Jessie Ball DuPont Fund Awards Grant for Earthquake Relief

2/14/2012

Dear Diocesan Family,

It is with deep gratitude and humility that I write to tell you of generosity from a faithful supporter of the Diocese of Virginia. The Diocese is an eligible recipient of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund because we were an organization that Mrs. duPont supported during the last five years of her life.

Last week, the Diocese received word that the Jessie Ball duPont Fund will award a grant of $100,000 to the Diocese of Virginia to be used to aid four of our churches that sustained damage from the earthquake in August 2011: Aquia, Stafford; St. George's, Fredericksburg; St. Peter's, Port Royal; and St. Stephen's, Culpeper. The grant will be given with the understanding that this gift will be matched dollar for dollar within the next year. Together, these churches have sustained almost $800,000 in damages. The fact remains that they still have to raise a large amount of money above and beyond this grant and its matching requirement. I want to ask each of you to help. Please consider a personal gift as well as a gift from your congregation to the Earthquake Relief Fund to help our congregations repair their church homes and meet the matching requirements of this grant.

Contributions may be made online or by sending your check, with "Earthquake Relief" in the memo line, to the Diocese of Virginia, 110 W. Franklin St., Richmond VA 23220.

Please look for more information about this wonderful grant and the journey of these congregations as they repair their property in future issues of the Virginia Episcopalian magazine.

Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston
Bishop of Virginia