The United Thank Offering of The Episcopal Church awarded 32 grants for a total of $1,161,314.62 for the mission and ministry of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. The announcement was made by Executive Council, meeting June 8 – June 10 in Chaska, MN (Diocese of Minnesota).

The United Thank Offering is a ministry to promote thankfulness and mission in the whole Church. Known worldwide as UTO, the United Thank Offering grants are awarded for projects that address human needs and help alleviate poverty, both domestically and internationally in The Episcopal Church.

The 2016 grants were awarded to projects in
32 dioceses, which included 25 dioceses located in the United States, five non-domestic dioceses, six companion dioceses, one grant to the Office of the Presiding Bishop – Episcopal Migration Ministries, and one Presiding Bishop Grant.

Office of the Presiding Bishop grants

• Office of the Presiding Bishop/Episcopal Migration Ministries/United Thank Offering Challenge Grant: Part one: New Resettlement Sites: to provide the start-up costs for salaries for two directors of new refugee resettlement sites in Charleston, WV and Asheville, NC.  Office furnishings and computers will also be provided. Part two: Refugee Mental Health: to provide salaries, furnishings and resource library materials for mental health services with a spiritual component for refugees at Episcopal Migration Ministry affiliate locations in the United States:  $89,054.20
• Presiding Bishop Grant – Dioceses of Rumonge, Matana, Gitega, and Muyinga, Province of Burundi, Land and Water Conservation to Sustain Food Security: To fight deforestation concerns and food insecurity throughout Burundi through education and the planting and cultivation of fruit trees in rural communities on lands owned and used by the province. A staff person will be funded to lead this program. A laptop and printer will be funded to track the progress of the program, and a vehicle will be purchased for use by the staff person to visit the sites and to transport fruit trees and seedlings:  $98,000.00

Recipients and projects

• Diocese of Alabama – Camp McDowell Recycling Center, Camp McDowell, Nauvoo, AL:  $67,120.00
• Diocese of California – Greening All Saints, All Saints Episcopal Church, San Leandro, CA:  $56,000.00
• Diocese of Central Gulf Coast – St. James’ Episcopal Church Youth Water Ministry, St. James’ Episcopal Church, Eufaula, AL:  $17,900.00
• China Province of Guizhou – Sewage Ditch and Sewage Disposal Tank Construction Project in Sandu Shui Ethnic Autonomous County, China Christian Council, Sandu Shui Ethnic Autonomous County, Guizhou Province, China:  $66,620.00
• Diocese of Colorado with the Companion Diocese of Haiti – Creating Opportunities for Eco-Friendly and Healthy Livelihoods in Haiti, St. Paul’s School, Petit Trou de Nippes, Haiti:  $64,000.00
• Diocese of Costa Rica – Anglican Province of the Central American Region, Creative Expression of Gratitude – Clean Energy for Generations, San Jose, Costa Rica:  $64,348.94
• Diocese of Delaware with the Companion Diocese of the Dominican Republic – Jalonga Solar Power Project, District Municipality of Guayabo Dulce, Hato Mayor del Rey, Dominican Republic:  $44,526.00
• Diocese of East Tennessee – Outdoor Education Center/Osprey Outdoor Center, Grace Point Camp and Retreat Center, Kingston, TN:  $22,775.00
• Diocese of Georgia – Honey Creek Ecology Center, Honey Creek Retreat Center, Waverly, GA:  $35,580.00
• Diocese of Haiti – St. Barnabas Agricultural College, Terrier Rouge, Haiti:  $41,300.00
• Diocese of Indianapolis – St. Nicholas Natural Playground and Environmental Education Project, St. Nicholas Early Learning, Inc. at Trinity Outreach Center, Trinity Episcopal Church, Indianapolis, IN:  $39,162.00
• Diocese of Iowa with the Companion Diocese of Swaziland – Renewing the Life of The Earth, Parish of Usuthu Mission and 10 Other Parishes, Mbabane, Swaziland:  $33,400.00
• Diocese of Louisiana – Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative – Healthy Living for Low-Income Families, Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative, New Orleans, LA:  $24,300.00
• Diocese of Makamba, Province of the Anglican Church of Burundi – Kitchens Gardens: Relief and Life Protection, Nyanza Lac Commune, Burundi:  $34,588.61
• Diocese of Maryland – St. Luke’s Environmental Education Campus, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Annapolis, MD:  $34,367.00
• Diocese of Massachusetts with the Companion Anglican Diocese of Tanga, Province of Tanzania – Environmentally Sensitive Renovation at Hegongo Holy Cross Secondary School, Tanga, Tanzania:  $33,240.87
• Diocese of Michigan – Community Garden Hoop House Project, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Royal Oak, MI:  $4,000.00
• Diocese of Missouri – Trinity Food Ministry Feeding Our Community, Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Louis, MO:  $3,112.00
• Diocese of Navajoland – Protecting the Precious Sustainable Practices for Water and Harvest within the Navajo Nation, Good Shepherd Mission, Fort Defiance, AZ; St. Christopher’s Episcopal Mission, Bluff, UT:  $41,500.00
• Diocese of New York – Food/Farm/Faith Initiative, Grace Episcopal Church, Millbrook, NY:  $14,750.00
• Diocese of New York with the Companion Diocese of Central Tanganyika, Province of Tanzania – Shamba Darasa (field classroom), Msalato Theological College, Dodoma, Tanzania:  $49,000.00
• Diocese of North Dakota – Seven Generations Energy Renewing and Sustaining Project Within the Four Native American Reservations on Seven Native Ministries and Congregations, Turtle Mountain Reservation, Fort Berthold Reservation, Standing Rock Reservation, Standing Rock Reservation, ND:  $50,000.00
• Diocese of Olympia – Growing Grace: Sustaining a Community through God’s Creation, St. James Center at St. James Parish, Kent, WA:  $12,500.00
• Diocese of South Dakota – Holy Apostles Sudanese Congregation, Sioux Falls, SD:  $50,000.00
• Diocese of Upper South Carolina – Gravatt Outdoor Learning Centers, Gravatt Camp and Conference Center, Aiken, SC:  $46,800.00
• Diocese of Utah with the Companion Diocese of Navajoland – Bees Bring Hozho to Navajoland, Good Shepherd Mission, Fort Defiance, AZ; St. Christopher’s Episcopal Mission, Bluff, UT; and San Juan Mission, Farmington, NM:  $22,575.00
• Diocese of Vermont – Rock Point Land Use/Forestry Initiative, Burlington, VT:  $19,600.00
• Diocese of Virginia – St. Philip’s Episcopal Church Community Garden and Interfaith Meditation/Prayer Area, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA:  $14,315.00
• Diocese of West Tennessee – Intern for Environmental Mission—Episcopal Service Corps, St. Columba Episcopal Conference and Retreat Center, Memphis, TN:  $8,500.00
• Diocese of Western Kansas – The St. Francis Peace Garden Project, Saint Francis Community and Residential Services, Inc., Salina, KS:  $25,000.00