SOCIAL JUSTICE - SHEPHERD'S GATE GRANT PROGRAM

Shepherd's Gate is a small annual grant program that supports nonprofit organizations that reflect our parish mission to serve people in need, to do justice where inequity exists, to stand for human dignity, and to promote peace. Income from Good Shepherd's annual International Festival, held on Labor Day, funds the Program. For information on applying for a Shepherd's Gate Grant, contact the parish office at (703) 780-4055 or grant@gs-cc.org.

Now Accepting Applications through April 12, 2013!
Local, national and international community-based organizations are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $5,000. To be eligible to participate, an organization's program mission must fit one or more of the following categories:

1. Serve the demonstrated needs of the subject community.
2. Provide critical benefit to vulnerable individuals or families, particularly those in the low income bracket.
3. Promote leadership opportunities, particularly among the poor and disenfranchised.
4. Promote change to advance institutional entities, both public and private, that promote justice and advocacy for those in greatest need.

To Participate:

1. The applicant must follow and meet all Policy Guidelines and Application Criteria to be eligible to apply.
2. Download and complete the Shepherd's Gate Grant 2013 Application Packet being sure to include in your submission all components laid out in section II: Application Components and Required Information of the Instructions.
3. Submit all materials as laid out in the instructions. Applications must be submitted electronically or received in the mail no later than April 12, 2013.

   Electronic Submissions: grant@gs-cc.org

   Mail Submissions:
   Director of Social Justice Ministry
   Good Shepherd Catholic Church
   8710 Mount Vernon Highway
   Alexandria, VA 22309

Award notification and distribution of funds will occur no later than May 31, 2013.

Recipients of Shepherd’s Gate Grants in 2012
The Shepherd's Gate Grant Committee of 2012 was able to award $37,000 to 13 amazing local, national, and international community organizations. Congratulations to these grant recipients:

• Bethany House of Northern Virginia (www.bhnv.org) - to provide intensive counseling to women and children recovering from domestic abuse.
  

• Catholic Charities' St. Martin de Porres Senior Center (www.ccda.net) - to support a nutritional breakfast program for vulnerable senior citizens with economic and social needs.

• Catholics for Housing (www.catholicsforhousing.org) - to provide financial assistance to individuals and families moving from inadequate housing or homeless situations into permanent housing.

• Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services (www.goodhousing.org) - to support their workforce enablement (job skills training) project.

• John XXIII Educational Center (j23center.weebly.com/) - to provide economically disadvantaged students in Racine, WI with educational support.
  

• Langley Residential Services (www.langleyresidential.org/) - to provide emergency financial assistance to people with intellectual disabilities.

• OAR of Arlington (www.oaronline.org/)- to reduce recidivism by helping former offenders re-enter society.

• OAR of Fairfax (www.oarfairfax.org) - to provide basic supplies meeting immediate needs of recently released inmates in transition.

• Our Daily Bread (www.our-daily-bread.org) - to provide farmers' market vouchers to their low-income clients.

• Progreso Literacy and Citizenship Center (progreso-hispano.org) - to expand computer and technology instruction to immigrant clients.

• So Others Might Eat (SOME) (www.some.org/) - to expand advocacy skills training for homeless clients.

• Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) (www.scanva.org) - to provide educational parent support programs to Spanish-speaking parents.

• St. Joseph's Mission Fund (sjmissionfund.net) - to finance facility repairs to key areas of the orphanage based in Southern India.