Parish of the Epiphany was recently awarded two Diocese of Massachusetts Global Mission Sustainable Development Grants which we applied for on behalf of global mission partners: Princess Basma Center for Disabled Children in East Jerusalem, and Hopital Ste. Croix in Léogâne, Haiti. We are delighted that each partner will receive about $8,800.
Sustainable Development Grants support projects undertaken by congregations engaged in mission with partners outside of the Diocese. Award decisions are guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: to end poverty; improve health and education; reduce inequality; and spur economic growth, while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
Princess Basma Center is owned and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and has received strong support from Epiphany in recent years. The grant is for their Mother Empowerment Program, a two-week residential program that provides children with newly diagnosed disabilities and their mothers with intensive, individualized early intervention.
Hopital Ste. Croix, owned by the Diocese of Haiti, is the only surviving hospital in the region. Over nearly a decade, our Haiti Mobile Medical Mission has built a deep relationship with this key player in efforts to rebuild the health care system in the region hardest hit by the 2010 earthquake. The hospital is well on the way to becoming the first self-sufficient Haitian hospital run by and for Haitians. However, deepening political and economic problems make it difficult for it to meet its energy needs. This grant will help HSC to develop a comprehensive plan to achieve energy independence through green solar technology.
