Marco Lutheran Awards More Than $300,000 in Grants

The Marco Lutheran Church Foundation has been providing grants to Christian not-for-profit organizations since its inception in 1999. To date, the Foundation has awarded grants totaling $2.2 million to local, national, and international recipients.

This year the Foundation funded 22 grants: nine local, three national, and 10 international, totaling $302,779. This is the largest dollar amount ever dispersed in one year for the group. “The Marco Lutheran Foundation is honored to be able to fund the efforts of these grantees. We look for 501(c)(3) organizations that provide resources, education, food, and hope for the less fortunate in our communities and world,” Karen Kuhnly, chair of the Foundation Board, explains. “This year, the organizations receiving grants are passionate in caring for the people they serve, giving them quality of life and a hope for their future.”

Here is a sampling of the grants that were awarded this year:

Christ the King Lutheran Church, Labelle, FL: To develop a Christ-centered STEM, Agricultural Science, and Life Skills program, integrating faith, academics, and stewardship, for students in grades six to12.

Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance, Immokalee, FL: To build hurricane-resilient apartments for working families.

Pelican Lutheran Church, Naples, FL: To fund a Spanish-speaking Deacon to support the existing Pastor.

Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, Marco Island, FL: To fund breakfast for hungry children at Marco Academy, Tommie Barfield Elementary School, Manatee Elementary and Middle Schools, and Lely Elementary and High Schools.

Our Father’s Lutheran Church and School, Greenfield, WI: To provide transportation and food assistance for Congolese families and to create a permaculture farm to enable the oldest Congolese to sustain themselves.

Design Outreach of Malawi, Africa: To purchase and install a reliable water source for 15,000 people and sell an additional water centralizer through local supply chains.

Haggai International of China: To train and support Christian leaders in spreading the word of God.

Trinity Hope of Haiti: To feed 147 children, teachers, and cooks every school day.

These organizations and the others receiving grants will use their funding to educate, nourish (both physically and spiritually), and improve the living conditions for their constituents. “We had a tremendous group of grant applicants this year,” says Lili Surber, chair of the grant program. “It is such a blessing to be able to help such dedicated organizations impact their communities and share the love of the Marco Lutheran family and the love of God with their constituents.”

You can help by praying for the grant recipients and their ministries, as well as the Foundation, that we are able to continue to do God’s work through this outreach effort.