As Women of the ELCA, we are prepared to lead boldly — first the church and then beyond — in promoting women's complete and total health: physical, emotional, and spiritual. So we may foster this initiative, our grants program in 2006 focused funding toward projects and agencies dedicated to education, health care, and advocacy, emboldening women and girls to lead healthier lives. These grants are one way in which we respond to God's call for justice and an abundant life.

As a churchwide community of women, some of our most powerful resources are the financial offerings we give in support of our organizational commitment to "promote healing and wholeness in the church, the society, and the world." Because of generous gifts from Women of the ELCA participants, the grants program has been able to award nearly $2.94 million since 1988.

The needs and challenges remain great. You may help support the grants program with a monetary gift or through a planned gift. Send your donation or inquiry about planned giving to the address at right.

Click here for a print-friendly version of the following list of recipients.

Women of the ELCA Grants Program 
2006 Grant Recipients

DOMESTIC GRANTS
REGION 1
Elizabeth Gregory Home, Seattle, Wash. (1B*)
Transitional Housing for Women
$1,500
Transitional housing and supportive services for women who were homeless and are moving toward independent living

Faith Trust Institute, Seattle, Wash. (1B)
Healthy Relationships for Christian Youth
$1,500
Teaching teens how to seek healthy relationships based on equality and mutual respect

American Domestic Violence Crisis Line, Portland, Ore. (1E)
Domestic Violence Crisis Line Volunteer Training and Operations
$3,500
Trains volunteers to offer crisis support and advocacy (24 hours per day, seven days per week) through an international toll-free crisis line to American citizens experiencing domestic violence and child abuse overseas

REGION 2
ASU Breaking the Cycle Community Health Care, Phoenix, Ariz. (2D)
Cervical Cancer Screening for Vulnerable Women
$3,500
Cervical cancer screening program providing health clinic services to vulnerable women living in central Phoenix

REGION 3
Community Healthy Ministry, Tower City, N.Dak. (3B)
Women's Health Forums
$3,500
Forums on topics such as depression, violence, building self-esteem, women of faith, diet and exercise, cancer, and heart health for rural girls and women

Delta Dental Philanthropic Fund, Pierre, S.Dak. (3C)
Care Mobile
$2,000
Fees for two Ronald McDonald Care Mobile sites for South Dakota American Indian reservation communities to have access to health services

Family Connection, Sioux Falls, S.Dak. (3C)
Children Connection
$3,500
Support groups for children, grades Kindergarten through eight, who have suffered the loss of a parent due to incarceration

Christ Church on Capitol Hill, St. Paul, Minn. (3H)
Multi-Care Children's Summer Day Camp
$2,000
Summer day camp program for children of diverse income and ethnicity, which reaches families in the immediate urban neighborhood who would otherwise have no access to summer programming

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. (3H)
A Call to the Vocation of Citizenship
$1,500
Women to lead discussions and train Lutherans on public policy, environmental, and global issues of justice within the context of Christian tradition

REGION 4
All Faith Counseling Center of Atchison, Atchison, Kans. (4B)
Mental Health Services
$1,000
Quality mental health services for underinsured women

The Encompassment Project, Inc., Garland, Tex. (4D)
The Encompassment Project, Inc.
$1,000
Addressing the needs of Hispanic women in the community, including English language and job skills

Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Houston, Tex. (4F)
Family Wellness Center
$2,000
An educational resource for low-income, underserved individuals and families with health, learning, psychological needs, chronic illness, and disability that helps them make informed choices to improve their well-being

REGION 5
Community Crisis Center, Inc., Elgin, Ill. (5A)
Domestic Violence Services at Lazarus House
$2,500
Support for domestic violence screening and counseling for women and children living at Lazarus House, a homeless shelter and transitional living program in St. Charles, Illinois

Muslim Women Resources Center, Chicago, Ill. (5A)
Women's Occupational Readiness Kit (WORK)
$2,500
Occupational skills development for refugee and immigrant women to become self-sufficient and ready to enter the job market

Turning Point, Inc., Woodstock, Ill. (5B)
Latino Advocacy
$1,500
Bilingual/bicultural courthouse advocacy, translation, counseling, support group facilitation, and crisis intervention for Latino victims of domestic violence

Project Return of Central Illinois, Springfield, Ill. (5C)
Reintegration Services for Mothers Leaving Prison
$3,500
Partnering with incarcerated mothers to assist them in making a successful transition from prison to a new life in the community

Lutheran Services of Iowa, Waverly, Iowa (5F)
Girls Achieve
$2,000
A residential treatment program for adolescent girls with behavioral disorders

Christos Ministries, Elm Grove, Wis. (5J)
Healthy Connections for Clergy Spouses
$1,500
A downloadable version of the successful Healthy Connections for Clergy Spouses program available on the Internet

Kingo Lutheran Church (fiscal agent), Shorewood, Ill. (5J)
Choices Program for Girls and Young Women
$1,500
Better physical, emotional, and spiritual health for girls and women

REGION 6
Immanuel Lutheran and Salem Memorial Lutheran Church, Detroit, Mich. (6A)
Made in God's Image: That's Me
$3,500
Fostering strong mentoring relationships between high school-aged young women and their life coaches

Trinity Lutheran Church, Saginaw, Mich. (6B)
Small Talk for Big Ideas
$3,500
Group counseling sessions for elementary and middle school girls

Lutheran Social Services, Toledo, Ohio (6B)
Latino Family Outreach
$2,000
Prenatal education, support, and connection to medical providers for prenatal care for monolingual women in Defiance, Fulton, Henry, and Williams counties in northwest Ohio

Women's Re-entry Network, Cleveland, Ohio (6E)
Re-entry Program
$2,500
An individualized, holistic, re-entry programming for women and their children

Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Dayton, Ohio (6F)
Youth Drama Camp
$1,500
Healthier alternatives and new perspectives on abuse, sexuality, self esteem, and their God-given potential for Appalachian and African American preteen and teen girls through drama

REGION 7
Cape Cod Council of Churches, Hyannis, Mass. (7B)
Bridge to Hope
$3,500
Mentor training for women working with incarcerated women about to be released from jail

Starting Point Services for Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence, Conway, N.H. (7B)
Safe Shelter
$3,000
Emergency shelter and advocacy to female victims and the children of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking

Brooklyn Childcare Collective, Brooklyn, N.Y. (7C)
Teen Doula Project
$3,500
Partnering doulas with pregnant adolescents who are currently in high school to provide pre- and post-natal visits and support during labor and delivery

Cathedral of St. John the Divine/Ministry, New York, N.Y. (7C)
Soul Garden Project
$2,000
A safe place for women in need to explore their creativity, share their stories, and build meaningful relationships for more active participation in the greater community

Lutheran Counseling Center, Mineola, N.Y. (7C)
Healing and Wholeness: Pathways to a Brighter Day
$2,000
Counseling for women who cannot pay for services following the premature birth, death, or physical complications of their children in child birth

Lutheran Social Mission Society, dba Lutheran Settlement House, Philadelphia, Pa. (7F)
Healing Hearts
$2,000
Helping 600 women and the systems that work with them to begin to understand and heal from the impact of domestic abuse through education, counseling, training, and evaluation

The Center Foundation, Media, Pa. (7F)
WomenCare
$3,000
Mentoring, educational programs, and a network of support for adult women in transition so they may achieve self-sufficiency and reach their potential

REGION 8
Hilltop Health Ministries Consortium, Pittsburg, Pa. (8B)
Nutrition for Young Mothers and Children
$1,500
Holistic health for pregnant teens and young mothers and their children through educational programming that focuses on nutrition

Amazing Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Baltimore, Md. (8F)
Amazing Connections
$1,500
Support for women in an inner-city community through groups offering spiritual direction and other nurturing resources

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Baltimore, Md. (8F)
After School Program: "Nutrition Kitchen"
$3,500
Life-skill training in food preparation and nutrition to young girls in an economically depressed community with female educators and volunteers serving as mentors during this process

Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services, Alexandria, Va. (8G)
Homeless Transition Program
$1,500
Breaking the cycle of homelessness for families exiting shelter or about to lose their home, ensuring that the future is better than the past

REGION 9
Shenandoah Valley Grief Center, Harrisonburg, Va. (9A)
C Club: Coping and Caring
$2,500
Free support group for elementary students in the Page County, Virginia, school system who are grieving due to divorce and separation

Church Women United of Asheville and Henderson Counties, North Carolina, Asheville, N.C. (9B)
Seeking Justice in Health Care Workshops
$1,500
A workshop that provides participants with education and ways to develop strategies that will enable them to advocate for comprehensive health care locally, in the state, and nationally

Women's Resource Center, Hickory, N.C. (9B)
WRC Empowerment Project
$1,500
Enrichment programs, life transition services, and crisis assistance to support the individual goals of local women

Appalachian Women's Guild, Tracy City, Tenn. (9D)
FIT Foods 4U
$2,000
Healthy cooking help for potentially pregnant women or recent young mothers, stressing budgeting and nutritional analysis of ingredients for meals made in a crock-pot.

INTERNATIONAL GRANTS
Argentina
Women's Secretaria, United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Argentina/Uruguay (IELU)
Renewing Faith for Spiritual Wellbeing and Health
$2,000
A safe place for women to share personal, biblical, and theological reflection

Cameroon
Positive Women in Development
Empowering Women in Health, Environment, Skills, and Spirituality
$1,000
Training for underprivileged women on health, skills training, and spiritual growth

Chile
Fundación EPES/EPES Foundation
Fighting for the Right to Health
$2,000
Strengthening neighborhood organizations in three marginal communities in Santiago, Chile

Ghana
Youth Development and Rural Empowerment Foundation, Ghana
Promoting Health with the Rural Woman
$1,000
Assistance to women in need of health care and insurance

Honduras
North/West Lower Michigan Synod of the ELCA
Salud para la vida: Health for Life
$1,000
Training and support for indigenous volunteer women as health assistants who provide basic care in three Honduran communities

India
Rural Health and Agricultural Education
Improving Woman's Health
$2,000
Education for rural women and their families on sanitation and hygiene

Israel
Israel Family Planning
Preventing Sexual Abuse in Boarding Schools
$1,000
Prevention of sexual abuse among girls in Israeli boarding schools

Kenya
Family Mediation and Conciliation
Reproductive Health and Rights
$1,500
A training workshop for 20 local women leaders to combat gender-based sexual violence

Ochieng' Mac' Ouma Fund
Improved Care for Orphaned and Vulnerable Girls
$1,500
Health care and access to health care for orphaned girls in rural Kenya

Nigeria
Channel of Truth Ministries, Inc.
Rehabilitation of Prostitute (ROP) Initiative, Inc.
$1,000
Spiritual and economic counseling for women who are leaving prostitution

Pakistan
St. Paul Society
St. Columba Computer Center
$1,000
Emotional empowerment through computer training for impoverished girls seeking to better support themselves and their families

Russia
Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy
Health and Faith for Women and Girls (H&F)
$2,000
Development and planning for health assessments for women and teen-age girls

Tanzania
Mwangaza Education for Partnership
Family Meditation Model
$1,000
Counseling in an intergenerational context for victims of abuse

Uganda
Action for Peace and Development — Uganda (APDU)
Vocational Skills Training Project
$1,000
Vocational skills training for young mothers in order to raise their income and better their physical and emotional livelihood

Kigarama Women Development Association
Malaria Volunteer Project
$1,000
Malaria education by volunteers in schools and communities