RMCNews with Joanne Smith – Aurora, Colorado …The Aurora First church, with assistance from the Rocky Mountain Conference Adventist Community Services (ACS), applied for a grant last year from the North American Division Seed Grant program, which would help them better serve those in their community who are struggling to provide the basic needs of food and clothing.
According the Adventist Community Services website, “ACS Seed Grants are awarded to ACS programs in the U.S. and Bermuda and are intended to encourage innovation and increased humanitarian service in the community.”
The church already had a food bank and a clothing store, but both were in need of repair and adjustments in order to serve more individuals efficiently, which the grant funds would allow them to accomplish.
Aurora First church was awarded the seed grant money and was able to move closer to their goal of blessing their community.
The improvements made were significant and allowed the church to double the days they are able to open for the community, explains Donna Tumbarante, Aurora First ACS leader. “With the additional refrigerator, we are able to store more perishable foods that need to be kept cold for those who visit the food pantry. We’ve also been able to remove the old carpet and add epoxy cement flooring.”
Tumbarante added, “The most significant accomplishment we’ve been able to achieve through these additions is that we are able to provide more for the community we serve and open our doors twice a month now as opposed to our previous openings once a month.”
The church is thankful for the grant money that has helped them make the needed improvements. “We extend tremendous gratitude to the ACS grant committee for considering our church for their grant. Special thanks to Cathy Kissner, RMC ACS director, for letting the church know about this opportunity. With the grant, we were able to bring the food bank and the clothing store to a more sterile level for our clients, and to purchase a much-needed trailer for hauling food from the food bank and refrigerators for storing fresh produce,” Joanne Smith, finance chair for Aurora church said.
Kissner was interested to hear that the funds are already helping the community. “Through this grant, the food pantry volunteers are blessing their community,” she said. “Every time a hungry, struggling family is fed, they are showing the love of Christ.”
To find more information about the seed grant and how to apply please click here. https://www.communityservices.org/resources/acs-grant-applications/
–RMCNews with Joanne Smith Aurora First church’s finance chair ; photo supplied
