Summary Descriptions of Grants Awarded

Brighter Days Grant Applications Summary: 2023-2024 Grant Season

Agape // $16,000

The grant would be used to provide TBRI training to the caregivers of Agape kids.

Agape provides support to children and teens that have an incarcerated parent, through weekend summer camps, and other family outings and events.  Faith Gilchrist, Agape Director has been trained as a TBRI Practitioner. This stands for Trust Based Relational Intervention. The program was developed at Texas Christian University and is proven as an effective practice to meet the basic relationship development needs of children and youth from “hard places” as well as the needs of the adults. Agape is now training the Cabin Leaders each year in this method. They wish to expand this training to the Caregivers of Agape kids. The curriculum allows for the gospel to be woven in.  These classes would meet weekly for an 8-12 week session, providing dinner and childcare.

Additionally, they would like to provide a spa day for the caregivers of the kids (moms, grandmas, foster moms, etc.) Massages, hair care, alone time, meals and more. The goal of these two ventures is to build community and care, making the gospel a holistic endeavor. 

Eugene Mission // $10,000 Initial Request (Increased to $13,200 by BDGC)

Grant funds would allow for us to finish the upgrading of the chapel into a more usable space for the purposes of the R3 (Rescue + Revitalize + Restore) and Life Change programs. The Eugene Mission has raised $30,000 for a “chapel refresh”, with a need for an additional $13,200 for flooring and an upgrade of the sound system. The Eugene Mission Chapel is used for Sunday and Wednesday chapel services, and as a meeting space for discipleship classes, Bible studies, small groups and Life Skills classes. The Eugene Mission is an aging facility and the chapel is old, dark and sad. With the new “residential” programs at the Eugene Mission, we would like to update the chapel with better acoustics, better lighting and larger windows. The cinderblock walls need to be covered with a sound baffling material that is bright and “hopeful.” The carpet in the chapel is dark, stained and torn. For a Mission that is focused on the loving redemption and Hope of Jesus Christ, it is time for the Eugene Mission to provide a beautiful space that is practical for both worship and Bible study groups.

YFC Parent Life  // $18,640           

The grant would be used to provide a stipend and support to develop a team of quality mentors and childcare staff to provide consistent adults in the lives of the Teen Parents we serve.  We wish to bring on 3 paid part time mentors (2 female and 1 male; one of the mentors to be bi-lingual).  Currently, we attempt to use volunteers for these roles, but it is difficult to retain a consistent group of volunteers.  This grant would cover the cost of the program for the first full year, giving us time to incorporate this cost into our fundraising budget for future years.

Hosea Youth Services // $6,000 Initial Request (Increased to $8,000 by BDGC)

The funds will enable us to compensate an onsite chaplain to serve our young guests. We believe that having this chaplain here on a regular basis will enable us to be more intentional in encouraging our young guests in moving toward a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  We have a chaplain currently volunteering in this capacity. With financial support and compensation, we may be able to increase their hours, as well as their commitment to being here more consistently.  (BDGC Increased Request to $8K to include additional $2,000 to provide a budget for supplies such as bibles, journals, study materials, backpacks, training seminars, and/or curriculum, etc.)

One Hope – Cottages of Hope // $5,700 Initial Request

Sponsor the full construction of one Cottage of Hope at EveryOne Village.

Background:  EveryOne Village (a supportive, holistic community for people moving off of the streets [led by a Christ-centered team]) officially launched in January 2022. EveryOne Village provides an environment for an individual to live temporarily in a 16×8 Cottage of Hope, while being surrounded by community and accountability, and being coached and supported to find life stability and permanent housing.  Project Goals: The goal of Cottages of Hope is to build 50 Cottages at EveryOne Village, while resourcing Lane County high schools with plans, processes, and a program to train students while meeting a community need. We are creating a model that can be taken, implemented, and expanded across the state and nation.

Methods: Cottages of Hope empowers wide community support to resolve homelessness and offers workforce development experience in construction. We provide program oversight that includes recruiting build teams and supplying the architectural design, all materials needed to complete a cottage, and project management. Cottages of Hope partners with 15 churches, 5 businesses, 16 school districts within Lane ESD’s Building a Brighter Future program, the 15^th Night’s Youth Action Council, unhoused individuals at EveryOne Village, and individual volunteers who collectively form construction teams for each cottage and/or contribute funding. This opportunity offers high school students, unhoused adults and youth, and others in the community valuable experience to pursue trade careers while serving their community. Last year students at Crow, Triangle Lake, and Springfield high schools participated in building cottages.

Total Grant Funds Requested from all 5 Finalist Organizations: $56,340

Total Revised Grants Awarded for all 5 Organizations (After BDGC Increases): $61,540

After Site Visits and evaluations, Grants were awarded at our Celebration Lunch on March 4, 2024!