Fund Board Acts on Relief Grants
Episcopal News Service. March 4, 1982 [82063]
GREENWICH, Conn. (DPS, March 4) -- At its February meeting, the Board of the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief approved regular grants totaling $281,087 for refugees, relief and rehabilitation and short term development grants, in addition to $62,750 in emergency grants already disbursed.
The board heard a report by the Fund's director, the Rev. Samir J. Habiby, and other staff on the new direct relationship authorized at the November 1981 board meeting between the Bureau for Refugee Programs/Department of State and the Episcopal Church for the reception and placement of refugees by dioceses and parishes through the Presiding Bishop's Fund.
Habiby reported on conversations with Church World Service officers following this step and shared a letter to the Rev. William DuVal, chairman of that group's Immigration & Refugee Program committee in which he assured them that the new "cooperative agreement" did not mean a lessening of ecumenical concern. "The Church and the Fund remain fully committed to ecumenical cooperation and effective sharing of resources. I would also stress that this Church will continue its traditional, warm support of Church World Service's endeavors in meeting its share of the overall budget."
In commenting on the final financial report for 1981, Habiby noted that the actual income for 1981 from church giving to the Fund was $2,278,100.85. This was in addition to U.S. Government derived reception and placement grants totaling $763,039.40 and $247,625.56 remaining available funds from the Rochester Gift. In addition, there was $850,000 contributed by the Diocese of Southwest Florida in Global Hunger monies to Venture in Mission.
Habiby noted that the general undesignated receipts of $1,464,900.78 indicated a strong support of the Fund's program. This represents a 30.6 percent increase over 1980.
The Fund is continuing its East Africa Appeal for which Presiding Bishop John M. Allin in his Christmas-Epiphany letter, called "upon all Episcopalians this Christmas-Epiphany Season to pray for the peoples of the Horn of East Africa and to give to the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief to help alleviate their suffering." Nearly $150,000 had been received for that appeal by year-end.
The board formally endorsed eleven emergency grants made in 1982 to date, for a total of $62,750.
The Administration and Finance Committee reaffirmed the need to establish a reserve fund line item of 10 percent of the total estimated 1982 general (undersignated) receipts, which, to start 1982, should be $160,000.
In consideration of regular funding requests, the board approved the following rehabilitation and development grants as recommended by the Grants Committee (listed by diocese):
- Mississippi Food and Nutrition and Human Services, dealing with the overall symptoms of poverty in Tallahatchie County, $9,500.
- Spokane Food Bank, $4,000.
- Haiti for training of Haitian religious sisters, $30,000.
- Tennessee (APSO) for the Plateau Home School to address a high drop-out rate in Morgan County Schools, $5,000.
- Lexington for Interfaith of Bell County in its role as one of information, renewal and advocacy, $7,200.
- Washington Policy and Education Project (Development GAP), $10,000.
- Nicaragua, CEPAD, $5,000.
- Bethlehem Urban/Rural Food Interdependencies (VOICE), $10,000.
- Arizona World Hunger Ecumenical Arizona Taskforce, $1,500.
- Applied Nutrition Program, Antigua (Meals for Millions/Freedom from Hunger Foundation), $12,000.
- New York Local Church Guide to World Hunger Organization, $2,000.
- Los Angeles for its African Studies Center at UCLA in partnership with the Episcopal Church, $25,000.
- Washington Free Clinic for adolescent health/education/counseling community outreach, $30,500.
- L os Angeles Interfaith Hunger Coalition, emergency food assistance networking project, $10,000.
The Refugee/Migration Affairs Committee submitted the following grant requests, totaling $93,887 in Church-donated funds (CF) and $25,500 in Bureau for Refugee Programs government-derived funding (BRP):
- To provide interpreters, arrival orientation and follow-up services for new refugee arrivals in Colorado: $7,500 (BRP);
- To ease the adjustment of arriving refugees, to help them achieve selfsufficiency and to promote the principle of mutual assistance through Indochinese Refugee Social Services in Virginia: $11,000 (CF);
- For sponsorship, resettlement, job counseling, English as a second language (ESL) and spiritual guidance for all refugees arriving through Eastern Christian Refugee Center in Newark: $8,000 (BRP) and $4,500 (CF);
- To provide orientation assistance and pastoral care for Cuban and other Latin American refugees, maintain half-way homes for Cuban "B" cases and offer paralegal interpreter services through the Episcopal Center Refugee Services in Louisiana: $10,000 (BRP) and $42,087 (CF);
- To provide direct services and to provide basic personal needs for resident Haitians through the Haitian Refugee Project. To provide ESL, legal assistance and to promote advocacy on behalf of Haitians in Lexington: $4,000 (CF);
- To support ongoing extensive ELS programs in Olympia through St. Peter's Church in Seattle: $4,800 (CF);
- To support a program coordinator of ESL in Olympia through St. John's Church in Seattle: $3,500 (CF);
- To the National Coalition for Refugee Resettlement (PBF/WR contribution for membership and program support): $3,000 (CF);
- To the American Immigration and Citizenship Conference (PBF/WR membership contribution): $1,000 (CF);
- To the Church of the Province of Kenya for pastoral ministry to refugees: $20,000 (CF).
In reporting out its programs, the Committee on Refugee/Migration Affairs passed on a resolution regarding the issue of alleged use of virulent toxins in chemical and biological warfare in Southeast Asia, and sent it to the Executive Council. The Council endorsed it and forwarded it to government authorities.
Dr. Edward A. Holmes, the collegial officer for Overseas Development, reported on long range development, stating that meetings recently completed during his trip to the Sudan resulted in a revised, but satisfactory, proposal for $3.4 million in relief and long term development grants to that country.
The Education & Communication Committee commended Mr. & Mrs. John Goodbody who have retired for the second time. They also stressed the importance and urgency of continuing the Network Office.
Other positions on the staff of the Fund which are open are the Special Services Officer and the Administration/Finance Officer, both in the Refugee/Migration Section.