[St. David’s Episcopal Church] The Grants Committee for Community Outreach (GCCO) of St. David’s Episcopal Church announces the awarding of grants to six Austin non-profit organizations. Awards of $10,000 each will be presented to the agencies on Sunday, September 16.

Grant funds come from proceeds of the Next-to-New Shop, a consignment, resale, and antique store that also serves as an outreach ministry of St. David’s. The Grants Committee administers the grant program and makes funding recommendations to the Vestry, the “board of directors” of the church. The Vestry makes the final funding decisions.

St. David’s Episcopal Church has a long history of helping people in need in the Austin community, and that tradition continues with the awarding of the 2012 outreach grants. The organizations and the services to be funded with GCCO grants are:

• A Community for Education (ACE): The GCCO grant will be used in the Parent Advocates for Literacy (PAL) program, where parents serve as part-time ACE tutors with pre-K students, enhancing the students’ readiness for Kindergarten, assisting parents to become involved with their children’s education, and providing employment training to the tutors.

• Austin Groups for the Elderly, now called AGE of Central Texas: St. David’s funding will contribute to the Health Equipment Lending Program (HELP), a service that collects, repairs, and lends donated health equipment, to keep seniors safe, mobile, and living in the community.

• Hand to Hold: Funds will support the Manos de Apoyo program, which provides ongoing support and information to Spanish-speaking parents of babies born pre-term and babies born with special health care needs.

• Helping Hand Home for Children: The GCCO grant will support the Nutrition First program that teaches children to cook nutritious meals, to learn the nutritional value of foods they prepare, and to raise produce in the home’s garden.

• Project Transitions: The award will partially fund Doug’s House, a residential facility serving persons with HIV/AIDS, allowing hospice clients to live fully and comfortably during their last days and help supportive care clients stabilize and learn how to manage their disease.

• Vaughn House: Funds will assist with the Workforce Opportunities program, which provides job training and/or supported employment services to 45 adults who are deaf and have a mental disability.

Additional Information about the 2013 GCCO grant process will be available in December 2012 at www.stdave.org.