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Note #8046 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Grants aid rural community programs
03540
December 12, 2003

Grants aid rural community programs

$37,600 will bolster youth, multi-cultural projects

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - A Presbyterian Rural Ministry Network task group has awarded
grants totaling $37,600 to 13 community-enrichment projects around the
country.

Five of the grants went to programs involving young people or the elderly;
three grants went to multicultural-related programs, while three others were
awarded to projects involving parish nursing or heath-care.

"This year we continue to be reminded of the needs of children, youth and the
elderly in rural communities as well as the need for preventative health
care," said Diana Stephen, associate for Network Support for Rural and Small
Church Ministries for the Presbyterian Church (USA). "We are thankful that
this grant program is able to affirm the PC(USA)'s commitment to rural
churches and communities."

 The PC(USA)'s Rural Ministry Network is a voluntary association of people
throughout the church involved or interested in rural ministry. The network
chose the grant recipients during a Sept. 23 conference call.

 The grant program was created by action of the 1991 General Assembly and has
awarded annual grants since 1992. Money is derived from the budget of the
Evangelism and Church Development office of the National Ministries Division.

The programs:

* Parish Partner Youth Project, DeTour Village, MI (Mackinac Presbytery,
Synod of the Covenant): $3,000 to support community outreach program to
unchurched middle school and high school youth.

* Latino Advocacy Project of the Ohio Region, Dayton, OH (Miami Presbytery,
Synod of the Covenant): $2,600 to support project aimed at changing public
policy in Ohio allowing driver's licenses to be issued to agricultural
workers in the region without requiring a Social Security card or visa.

* HOPE for the Heartland, Williamsburg, IA (East Iowa Presbytery, Synod of
Lakes and Prairies): $3,000 to support volunteer program that will bring
youth and adults to rural communities to experience rural life, serve people
living in poverty, and assisting in the rehabilitation of rural housing.

* Radio Postville, Postville, IA (John Knox Presbytery, Synod of Lakes and
Prairies): $3,000 to support community-owned radio station in Postville
seeking to reach Hispanic and Russian-Jewish populations who have moved to
the area to work in the meat packing plants and to build bridges between
long-term residents and newcomers.

* Befriender Ministry, Grandin, ND (Northern Plains Presbytery, Synod of
Lakes and Prairies): $2,500 to support training volunteers to serve
ecumenical Parish nursing program.

* Dream Catchers of Lawrence County, Bridgeport, IL (Southeast Illinois
Presbytery, Synod of Lincoln Trails): $3,000 to support new after-school
enrichment center for elementary school children.

* Houstonia Youth Outreach, Sedalia, MO (Missouri Union Presbytery, Synod of
Mid-America): $3,000 to support outreach program to respond to spiritual and
nutritional needs of at-risk children in this small town and its surrounding
rural communities.

* Kansas Farmers and Hunters, Feeding the Hungry, Harper, KS (Southern Kansas
Presbytery, Synod of Mid-America): $2,500 to support processing of donated
deer meat to be distributed to the rural poor and Native Americans through
food banks located in seven counties of south central Kansas.

* Foothills Rural Community Ministry, Holland Patent, NY (Utica Presbytery,
Synod of the Northeast): $3,000 to help purchase computer and for supporting
staff person for the project, which addresses symptoms of rural poverty and
works to counter rural isolation by encouraging people from all economic
segments to interact and exchange ideas.

* Pine Eagle Economic Development Corp., Halfway, OR, (Eastern Oregon
Presbytery, Synod of the Pacific): $3,000 to purchase tools for construction
of affordable assisted living center. Project attempts to respond to needs of
the elderly to allow them to remain in their community.

* Planning Activities for the Total Care Parish Nursing Ministry, Jefferson,
SC (New Harmony Presbytery, Synod of South Atlantic): $3,000 to support
parish nursing and racial reconciliation programs.

* Blackburn Playground, Brady, TX (Mission Presbytery, Synod of the Sun):
$3,000 to support transformation of a vacant lot at Brady Presbyterian Church
into a recreational area for children.

*  Children's Health Pantry, Bridgeport, WV (West Virginia Presbytery, Synod
of the Trinity): $3,000 to assist in the provision of health kits that will
help low-income families resolve the problems of cleanliness and
infestations.

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