Latest round of Catholic Charities grants supports housing, feeding programs

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg has awarded $37,500 in grants to eight organizations from its Diocesan Poverty Relief Fund.

The fund, founded by former Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt in 2009, is for organizations in the four-county diocese that accept and promote the mission of the Catholic Church in their care for the poor and needy, according to Catholic Charities.

“These grants support a wide variety of programs that help the homeless, families in need, the hungry and families with very limited resources who are having a child,” Monsignor Raymond Riffle, managing director of Catholic Charities, told the Catholic Accent.

Grant applications are received year-round, and awards are made after a January review of applications that are received by Nov. 2.

The 2018-19 grant recipients are as follows:

• Christian Layman Corps, Greensburg — $5,000, A Bed for Every Child program
• St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Paul Parish, Greensburg — $5,000, Utility Super Fund
• Feeding the Spirit, Greensburg — $5,000, stable housing rent assistance program
• Tri-City Meals on Wheels, Greensburg — $2,500, air conditioning replacement
• Union Mission, Latrobe — $5,000, emergency men’s shelter project
• Alternatives YES, Connellsville — $5,000, Earn While You Learn program
• Connellsville Area Community Ministries — $5,000, Support Success program
• St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. James the Greater Conference, Apollo — $5,000, poverty relief project

A diocesan-wide collection for the Poverty Relief Fund is taken every year on the weekend before Thanksgiving.