In Love of God and Neighbor Fund awards second round of grants

January marked the second round of grants awarded to recipients of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita’s In Love of God and Neighbor Fund. Established as a key priority during the One Family, Fully Alive in Christ! Campaign, the fund aims to address pressing challenges of mental health, hunger, and homelessness in our communities. Following careful review by the fund’s volunteer recommending committee, Bishop Carl A. Kemme approved 15 new grants – totaling more than $128,000 – that will be distributed to parishes and ministries across the diocese. Coupled with the grants announced last July, more than $231,000 has already been awarded to 38 different parishes and ministries.

Among the latest recipients are the Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Holy Family Conference (Winfield and Oxford) and Holy Name Catholic Church in Coffeyville. These newest grants will strengthen the care offered to underserved neighbors, helping each parish respond more fully to the needs of those who are poor, isolated, or without stable housing.

“This fund has allowed us to start a brand new Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Conference in Cowley and Sumner counties. For the last several years we’ve had a charity fund running out of our parish office, but serving the poor in this way has always felt impersonal and transactional. Now, parishioners has banded together to make our service to the poor incarnational. The home visits, which are a hallmark of the SVDP Society, enable us to meet Christ in the poor and bring Christ to the poor so that we know and love our neighbors better, instead of just writing them a check,” said Fr. Clay Kimbro, pastor of Holy Name, Winfield and St. Mary’s, Oxford.

Because the In Love of God and Neighbor Fund is managed with the discipline of an endowment, each grant represents the beginning of long-term impact for communities across the diocese. Representing 10% of all unrestricted gifts received during the One Family, Fully Alive in Christ! Campaign, the fund will continue to grow, with the ultimate goal of having an even larger impact on parish communities in the future. And with continued support, this impact can multiply and yield fruit for years to come.

“The Care Closet here at Holy Name Catholic School provides hygiene items, school uniforms, nonperishable food, and even first communion attire to students with the greatest need. This award will allow for additional support to our mission of ensuring that our parochial school students have access to essential items that may not be readily available at home. Our parish family has long supported these efforts, and this grant will further strengthen this important ministry, for which we are deeply grateful,” added Fr. Drew Dellasega, pastor of Holy Name, Coffeyville.

Thanks to the shared generosity experienced during the Fully Alive! Campaign, the faithful are already seeing lives changed and needs met across the diocese. Together with its parishes and local support ministries, the faithful are providing food, clothing, shelter, and hope to those most in need – and living out our call to be missionary disciples.

To learn more about the Fully Alive! Campaign or to make a gift that supports this ongoing work, please visit OneFamilyFullyAlive.org.