2021 Annual Report
OUR MISSION
Transforming lives of those in need
OUR WORK
We fight food insecurity
through EC operated Bulk Buy and Farm to Pantry programs and by providing wraparound services to food pantries and community kitchens.
We create youth opportunities
for the next generation through children's arts, academic enrichment and summer recreation programs.
We strengthen communities
through skills-building programs that offer a path to success for unemployed workers, recent immigrants and the formerly incarcerated re-entering society.
We protect the most vulnerable
through health and wellness programs that improve quality of life for senior citizens, the homebound, and people with substance-use disorder.
In the true spirit of outreach, every program is free of religious content, welcoming one and all.
Leadership Letter
Dear Friends,
As we look back on the past year, we want to express our gratitude to all of you for your unwavering support of Episcopal Charities. The ongoing pandemic has impacted every aspect of our lives, and the programs we support have not been immune to its effects. However, with creativity, perseverance, and dedication, our staff has come together to ensure our programs remained available to the most vulnerable across our large and diverse diocese when people most needed help.
As a community of outreach programs, Episcopal Charities is distinguished by the deep connections each of the parishes within our network has to the communities they serve throughout the ten counties that make up the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Our programs give us a unique perspective and access to real-time data from people in each community. During the height of the pandemic, Episcopal Charities hosted weekly calls with our program leaders which helped us gain a reputation as a reliable place for larger nonprofits and other funders to hear what was happening “on the ground” and for developing and operating innovative programs that responded to need in real-time.
Throughout the year, Episcopal Charities had a significant impact on individuals and families in the communities we serve. Our focus on building relationships and responding to needs ensured that our support was tailored to the unique needs of each community. Through this approach, Episcopal Charities provided vital assistance to 100+ programs across the Diocese, ranging from food banks and shelters to youth programs and healthcare services. We worked closely with program leaders to ensure that their clients had access to the resources they needed most. This support had a tangible impact on the lives of many, helping to improve their overall health and wellbeing, and providing a critical sense of hope for the future.
We are proud to say that, despite the challenges of the pandemic, Episcopal Charities awarded significantly more grants than ever before in our history. We helped connect those in need with the generosity of caring donors and the energy of dedicated volunteers. From fighting hunger through food pantries and community kitchens to creating opportunities for the next generation through children’s arts, academic enrichment, and summer recreation programs, our work is critical in transforming lives.
Finally, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to all of our supporters. Your generosity has allowed Episcopal Charities to continue its support during this tumultuous time. Our work would not be possible without you. We look forward to continuing our work together and building stronger communities throughout the Diocese.
Thank you,
The Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche
Bishop of New York
Peter W. Keller
President, Board of Directors
Kevin W. VanHook, II
Executive Director
Farm to Pantry
Responding to food insecurity in our communities
In response to dramatic pandemic-related increases in food insecurity in 2020 and again in 2021, we at Episcopal Charities realized our traditional approach of providing pass-through grants to food pantries was less effective in addressing rising demand and supply shortages – this led to our piloting the Bulk Buy program in 2020 and the Farm to Pantry program in 2021. Our food access partners struggled to source fresh, nutrient dense, culturally relevant foods due to structural inadequacies in the food supply chain and lack of availability at food banks. They needed a reliable source for the healthy, whole foods their communities requested, without reliance on a ‘middle man’ – we found that source at Glynwood Center for Regional Agriculture in Westchester, which connected us directly with local farmers and enabled us to launch Farm to Pantry.
Leveraging and connecting our network of partners
Farm to Pantry allowed us to continue to leverage our position as a locus and intermediary of community need by connecting pantries directly with Hudson Valley farms run by under-represented (women, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC) farmers. As a result, we are now able to provide thousands of pounds of farm-fresh, local, and culturally appropriate foods to our food network. In its pilot year, we were able to introduce Farm to Pantry to nine of our existing partners located throughout the Diocese of New York and match them with 20 local farms.
Our partnership with Glynwood has provided expertise we did not have - including providing technical support and facilitating communication between the farmers and our partners so that together they can begin to plan what the farmer will be growing for a particular community. They match farmers of particular cultural backgrounds with partners serving those same populations so that Holyrood Pantry in Washington Heights can request cilantro and tomatoes from Latino-run R& R Produce, and Ascension pantry which serves primarily Asian populations in Lower Manhattan can order bok choy from Asian-run Choy Division Farm.
How the program works
The farms and partners are selected through an application process. We then designate a food budget for each program based on client needs and the number of families served per month. They identify what produce is needed and what can be grown. Wach farm is paid in full for the growing season - this allows the farmer to purchase seeds, hire workers, prepare their fields for the intended crops and grown them in time to supply our partners in-season.
Impact
In 2021, we purchased and delivered 30,000 pounds of fresh produce from farms directly to families and individuals in our immediate communities. In both rural and urban areas of the Diocese there is often limited access to grocery stores and limited access to healthy foods which leads to poor nutrition. The Farm to Pantry program provides the health benefits of supplying nutrient-dense food that compliments cultural preferences, reduces our carbon footprint, and supports small minority farmers and the local economy.
Farm to Pantry Grants
Total awarded: $60,000.00
Parish | Program | Total Award |
|---|---|---|
St. Mark's Church, Mount Kisco | Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry | $12,000.00 |
Grace Church/La Gracia, White Plains | God in Action Food Distribution Alliance | $11,500.00 |
Church of the Divine Love, Montrose | Fred's Pantry (CHHOP) | $20,000.00 |
St. John's, New Rochelle | Caritas/Meals on Main Street | $16,500.00 |
* grant amounts do not include administrative fee to Glynwood
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2021 Grants Paid
In 2021, Episcopal Charities awarded $1,187,898.79 in grants to our traditional programs. Financial support from our donors goes directly to these critical programs operating on the front lines of our New York communities. All operating costs are funded by EC’s board of directors. EC has a unique model of screening and recommending grantees through its local, community-based, volunteer-led Advisory Committee, which visits all partners on-site to learn about programmatic and operational support needs. To find out more email programoffice@dioceseny.org.
Youth Opportunity Grants
Total awarded: $306,450.00
Youth Opportunity Grants are awarded, with consultation from our Advisory Committee, to parish-based outreach programs addressing the needs of children and youth in communities throughout the diocese by providing academic enrichment, exposure, instruction in the arts, and safe spaces for youth to grow and develop. During this time of uncertainty, some of the most vulnerable among us are our youth. These programs provide a stabilizing and important part of the social safety net.
Children's Academic Enrichment
Total awarded: $84,500.00
Parish | Program | Total Award |
|---|---|---|
Grace Church, Manhattan | GO Project | $8,000.00 |
St. Ann's of Morrisania, Bronx | After-school program | $23,000.00 |
St. David's, Bronx | Virtual Teen Outreach Program | $2,000.00 |
St. David's, Bronx | After school | $4,000.00 |
St. Margaret's Longwood, Bronx | After-school program | $7,000.00 |
St. Michael's, Manhattan | After-school program | $1,500.00 |
Grace/La Gracia, White Plains | Brighter Futures After-school program | $15,000.00 |
Cathedral of St. John the Divine | Advancing the Community of Tomorrow (ACT) | $15,000.00 |
Christ's Church, Rye | Blue Skies After School | $9,000.00 |
Youth's Arts
Total awarded: $76,450.00
Parish | Program | Total Award |
|---|---|---|
Christ Church, New Brighton | Youth music lessons | $8,000.00 |
Christ Church, Bronxville | Young at Arts summer programming | $7,000.00 |
Christ Church, Bronxville | Young at Arts After-school | $23,000.00 |
Holyrood/Santa Cruz, Manhattan | Washington Heights Choir School | $15,000.00 |
St. David's, Bronx | Urban Cultural Arts & Recreation Program | $3,250.00 |
St. John's, Monticello | Nesin Cultural Arts Academic Year Program | $15,000.00 |
St. John's, Monticello | Nesin Summer Academy | $5,200.00 |
Skills Building
Total awarded: $31,500.00
Parish | Program | Total Award |
|---|---|---|
Church of St. Luke in the Field's, Manhattan | Art and Acceptance | $10,000.00 |
Church of St. Matthew and St. Timothy, Manhattan | Angels Basketball | $6,500.00 |
Grace Church, Millbrook | EPIC Regional Youth Leadership Program | $15,000.00 |
Summer Recreation
Total awarded: $114,000.00
Parish | Program | Total Award |
|---|---|---|
Christ Church, Poughkeepsie | Christ Church Summer Camp | $12,300.00 |
Grace/La Gracia Church, White Plains | Brighter Futures Summer Camp | $12,500.00 |
Church of the Incarnation, Manhattan | Pioneer Village at Incarnation Camp | $13,000.00 |
Iglesia Memorial de San Andres, Yonkers | San Andres Summer Camp | $10,000.00 |
St. Ann's of Morrisania, Bronx | Freedom School | $23,000.00 |
St. Mary's Manhattanville, Manhattan | St. Mary's Summer Camp | $6,200.00 |
Christ's Church, Rye | Blue Skies Summer Camp | $15,000.00 |
Sts. John Paul and Clement, Mt. Vernon | Summer Camp | $5,000.00 |
St. James Hyde Park | Hyde Park Kid's Garden Club | $1,000.00 |
Grace Church, Manhattan | GO Summer | $8,000.00 |
Church of the Heavenly Rest, Manhattan | Manhattan North Summer Educational Project | $8,000.00 |
Basic Human Needs Grants
Total awarded: $624,625.00
Basic Human Needs grants support parish-based human services programs, with consultation from our Advisory Committee, that provide services to families teetering on the poverty line, the elderly, those living in poverty, and to specific vulnerable populations. These include the homeless, immigrants, people impacted by the criminal justice system, and individuals living with chronic illnesses. As the COVID-19 crisis continued from 2020 to 2021, many of our programs transitioned into food access to combat the rising food insecurity while we also started funding new food access programs.
Food Access Programs
Total awarded: $484,500.00
Food access programs are all of our food assistance program and include but are not limited to food pantries, soup kitchens, mobile pantries, and grab-and-go programs.
Parish | Program | Total Award |
|---|---|---|
All Saints, Manhattan | Community Meal | $3,000.00 |
Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Manhattan | Cathedral Community Cares | $10,500.00 |
Christ & St. Stephen's, Manhattan | Brown Bag Program | $9,000.00 |
Christ Church Ramapo, Suffern | Feeding Ministry | $15,000.00 |
Christ Church, New Brighton | Holiday meal assistance | $6,000.00 |
Christ the King, Stone Ridge | Roundout Valley Food Pantry | $7,000.00 |
Church of St. Matthew and St. Timothy, Manhattan | Sunday Meals, St. Matthew and St. Timothy | $4,500.00 |
Church of the Ascension, Manhattan | Ascension Outreach | $4,000.00 |
Church of the Ascension, Mt. Vernon | Food Pantry | $4,000.00 |
Church of the Atonement, Bronx | Food Pantry | $8,000.00 |
Church of the Epiphany, Manhattan | Wednesday Night Homeless Feeding Program | $4,500.00 |
Church of the Good Shepherd, Granite Springs | Community Center of Northern Westchester Food Pantry | $15,400.00 |
Church of the Good Shepherd, Newburgh | Shepherd's Kitchen | $7,000.00 |
Church of the Heavenly Rest, Manhattan | New York Common Pantry | $12,500.00 |
Church of the Mediator, Bronx | Healthy Living & Sustainability Food Pantry | $5,000.00 |
Good Shepherd, Granite Springs | Feeding Program | $5,000.00 |
Grace Church (West Farms), Bronx | Our Lord's Soup Kitchen | $8,500.00 |
Grace Church, Middletown | Guild of St. Margaret's Soup Kitchen | $25,000.00 |
Grace Church, Nyack | Grace's Kitchen | $5,000.00 |
Grace Church, Port Jervis | Fed by Grace | $7,000.00 |
Grace Church/La Gracia, White Plains | Food Alliance | $10,000.00 |
Grace/La Gracia, White Plains | Westchester Soup Kitchen | $17,500.00 |
Holy Apostles, Manhattan | Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen | $17,500.00 |
Holyrood/Santa Cruz, Manhattan | Friday Food Fest | $7,500.00 |
Iglesia Memorial de San Andres, Yonkers | San Andres Food Pantry | $15,000.00 |
St. Andrew's Church, New Paltz | The Pantry at SUNY Ulster | $5,000.00 |
St. Andrew's, Bronx | St. Andrew's Kitchen | $7,500.00 |
St. Ann's of Morrisania, Bronx | Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen | $23,000.00 |
St. Bart's, Manhattan | Crossroads Community Services | $25,000.00 |
St. Edmund's, Bronx | St. Edmund's Food Pantry | $5,000.00 |
St. George, Newburgh | St. George's Food Pantry | $7,500.00 |
St. Ignatius of Antioch, Manhattan | Soup Kitchen | $2,500.00 |
St. James Fordham, Bronx | St. James Fordham Food Pantry | $11,000.00 |
St. John's Church, Kingston | Angel Food East | $17,000.00 |
St. John's Church, Monticello | Caring Hands Food Pantry | $12,000.00 |
St. Margaret's Longwood, Bronx | St. Margaret's Feeding Program | $2,500.00 |
St. Mary's Castleton, Staten Island | St. Mary's Community Meal | $2,000.00 |
St. Mary's Manhattanville, Manhattan | We Are Not Afraid (WANA) | $25,000.00 |
St. Mary's, Mohegan Lake | Community Food Pantry | $11,500.00 |
St. Mary's, Tuxedo | Sloatsburg Food Pantry | $8,500.00 |
St. Michael's, Manhattan | St. Michael's Saturday Kitchen | $13,000.00 |
St. Paul's, Bronx | Food Pantry | $6,000.00 |
St. Paul's, Poughkeepsie | St. Paul's Food Pantry | $4,000.00 |
St. Peter's Chelsea, Manhattan | Food Pantry | $5,000.00 |
St. Peter's Westchester Square, Bronx | St. Peter's Love Kitchen & Love Pantry | $12,500.00 |
St. Peter's, Peekskill | Fred's Pantry | $8,600.00 |
St. Stephen's, Armonk | Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry | $15,000.00 |
St. Thomas, Amenia Union | Food of Life/Comida De Vida Pantry | $16,000.00 |
Sts. John Paul & Clement, Mt. Vernon | Emergency Food Pantry | $6,000.00 |
Adult Education and Support Programs
Total awarded: $140,125.00
Parish | Program | Total Award |
|---|---|---|
All Angel's Church, Manhattan | Pathways Drop-In Center | $7,125.00 |
Christ & St. Stephen's, Manhattan | West Side Campaign Against Hunger Culinary Pathways Program | $12,500.00 |
Christ Church, Rye | Bienestar en Port Chester | $2,500.00 |
Christ Church, Rye | Hudson Link | $18,000.00 |
Church of the Epiphany, Manhattan | Racket | $2,500.00 |
Church of the Heavenly Rest | LSA Family Health Service | $9,000.00 |
Church of the Incarnation | Moravian Open Door | $6,500.00 |
Grace Church, Millbrook | Grace Immigrant Outreach | $18,500.00 |
Holy Cross/Santa Cruz, Kingston | Ulster Immigrant Defense Network | $30,000.00 |
St. Mary's Ghanaian, Bronx | ESL Program | $2,500.00 |
St. Mary's, Tuxedo | Helping Hands | $10,000.00 |
St. Matthew's, Bedford | Emergency Shelter Partnership | $6,000.00 |
St. Matthew's, Bedford | A-Home's The Next Step | $10,000.00 |
Trinity St. Paul, Ossining | Ossining Emergency Shelter | $5,000.00 |
Bulk Buy Grants
Total awarded: $146,223.79
The Bulk Buy grant begun in response to the collapse of the food network due to the COVID-19 pandemic and aggregates demand among feeding programs to negotiate discounted rates from a local commercial wholesaler. Most of our programs are community-based so they cannot leverage huge budgets to negotiate lower prices and favorable delivery terms with a wholesaler. Bulk Buy allows programs to work directly with wholesalers to purchase food and supplies, billing Episcopal Charities. Through this initiative, feeding programs can supply culturally relevant foods as well as expensive foods (like proteins) that are typically expensive to buy or difficult to acquire.
Parish | Program | Total Award |
|---|---|---|
Ascension, Manhattan | Food Pantry | $743.18 |
Christ Church, New Brighton | Holiday meal assistance | $2,795.60 |
Christ Church, Ramapo | Feeding Ministry | $4,784.53 |
Church of the Ascension, Mt. Vernon | Food Pantry | $1,805.32 |
Church of the Mediator, Bronx | Healthy Living and Sustainablity | $ |