New Hope Oklahoma at Trinity Tulsa recently was awarded a grant from the United Thank Offering of the Episcopal Church!

United Thank Offering announced the grant recipients for the 2023 granting cycle, and we are excited to share that the Diocese of Oklahoma will receive funding for New Hope Oklahoma. The focus of the granting process this year was “those who society has left out and left behind. In the spirit of Matthew 25:36, the UTO grant focus for 2023 will be on innovative mission and ministry projects addressing all aspects regarding the worldwide incarceration crisis, specifically: preventative programs, intervention; prisoner support outreach; prison reform work; or post-prison re-entry.”

“Oklahoma leads the nation in incarcerating mothers and fathers. New Hope at Trinity Episcopal Church in Tulsa serves vulnerable children of prisoners, and the Diocese of Oklahoma delivers many prison-based programs. The damage caused to families of the incarcerated coupled with the perpetuation of the cycle of intergenerational incarceration are arguably the most destructive and pervasive elements of the current penal structure in Oklahoma. The negative effects of parental incarceration on children are truly compelling. Because of this, New Hope at Trinity was founded in 1992 and continues to offer evidence-based intervention and prevention programs for children of prisoners. By formally connecting New Hope at Trinity with other diocesan prison-based programs, we will work together to create better supports for both children and prisoners through evidence-based curricula and family engagement, which research shows play important roles in promoting positive outcomes and successful reentry. Through generous UTO support, we hope to create a new position, the Diocesan Justice Liaison, which will serve as an effective bridge between all programs, providing more young people with support, increasing behavioral change, and promoting the parent-child relationship,” shared Danielle Hovenga, Executive Director of New Hope Oklahoma.

The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of The Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through UTO, individuals are invited to embrace and deepen a personal daily spiritual discipline of gratitude. UTO encourages people to notice the good things that happen each day, give thanks to God for those blessings, and make an offering for each blessing using a UTO Blue Box. UTO is entrusted to receive the offerings, and to distribute 100% of what is collected to support innovative mission and ministry throughout The Episcopal Church and Provinces of the Anglican Communion.

For more information on UTO:
The Rev. Canon Heather Melton
Staff Officer, The United Thank Offering
(917)-771-3366
hmelton@episcopalchurch.org
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/united-thank-offering