The Episcopal Charities Foundation

The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

2744 Peachtree Road NW

Atlanta, GA 30305

404-601-5320 Toll Free: 1-800-537-6743

News

Episcopal Charities Foundation: Loving our neighbors in need

Episcopal Charities Foundation in 2006 helped 75 small ministries and nonprofit organizations in North and Middle Georgia carry out Christ's mandate to love our neighbors -- particularly those in need. ECF relies on contributions to fund these efforts. Please consider giving a gift to ECF in honor of a loved one at Christmas or as a year-end donation to further this important work done in the name of Jesus Christ. To give online, click here

ABOUT US

For more than two decades, Episcopal Charities Foundation has supported the work of ministries in need in middle and north Georgia. From infants to older adults, thousands of lives have been touched and positively changed through the loving influence of those empowered by ECF.

Giving

Created in 1982 under the leadership of the Rt.Rev. Bennett Sims, former bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, ECF continues to "...respond on behalf of the Diocese of Atlanta to the Christian imperative that...

the hungry be fed

·the naked clothed

· the homeless housed

· and the poor be sharers in the Good News of the Gospel

In food pantries and family shelters, in AIDS groups and prison cells, in job centers and health clinics, ECF makes the love of Christ incarnate and tangible.

ECF grants are made possible by the generosity of individuals and parishes around the diocese. Gifts made to the Disbursement Fund go directly into the work with the poor, while gifts made to the Endowment Fund allow the ECF to use the gift over and over. A variety of planned giving options enable a gift to last beyoned a lifetime.

The Diocese of Atlanta operating budget provides the staff for the ECF and nearly all its "overhead costs" so that monies given to the Foundation can go directly to those in need. Since its inception, ECF has given away nearly $3.5 million in the name of all the Episcopalians in the Diocese of Atlanta.

Caring

A board if representatives from around the diocese meets several times a year to consider grant requests and to plan for the continued work of the Foundation. Board members make site visits for each grant request, creating direct relationships and contact with each ministry. This approach ensures that all funds shared are wisely utilized, and equally important, that the diocese deepens its understanding of the needs in the world it is called to serve, creating more faithful and effective responses.

Around the clock, throughout the year, in rural and urban areas, in settings large and small, caregivers and advocates minister with enormous faithfulness to relieve suffering and restore joy. Parish volunteers operate a thrift shop and distribute household necessities. A group of teens restock a parish food pantry and a men's group serves meals in a weekend lunch program. Home repairs are provided for needy residents with donations of time and materials. A prison chaplain leads Bible studies, education classes and counseling sessions. A parish parlor becomes a space of hospitality for foster children and their parents. Homeless women develop job skills, find employment and rebuild their lives. Retired educators build relationship with kids that need a mentor. A suburban mom discovers that she and an African refugee share the same for their children, while a widower takes free time to drive an AIDS patient to an appointment and makes a friend in the process.

Sharing.

The list of ministries supported by Episcopal Charities Foundation is impressive and the impact made by such a wide variety of programs is enormous. For over 20 years, ECF has created dramatic and positive differences in the lives of thousands across the Diocese of Atlanta, but there is more to be done. And you can help. Here's how:

· Keep ECF and the ministries it supports in your own prayers and those of your parish.

· Look over the list of supported ministries. Learn more about one of them and consider sharing your time, energy and ideas.

· Give financial resources to this work and invite others to join you--in your family, your parish or your place of work.

· Serve as a contact person in your home congregation.

· Help with ECF special events or volunteer in the office.

· Support a participant in the Hunger Walk, which shares it's proceeds with ECF.

· Make a gift in honor, memory or celebration of someone you love, just downlaod the form here and send it in with your check. We will send a card acknowledging your gift. You may also make an online donation using our secure server with a credit card (Visa, Mastercard) or online check. Online donation link.

There are many faithful ways to share your resources through ECF, and a single gift supports many ministries and impacts many lives.

For more information or to learn about how you can join our work, contact us at 404-601-5320.