Charitable Contributions in 2018
In 2018 your generosity has supported grants of $78,622 to local and international charitable organizations. This money has come from your monthly donations, income from the Faith Weavers Endowment Fund. and grants from the Cebelak Foundation of Grand Rapids for Friends of El Salvador outreach.
$30,601 (39%) of Faith Weavers grants went to local charities. They are: the Association of Interfaith Ministries (AIM), Christian Counseling Services, Christmas Outreach, Connections that Count, Community Compassion Network, the Gratiot County Community Foundation, Girls on the Run, the Isabella County Restoration House (homeless shelter), Midland county CFOA and Rehab, the Mexican American Council, the St. Vincent DePaul Parish, Suicide Resources, the William and Janet Strickler Center, the Stitch and Prayer Group, and Wings of Mercy.
$48,021 (61%) went to international charities such Global Compassion for a water well, Global Health Outreach to support doctors providing medical and dental care to people in Kenya, Hope for Haiti, an outreach of Fr. Joe Fix to Our Lady of Carmel Parish in Haiti. Also included in these grants was $43,711 to the people of El Salvador through the Friends of El Salvador Committee.
Do you know of an organization that would benefit from a grant? Please contact Karen Lee at grandmakaren68@gmail.com or call (989) 772-6349 on how the charity can request funds. Alternatively, visit our website at www.faithweavers.org and click on the Community Outreach tab for a description of the charities we have supported and information on how to submit a grant request.
Karmon Infant Safe Sleep Program
The Karmon Infant Safe Sleep (KISS) program was established by Faith Weaver in 2011 to recognize Sue and Dave Karmon’s service to the Faith Weavers community. This program is administered by Sue Leeson, RN, a personal health supervisor at the Central Michigan District Health Department.
The KISS program provides cribs (pack-n- plays), sheets, and sleep sacks, a one-piece garment, to provide a safe sleep environment for newborns.
Isabella County had 8 infant deaths last year. This is an 11% death rate for these newborns, which is the highest percentage death rate in the State of Michigan. The average infant death rate for the state is 3%.
A safe-sleep environment is one way to help prevent these tragic deaths. Since the KISS program’s inception hundreds of pack-n-plays have been provided for newborn infants. Since last August alone, thirty units have been distributed.
KISS is part of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to support mothers and children. WIC provides infant formula and healthy foods for women and children. Foods such as dairy products, cereals and grain products, and fresh fruits can be purchased by using WIC card. Nutrition education is also provided to WIC clients along with breastfeeding support. WIC clients who need additional assistance can be referred to health and social services, such as, Medicaid, MI-Child, Healthy Kids, SNAP, immunizations, child health screening, and family planning.
New mothers are eligible to receive this assistance if they are on Medicaid, or meet certain income requirements. Women are often referred to the Health Department by other government agencies, or by their doctor. Others hear about the program through word-of-mouth, and apply themselves.
Faith Weavers has donated $6,000 to the KISS program over the past eight years. Individuals have also donated directly to the Health Department for the KISS program.
If you would like to donate to the KISS program, you can send a check payable to the Central Michigan District Health Department and write KISS program in the memo section of your check. Send your check to:
Susan Leeson, RN
Central Michigan District Health Department
2012 East Preston St.
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
Here is a list of organizations we have supported in the past:
| Local | Website |
| Alzheimer’s Association | www.alz.org |
| Angela Hospice | www.angelahospice.org |
| Association of Interfaith Ministries | |
| Central Michigan Chapter of Red Cross | |
| Christian Counseling Services | |
| Christmas Outreach | www.immanuelmp.com/reach-out/christmas-outreach |
| Commission on Aging | www.isabellacounty.org/dept/coa |
| Community Cancer Services Isabella Co. | www.isabellacommunitycancer.org/ |
| Connections that Count (CMU) | |
| Divine Mercy Center | |
| Free Clinic (McLaren Central Mich.) | |
| Community Compassion Network | www.ccnfeeds.org |
| Central Michigan District Health Dept | www.cmdhd.org |
| Central Michigan Pregnancy Services | |
| Friends of Isabella Seniors | www.isabellacounty.org/donor-opportunities/888-friends-of-isabella-seniors-fois |
| Girls on the Run of Central Michigan | www.gotrcentralmichigan.org |
| Goodrow Fund | www.johnhgoodrowfund.weebly.com/ |
| Gratiot County Community Foundation | https://www.gratiotfoundation.org |
| Imagination Library | www.mtpleasantlib.org |
| Isabella County Food Pantry | |
| Isabella County Soup Kitchen | www.icsk.org |
| Isabella County Restoration House | www.icrhouse.org |
| KISS Program | |
| Listening Ear | www.listeningear.com/ |
| Mexican American Council Inc | |
| Midland County CFOA and Rehab | |
| Mount Pleasant Discovery Museum | www.mpdiscoverymuseum.org/ |
| Mustard Seed Shelter | |
| Next Step of West Michigan | www.nextstep-wm.org |
| New Hope | |
| Suicide Resources (Saginaw Survivors of Suicide) | www.saginawsurvivorsofsuicide.org |
| St. Vincent DePaul | http://stvincentdp.com/ |
| Strickler Resource Center | |
| Stitch and Prayer Group | |
| United Way of Isabella County | |
| Women’s Aid Services | www.womensaidservice.org |
| Woodland Hospice | www.woodlandhospice.com/ |
| National | |
| American Cancer Society | www.cancer.org |
| American Heart Association | www.heart.org |
| American Red Cross National | www.RedCross.org |
| Southern Poverty Law Center | www.splcenter.org/ |
| Sister of St. Clare | www.srsclare.com/ |
| Wings of Mercy | www.wingseastmi.org/ |
| International | |
| Alicia De La Cruz Fores Orphanage | |
| Catholic Relief Services | |
| Community Foundation of the Virgin Isl. | |
| Casa Hogar del Buen | |
| Global Compassion | www.globalcompassioninc.org/ |
| Global Health Outreach | www.cmda.org |
| God’s Mission Outreach | |
| Heifer Project International | www.heifer.org |
| HELPS International (Guatemalan Stove Team) | www.helpsintl.org/ |
| Marynoll Lay Missions | www.mklm.org |
| Matthew 25 of Haiti | www.m25m.org/ |
| New Kind of Dad (Honduras) | www.anewkindofdad.org |
| Pryecto Pastoral At Dolores Mission | www.proyectopastoral.org |
| Rise Against Hunger | |
| Mulli Children’s Family | www.mullychildrensfamily.org |
| Haqte Blanger Orphanage (Haiti) | |
| Pure Water for the World | www.purewaterfortheworld.org |
| Gandahara Ed. and Vocational Service Org. | |
| Saved by God’s Grace | www.SavedByGodsGrace.org |
| Share International | www.share-elsalvador.org |
| Sr. of Precious Blood Orphanage | www.preciousbloodsistersdayton.org |
| St. John’s Episcopal Church / International | |
| Doctors Without Borders | www.doctorswithoutborders.org |