Pictured: Paula Grigsby (Left) of the YMCA and KiLee Lidwell-McFerren (Right) of Lincoln Elementary School receive Inspiring Generosity Grant checks from Don Heller (Center) IGG team leader
On January 2nd, First Christian Church in Canton awarded the first round of its Inspiring Generosity Grants (IGG). This grant program was an outgrowth of the church’s vision to be dedicated disciples through “Passionate Spirituality, Joyful Service and Inspiring Generosity.” FCC is one of several churches and organizations in the Canton area that receives a quarterly endowment from the Ingersoll Trust Fund. An amount from the trust was set aside this past year to fund the newly developed grant program.
The goal of the grants is for individuals and organizations in the Canton area to pursue a creative project to serve people in need or to better the community through service. Overall, FCC is most interested in proposals that creatively address needs in the areas of education, poverty, personal care supplies or human services. A second round of these grants will be offered in 2022.
FCC received 11 grant proposals from individuals and non-profits in the Canton area and decided to award this first round of grants for a total of $9,500 for the following 7 projects:
- $1530 for Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank to be able to expand its services of diapers to 15 more infants in Canton for a year
- $2000 for Lincoln Elementary School for a project called “Doing Good Together” that will engage students in helping make blankets for families served by the Fulton Mason Crisis Services
- $1000 for Fulton Mason Crisis Services to provide emergency essentials gift cards to clients who had have to flee domestic violence and need basic necessities
- $1400 for Dr. Jason Douglas to work on eradicating bed bugs from homes in the Canton area
- $700 for the YMCA to provide a new School Age Center program that includes both physical activities and a focus on emotional health and well-being
- $1870 for St. Mary’s Food Pantry to start a “Dairy Friday” program that will make sure its clients receive dairy projects on a regular basis
- $1000 for Lincoln Elementary School for their snack and hygiene pantry, noting the high need for lice kits, which can be otherwise cost-prohibitive for families.
First Christian is excited to fund these wonderful projects that will make life better for many Cantonites. We are grateful to the Ingersoll Trust Fund, which allows us to be able to inspire the generosity of our neighbors.
While the wintry weather kept many grant recipients from participating in person, KiLee Lidwell-McFerren and Paula Grigsby, representing Lincoln Elementary School and the YMCA, respectively, were at the awarding ceremony, which IGG team leader, Don Heller, facilitated.
look for updates at cantonfcc.org/grants.