Parish Partner Grants 2025-2026

Episcopal Charities announces a 5th year of funding for churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago through the Parish Partner Grants Program!

The Parish Partner Grants Program of Episcopal Charities is available for churches in our Diocese that seek to initiate or enhance outward-facing projects or ministries that meet the needs of the most vulnerable in their neighborhoods and communities.  Episcopal Charities believes in local churches' vital role in creating a more just and merciful world. We are excited to partner with the following slate of churches for the grant year 2025 – 2026.

St. Martin’s, Chicago

Saint Martin’s co-sponsors Summer in the City, a day camp for children ages 8–13, focused on ecology and creative growth. Activities include building terrariums, gardening, eco-centered art, cooking, and field trips. The program nurtures vulnerable youth with hands-on learning and recreational opportunities.

Church of Our Savior, Chicago

Church of Our Saviour hosts the William Ferris Chorale’s Emerging Voices program in its new community center, expanding equitable access to classical music for CPS students. Partnering with Lake View High School, the initiative brings professional composers and singers together with students to create and premiere an original choral work—showcasing collaboration, creativity, and opportunity in a state-of-the-art performance space.

Grace, Galena

Grace Episcopal continues its Food Pantry ministry by directing funds toward fresh meats, dairy, fruits, and vegetables for vulnerable residents. With reliable refrigeration and volunteer support, the pantry meets nutritional needs bi-monthly in the face of state and federal budget cuts.

Church of the Holy Apostles, Wauconda

Holy Apostles operates an active food pantry serving neighbors facing hunger, but its worn floors threatened health compliance. Grant funds support replacing hazardous tile and carpeting, ensuring the pantry can safely continue meeting urgent food insecurity needs in the community.

St. Michael and All Angels, Berwyn - Second Year

St. Michael’s transformed its rectory into a migrant family housing ministry, providing transitional shelter, bilingual daycare, and wraparound support for asylum-seeking families—primarily Spanish-speaking mothers and children. Beyond housing, the ministry covers essentials like groceries, utilities, clothing, and transportation, while offering full-day childcare at no cost through the Angels Child Development Center. Grounded in the Gospel call to welcome the stranger, the program offers dignity, stability, and healing for families navigating resettlement in Berwyn and Cicero.

St. Thomas, Chicago

Through its collaboration with the Chicago Community Chorus, St. Thomas hosts rehearsals and concerts that break down barriers between neighborhoods. With over 130 diverse singers, the chorus brings inclusive, high-level choral music to all who love to sing. This partnership enriches both congregation and community, as music becomes a bridge for belonging and connection. Some chorus members now sing in the parish choir and have joined the church, illustrating the deep bonds formed through shared song.

St. Edward and Christ, Joliet - Second Year

The Fields of Friendship project cultivates both nourishment and fellowship. Volunteers grow crops in a community garden, distribute fresh produce to area food banks, and host a youth recreational field day. Serving Joliet and Oswego, the initiative addresses food insecurity while encouraging healthy activity and teamwork among local youth. The project highlights the parish’s commitment to nutrition, development, and community service.

St. Edmunds, Chicago - Second Year

St. Edmund’s launched the first registered Little Free Library in Washington Park, situated outside the church. Partnering with a local bookstore and drawing on donated materials, the project promotes literacy in a neighborhood with few library resources. Restocked weekly, the library primarily serves the 400 children at the charter school housed in the church, while also benefiting local families. The project amplifies access to diverse voices, particularly Black authors, and is a beloved community hub.

St. Martin’s Des Plaines

St. Martin’s supports the Des Plaines Chronic Pain Group, offering confidential meeting space for those navigating chronic pain and healthcare challenges. The ministry fosters community, advocacy, and mutual support while tracking engagement through diverse communications and outreach.

St. Andrew’s, Downers Grove

Through the Sandwich Board program, Saint Andrew’s provides 350 bagged lunches monthly as part of a multi-parish effort to distribute meals to people in need. Demand often exceeds supply, with up to 450 participants during peak months, reflecting rising food insecurity in Aurora and surrounding areas.

St. Clement’s, Harvey

St. Clement’s maintains worship and a food pantry in Harvey, but aging facilities and licensing costs strain resources. The project ensures compliance with building codes, strengthens the pantry’s volunteer base, and seeks equipment to reduce physical burdens—ensuring continued service to neighbors in need.

Church of the Holy Nativity, Clarendon Hills

Holy Nativity partners with Sounds Good Choir to launch Good Memories, a choir for people with dementia, their care partners, and volunteers. Singing together combats stigma, builds joy and belonging, and improves wellbeing. Each 15-week session culminates in a free community concert, celebrating inclusion and resilience.

St. Andrew’s, Downers Grove- Second Year

Saint Andrew’s also partners in the Community Kitchen, launched in 2023. Each Friday, the parish offers sit-down dinners and Sunday bagged lunches, while other churches cover additional days. The program responds to growing need amid economic pressures, offering dependable meals and fellowship.

Emmanuel, Rockford - Second Year

Emmanuel continues to nurture its vibrant community garden, featuring 30 raised beds irrigated by a drip system. For more than a decade, the garden has provided fresh vegetables to a neighborhood with many older residents and families experiencing poverty. The effort is sustained by an eclectic volunteer team—church members, local neighbors, and young adults—fostering inter-congregational cooperation while strengthening community ties through food and fellowship.

Trinity, Aurora

Trinity Aurora enhances its food preparation facilities with a new hygienic worktable. The upgrade improves efficiency and safety for volunteers preparing meals, ensuring the parish can continue serving the growing number of residents facing food insecurity. Every Thursday, Trinity hosts the Sandwich Board- a collaboration of many Episcopal Churches and 1 from another denomination from all over the Western Suburbs.

St. John’s, Chicago

St. John’s offers 24/7 access to food and hygiene essentials through a pantry and community fridge. Rooted in mutual aid, the ministry serves vulnerable neighbors without restrictions, expanding fresh food options and sustaining dignity in Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood.

One in Christ, Prospect Heights

One in Christ supports the Korean community through bilingual CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) preparation courses. The program addresses financial, linguistic, and cultural barriers to bus driver employment, equipping participants with affordable training and pathways to stable income for their families.