By Joyce Landers, UTO Board Vice President

 The members of the United Thank Offering Board are very excited to announce the spring 2021 grants. The focus was Recovering with Love and Gratitude: An Episcopal Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Local Contexts for both the fall 2020 and spring 2021 granting cycles. We chose to split the 2020 ingathering fund between two cycles so that we could send money out to our communities sooner rather than later. Of the 71 applications we received for the spring cycle, we able to fund 27 projects. Each of those projects represents people around the world working to love their neighbor and help them to recover from this devastating pandemic. 

 For the fall 2020 cycle, we were able to fund 26 projects out of a total of 59 applications. We wanted to fund many more, but we are grateful for the opportunity to do what we could. As we often state, “every penny counts,” and those pennies are making a difference in the world. We are in the process of having the grants list printed and made available, along with our other supplies at, https://shimaofnavajoland.com/collections/united-thank-offering. However, you can also find the list with project descriptions now on our website at www.episcopalchurch.org/uto. 

 Our total 2020 ingathering was down significantly; although this was upsetting, it was not a complete surprise. Between the economic effects and the loss of in-person worship services, it was difficult to ask people to contribute or to hold an ingathering. The UTO Board encourages everyone to develop a daily practice of gratitude even if you cannot contribute to your Blue Box at this time. The good news is there are new ways to make your thank offerings. You can give online at https://unitedthankoffering.com/give/ or text “ingather” to 41444.

The members of the UTO Board wish to congratulate all 53 grant recipients for 2021. We were saddened by the number of great projects we were not able to fund. We hope that everyone will join us in promoting the practice of gratitude and giving to the ingathering in the future so we will be able to fund many more projects.