Everstand Alumni Grant Program

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Churches encouraged to join state-wide vaccination campaign

By Joyce M. Davis, SUSUMC Conference Lay Leader, PA UM Advocacy Coordinator

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is launching an intensive state-wide campaign to try to fight COVID-19, save lives and get more people vaccinated. And the office is seeking faith leaders and community organizations to help encourage people to get vaccinated throughout the state. 

Secretary of Health Alison Beam is even touting a new grant program to provide financial assistance to organizations – including churches – that will assist in this program aimed at saving lives from COVID-19.

The Department of Health is using its new LIVE PA Grants, which will open the week of Aug. 9, 2021, to invite local, grassroots organizations, as well as faith-based organizations, to apply for grants that will be administered through the United Way of Pennsylvania. The aim is to reach as many people as possible, especially in rural and minority communities and to use trusted voices to help promote COVID vaccinations.

Information is available local United Way chapters or the United Way of Pennsylvania at uwp.org.

The agency also has started an aggressive ad campaign to get out factual information about COVID-19 and about the vaccines. And it seems the campaign is working. Vaccinations are significantly increasing, with thousands more people getting vaccinated daily in Pennsylvania. The advertising campaign is directing people to the PA Unites Against COVID webpage where they can find information to learn about how to prevent COVID and get vaccinated: www.pa.gov/covid/

And, information about where to get vaccinated is now available on-line at www.vaccines.gov/search/

In addition, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches has launched a “Get Vaccinated” campaign urging faith leaders to tape short videos that are being distributed widely through social media sites. Here is a link to a story about the campaign that PennLive published last week:

Kudos to the Pennsylvania Council of Churches for its “Get Vaccinated!” campaign | PennLive Editorial

And here is a link to the Pennsylvania Council of Churches’ YouTube page with the videos.

Rev. Sandy Strauss, advocacy director of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, is eager to get more faith leaders to add their voices to those encouraging people to get vaccinated. If you’d like to provide a video, email Rev. Straus at s.strauss@pachurches.org; or feel free to email me at jdavis@susumc.org for assistance.

Health officials are particularly eager to reach young people who have not been vaccinated, and they are reminding people who are vaccinated that they can still carry the virus to vulnerable, unvaccinated people. They are warning hospitals throughout the country are filling up with COVID-19 patients who have contracted the Delta strain. And doctors say this time the patients are younger and frequently sicker. 

The Department of Health says more than 90 percent of people being hospitalized from the Delta strain are unvaccinated.

They are imploring pastors and lay leaders join the effort to save lives and to provide factual information from reliable sources to their congregations. 

Youth Service Fund Applications

 

The Youth Service Fund was established by the global United Methodist Church to support youth and youth ministries in their endeavors to live and grow as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. The Susquehanna Conference supports the global Youth Service Fund with 30% of all raised funds. The remaining 70% of funds are distributed by the discernment of the Young People’s Ministry Council. Grants are administered to ministries and experiences that further the mission and priorities of the Susquehanna Conference Young People’s Ministry Council. 

Mission and Priorities 

The mission of the Susquehanna Conference Young People’s Ministry Council is to empower young people to equip their peers to make disciples. The Susquehanna Conference YPMC seeks to live into its mission through providing experiences for young leaders to engage in leadership development. Therefore, grants will be distributed to applicants that are seeking to develop new or expand existing ministries that: 

1. Develop spiritual leadership in young disciples between the ages of 12-18 years old
2. Provide opportunities for young leaders to mentor, teach, and support their peers in discipleship development
3. Increase the racial or ethnic involvement in the ministry
4. Are fully planned and executed by young leaders (between 12-18 years old)
5. Change the culture of the local church to be more inclusive of young leadership

Requirements for Selection of YSF Projects 

When applying for Youth Service Fund (YSF) grants, the YPMC will evaluate the applicant’s execution of the above-mentioned priorities. The more closely aligned the application is to all the priorities, the higher the opportunity for funding. Beyond aligning with the priorities set by the YPMC, all applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Ministries or experiences must incorporate youth leadership and development in every aspect of the experience. (12-18 years of age, have been leaders in the creation, development, implementation and evaluation of a project.)
2. YSF money is to be used to develop new projects or expand existing ministries that will become self-supporting. YSF grants will not be used to fund a deficit or partially or fully pay salary or commission. There is no guarantee of funding after one year. No ministry or experience will receive grant money more than three times.
3. YSF grants could have a substantial impact on the project but will not fund the entire project.
4. Grants will only go to fund experiences in connection with local United Methodist churches or UM Boards and Agencies. Ecumenical ministry experiences could receive support if United Methodist young leaders serve in key leadership positions.
5. Applications will be accepted April 1, 2021 - October 31, 2021. Applications received after October 31 will not be considered.