January 29, 2009 Issue
Pine Grove United Methodist Church Receives Duke Endowment Grants
The Duke Endowment recently awarded two significant grants to Pine Grove United Methodist Church.
One, in the amount of $55,000 will fund the Pine Grove United Methodist Church Community Garden Project. The purpose of the community garden is to enable the church and community to work together to provide food, fellowship, education and outreach. The main goal is for the garden to become a self-sustaining ministry of Pine Grove UMC, while at the same time providing fresh vegetables to individuals, food banks and those identified with need within the church and community.
Avery County and Mitchell County Cooperative Extension Services have pledged their full support of the project by providing programming and educational support in the areas of preparing nutritious meals, food preservation techniques and best farming practices. Mayland Community College’s Horticultural Department and Appalachian State University’s Sustainable Agriculture program have provided invaluable technical support to the ministry and will continue to be valuable partners.
The second grant, in the amount of $40,000, will be used to renovate three homes owned by Pine Grove UMC. One of the new uses for the homes, besides the ongoing need for emergency housing for families, will be a partnership between Pine Grove UMC and Avery County Habitat for Humanity. This partnership will allow for transitional housing for Habitat families waiting for their own homes to be built.
The Duke Endowment is a private foundation established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke. The endowment’s mission is to serve the people of North Carolina and South Carolina by supporting selected programs of higher education, health care, children’s welfare and spiritual life.
For more information about the grants, call Pastor Ken Anderson at 828-260-3724.
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