February 5, 2009
by Margaret Mwale

SAN DIEGO – The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People (SDOP) has approved grants totaling $301,710 to 12 self-help projects in the United States.

The money is from the One Great Hour of Sharing [http://www.pcusa.org/oghs] (OGHS) offering. Self-Development of People receives 32 percent of undesignated OGHS gifts.

The grants were approved at a meeting of SDOP's national committee here Jan. 15-17. The meeting also marked SDOP's first retreat, "Engaging Our Neighborhoods: Vision and Mission," held in conjunction with previously funded partners and local middle governing body SDOP committees.

Local SDOP committees in attendance included the Presbytery of Los Ranchos, Presbytery of the Pacific, Presbytery of San Gabriel and Presbytery of San Fernando.

Retreat speakers included General Assembly Moderator the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow and Sara Lisherness, Director of the General Assembly Council's Compassion, Peace & Justice ministries, of which SDOP is a part.

Workshops were offered on a variety of issues facing communities today such as homelessness, the global food crisis, water and health care issues. They were facilitated by national SDOP members and funded partners, such as Dignity Village and Butterfly Network for Lupus Patients. A member of Creative Impressions, another SDOP funded partner that gave an impressive performance at the 2006 General Assembly in Birmingham, AL, shared their success story.

The weekend culminated with a performance by "transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project, a group with a mission of empowerment similar to that of SDOP though not funded by it. The transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project believes that art is not a privilege but a necessity of life. The group seeks to empower multi-cultural inner-city youth to create healthier communities through the transforming and life-affirming power of the arts and performance.

For more information about Self-Development of People, contact the National SDOP Office at:

Self-Development of People 100 Witherspoon Street Louisville, KY 40202-1396 Toll Free Telephone: English (888) 728-7228 X5791/5792 Spanish (888) 728-7228 X5790 Fax: (502) 569-8963

January 2009 SDOP grant recipients:

ShareCare Bank, Hattiesburg, MS: $18,000 to assist this grass roots co-op. Members have time dollar accounts and earn or spend those time dollars for/on services provided to or by other members of the group.

Concerned Parents of Vidalia, Vidalia, GA: $36,960 to enable a group of concerned parents who have come together to enhance their parenting skills and serve as a support group for one another to support the positive growth and development of their children.

Kentucky Small Farms Project, Inc., Beattyville, KY: $40,000 to purchase a refrigerated truck to be able to expand food distribution capacity. Group members in this rural Appalachia area need the refrigerated truck because they get refrigerated goods for distribution but they need this truck to be eligible to receive them.

Teach our Children, New Haven, CT: $20,000 to assist a group of 18 Spanish-speaking parents develop leadership and advocacy skills and use those skills to bring about needed change in the New Haven public schools.

Youth Arts Group, Middletown, NY: $26,750 to expand the Mentorship Program and develop a Leadership Academy for its participants to learn strategies and techniques that will bring about social change and justice in their communities. Workshops to be offered include using art for social change, writing and public speaking.

The Philadelphia Security Officer Union, Philadelphia, PA: $20,000 to assist a group of security guards employed at one company obtain fair compensation, paid sick leave and adequate health and dental benefits.

Organizing Asian Communities, Bronx, NY: $30,000 to provide leadership training to youth who are members so the youth can advocate for the Asian community with healthcare providers.

VAMOS UNIDOS, New York, NY: $25,000 to empower low-income Latino immigrant street vendors organize for social justice and economic self-sufficiency. Becoming organized will help group members to work collectively to obtain business licenses and small business training.

Sisters Overcoming Abusive Relationships, Warwick, RI: $20,000 to assist 60 survivors of domestic violence with an advocacy project that empowers them to make positive improvements to court systems that deal with victims of domestic violence.

Coalition of Organized Residents of East Liberty, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA: $20,000 to enable the low-income residents belonging to the Coalition of Organized Residents of East Liberty, Inc. to preserve the last deep-subsidy affordable housing for themselves and their families. Coalition members are fighting eviction from their homes and razing of their housing project.

Support for Harbor Area Women's Lives Alumnae Association, San Pedro, CA: $25,000 to enable graduates from drug and alcohol programs equip themselves for the future through education and low rent housing options through this revolving micro-funding program.

Wee Care Center Inc., Lake City, CO: $20,000 to assist this community-based parent operated childcare center with its child care needs. Wee Care provides state licensed and certified childcare, with curriculum and operating procedures agreed upon by the local parents and residents using the center.

Margaret Mwale is associate for community relations for the National Self-Development of People program [http://www.pcusa.org/sdop].

Presbyterian News Service