Endowment awards grants

The Green Bay Diocese is distributing $90,300 from its endowment - the Catholic Foundation - for several projects and services offered by diocesan agencies.

Included in this distribution is $17,400 in grants - ranging from $1,000 to $9,500 - to help meet the needs of families, minorities and Catholic school children in northeastern Wisconsin.

Grants were distributed to the following projects and services:

-- Total Catholic Education and Catholic Charities to offer In-School Prevention and Trauma Programs including: educational presentations and programs that help parents and children cope with the stress of divorce, single parenting and step-parenting; violence prevention programs in Catholic schools such as Take Action Against Bullying and the Second Step Program; and Critical Incident Stress Management services in Catholic schools to help students and their families after traumatic stress.

-- Total Catholic Education to allow 20 young adults to participate in a service retreat experience at the Thea Bowman Retreat Center in Chicago.

-- Vocations Department for an immersion experience in Spanish language and culture for Matt Settle of St. Mary Magdalene Parish, Waupaca, a theology student at Mundelein Seminary, Chicago.

-- Total Catholic Education for a Catholic School Teacher Recruitment Campaign, a media campaign to recruit teachers and substitute teachers into the Catholic school system.

Cindi Brawner, executive director of the Catholic Foundation, said, she is delighted with the grants. Programs such as Take Action Against Bullying and the Second Step "provide an opportunity for students to learn how to turn negative thoughts and feelings into positive actions. The Catholic Foundation's role is to continue to fund programs that make a positive impact on our communities and the world," Brawner said."

Bp. Robert Banks founded the Catholic Foundation in 1997 to provide the Church of Green Bay with long-term stability. Individuals can make donor-directed gifts to a variety of Endowment Funds or Planned Gift programs. For more information, phone Brawner at (920)437-7531, or toll-free, 1-877-500-3580, ext. 8173 or e-mail cbrawner@gbdioc.org.