Clergy Family Initiative Update On Clergy Wellbeing: Lilly Endowment Grants Being Disbursed
{Garrison, NY} - Clergy Family Initiative is pleased to announce that the Lilly Endowment has approved the final release of Grants for Covid Relief, allowing financial assistance to Clergy who have experienced hardship due to the Coronavirus.
Over the past seven years, the Clergy Family Initiative (CFI) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA) has received four enabling grants from the Lillly Endowment to improve the well-being of Clergy and their families. The first initiative was to provide Clergy education in personal financial literacy, and with course completion, eligibility for financial support grants of up to $10,000 through the Ministerial Excellence Fund.
"The Lilly Endowment has committed a total of $2,300,000, subject to matching funds. We are extremely thankful for their support for our beloved Clergy and the spiritual work of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese." (Fr. Costa Sitaras, Executive Director, CFI)
To date, a total of $900,501 in grants have been awarded, with many Clergy subsequently waiving grants after proactively using the educational training materials to resolve debt.
The Clergy Family Initiative has produced and released video presentations to the nine Metropolises for Parish Council Training on the life and work of the Clergy. For information on these trainings, please contact Dr. George Koulianos at [email protected]
Recently a series of Financial Management Webinars for Presvyteres was produced and released in conjunction with the NSP (National Sisterhood of Presvyteres) Future initiatives are to elevate the priority of moderating Seminary costs as a preventive measure in reducing future Clergy debt levels. ###
Fr. Constantine L. Sitaras
Director
Clergy Family Initiative Fact Sheet
