2024-2025, GRANT WINNERS

In 2021, the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word began a special grant initiative entitled “Sisters Supporting Women for a Better World”. Because women are at the heart of their communities, the demands that they face are many as are the challenges they encounter. For women living in economic poverty, the resources they need to succeed are often beyond their reach. These include education, economic opportunity, personal safety, health care and social services. Our educational ministries were asked to consider how they could make a difference in lives of women and in their communities. Projects were requested from student teams in the United States and Mexico with assistance from a faculty mentor in this new initiative. In Peru, projects were requested from areas served by Sisters; no grant applications from Peru were received this year.

The purpose of the grant initiative has been to provide funding to develop and implement a project to serve economically poor women. These projects were asked to incorporate direct services for women, or advocating for policy change on an issue that direct impacts women.

CURRENT YEAR: For the current grant year, 2024-2025 (funded in 2025), 10 applications were received, and seven grants were approved by a review committee composed of CCVI Sisters. Five grants were given in Mexico, and two in the United States.

On the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 2024, we are announcing the approved projects:

MEXICO

University of the Incarnate Word, Campus Bajio, “Vitalidad En Manos de Mujer – Vitality in Women’s Hands”
This project will produce healthy snacks in environmentally friendly packing made from agave bagasse waste. The products will be made by a group of community women and will be used in the dining room of the Community Hospitality in municipality of Abasolo. The products will be sold to promote nutritious food and strengthen the local economy. The Tequilera “Dockers Mormar” will donate the agave bagasse residue.
Funding for this project will provide working utensils, work tables, refrigerator, support furniture and other needed items.

Colegio Central, “Un Comedor Un Esperanza – A Dining Room, A Hope”
This project aims to create a self-managed community dining room for women in marginalized situations, allowing them to develop skills in areas of cooking, administration and customer service. A training program will be developed and strategies in financing and sustainability established.
Funding will provide professional inspection costs, repairs, minor refurbishment, cooking and tableware materials, printing, etc.

Instituto Miguel Angel, de Occidente A.C. IMAO, “Luna de Mujeras – Women’s Moon”
This project is designed to support girls and women between the ages of 13 and 45 living in El Venado, Nayarit, and to educate them on living a life free of violence, and provide a greater opportunity to make informed decisions. Feminine hygiene products will also be distributed. Separate workshops will be structured for adolescents, 13-25 years of age, and for women, 30-45 years of age, providing helpful information for their age groups. Funding for this project will include purchase of didactic materials and transportation costs

Instituto América, Chihuahua, Mexico, “Support to Ichmujeres”
This project will provide support for women who are physically or spiritually vulnerable and can become homeless. Self-esteem and personal knowledge will be taught through playful and recreational activities that benefit the mental and emotional health of these women. The team wants to offer sessions of help, friendship, relaxation and prayer. Funding will provide all materials needed for the workshops and activities

Instituto Hispano Ingles, San Luis Potosi, “Mi Mundo, Mi Hogar – My World, My Home”
This project is designed to work with migrant boys and girls and provide playful workshops. The goal is to foster dignity, social integration and emotional recovery for these migrants. Team building exercises will be provided. Funding is intended to pay for stationery and for sporting good for recreational experiences.

The funding requested will provide materials for relaxation activities, box lunches, personal care kit, coffee breaks.

UNITED STATES

University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, “STEM – Impacting as Citizen Scientist Hosted by Girls in Engineering, Math and Science (GEMS) and Autonomous Vehicle Systems”
This project is designed to expose the community to an issue of invasive cactus moths that are affecting the Texas State Plant, Prickly Pear Cactus. The project will involve students in underserved, lower income areas and provide free lunches sand education. Funding will provide office supplies, food and water, Prickly Pear Cactus Products and other miscellaneous expenses.

Incarnate Word Academy, St. Louis, Missouri, “Connecting with Our Family at

This grant will provide needed items for the young, expectant mothers and their children who are in residence at Our Family at Good Shepherd to enable the moms-to-be to feel affirmed, more independent, and prepared for raising their children both now and as they leave this program. Many of these young mothers have suffered from addiction, and Good Shepherd is helping them to recover from their addiction. Working with staff at Good Shepherd, funding from this grant will be used to purchase items needed by the mothers and their children, i.e., strollers. The 18-20 Mission Committee students from Incarnate Word Academy will participate in writing encouraging notes to the mothers and in purchasing the items.