The First Baptist Church of Bennington, Vermont, is pleased to announce a $10,000 grant in support of The Kitchen Cupboard, a food distribution program of the Greater Bennington Interfaith Community Services, Inc. (GBICS). In recent years, GBICS developed out of the Greater Bennington Area Interfaith Council whose member congregations support local efforts to meet basic human needs.
The grant will enable The Kitchen Cupboard’s purchase of commercial refrigeration units and the installation of a handicap accessible ramp at its 800 Gage Street facility.
The Bennington Banner offers coverage of this grant's announcement in the Monday, July 25, 2011 edition, viewable via this link.
The grant is made possible by financial contributions of 5,500 American Baptist congregations nationwide to the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering, which provides disaster relief aid and grants for domestic and global development. The grant is awarded as part of the OGHS Domestic Food and Shelter Fund.
The Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot, Coordinating Minister of First Baptist notes:
“First Baptist is committed to interfaith collaborative efforts that meet basic human needs. Through our key partnerships with GBICS and the Interfaith Council, First Baptist endeavors to create and support collaborative efforts, especially the three GBICS programs: The Kitchen Cupboard, Bennington Free Clinic and the Food & Fuel Fund.
The OGHS grant requested and received by First Baptist is yet another yet another way Bennington area faith communities provide support for GBICS programs. We hope this will encourage congregations to explore similar grants within their national judicatories, sharing likewise the good word about Bennington interfaith efforts and seeking grant funds for GBICS programs.”
First Baptist celebrates this grant as part of the congregation’s missional work. Located at 601 Main Street in downtown Bennington, the congregation welcomes over 100 persons weekdays for services offered by the Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL), Family Time, Easter Seals, the Bennington Free Clinic and various community non-profit meetings and events. First Baptist is recognized by the Vermont Community Foundation as a model for non-profit collaboration and among American Baptists for missional efforts, especially in the area of interfaith partnerships.
To learn more about the church, contact Rev. Hugenot via 802/442-2105, or fbpastor@sover.net. Online: www.fbcbennington.org.
To contact GBICS, contact Ms. Sue Andrews at 802/379-0149 or Sue.Andrews@comcast.net.
To learn more about American Baptists and the work of One Great Hour of Sharing, visit www.abc-usa.org or www.abc-oghs.org.
NOTE: DURING THE MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE (Sunday, July 24, 2011, at 9:30 AM), WE WILL PRESENT THE GRANT CHECK TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GBICS BOARD. PLEASE JOIN US FOR THIS IMPORTANT CELEBRATION!
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