answered prayers, said Moore, because the check came soon after Brainerd leaders learned that a local foundation would have to reduce its usual contribution by $10,000.

For more information about Change for Children, call the Connectional Ministries office at (866) 690-4080 or visit www.holstonkids.com (click on "Advocacy").

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