Reflection on Becoming

What happens when we are no longer the person we used to be?

After recently undergoing a procedure to ease pain in my knees, the follow up with the doctor netted some insights regarding aging.Throughout my life, participation in physical activities fed and nourished me. In school, when signed up for physical education classes, my academic performance increased, and there was more available energy. All things seemed possible.

Along with my peers, we were invincible, skiing from the first possible run until they kicked us off the mountain, hours of three on three volleyball, tennis, racketball and my arthritic hands now remind me, handball. Hiking, swimming, canoeing, all drawing me outside, to be physically active as renewal occurred.

Time at university, saw me working in the dining hall, as a girl Friday in an orchard, teaching swimming, and after graduation, a physically active occupation, outside while delighting in the wonders of creation. It was not unusual to walk four miles in a single shift.

Then life happens, injury, arthritis, choices and almost imperceptibly, I am no longer the same, no longer able to ski all day, hike for hours, or get up off the floor. The shift occurred slowly, creeping in almost imperceptible, which does not mean it is any less real or disruptive. Change continues to occur. The challenge now is in how I respond to this new reality.

This is not unique to me, it happens to various organizations, ministries, communities in which we live. We all change, the key is to determine how to respond, if we are able to ask difficult questions and to adapt. It seems to me that if we are not willing or able to discern where we come from, where we are and where we want to be, we lose sight of the light and hope, the promise of being children of the resurrection.

May we stand together in our journey, respecting, listening and supporting each other and the diversity which offers us new possibilities to be especilaly when we are no longer who we once were.

God’s Peace and New Life…
Evita

Evita M. Krislock
Province VIII President
Episcopal Church Women

I am the new UTO Board Member from Province VIII, having just completed the first year of my three-year term. I was also on the Grants subcommittee of UTO, which is responsible for designing the call for proposals and checking the grant applications for completeness, analyzing their budgets, and judging whether or not they meet the stated criteria. I am also the UTO Diocesan Coordinator for the Diocese of Los Angeles, and the parish UTO Coordinator for Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Irvine, CA. Thus I welcome questions about all aspects of UTO and am very happy to help anyone in Province VIII. Simply email me at tsmecker@cox.net.

UTO grants in 2025 will have the theme of tackling water problems, for example, providing safe and reliable drinking water, building bathing and washing facilities in underserved communities, promoting water conservation and education, etc. The board recently selected the grants to be awarded, and they will be announced in June once approved by the Executive Council. The total amount to be awarded will be $1.08 million.

UTO grants in 2026 will have a focus that moves two different groups beyond dialogue across lines of difference into action that is undertaken together. UTO seeks to fund projects focused on justice and bridging divides. Applications must demonstrate how two formerly disconnected groups will come together to work on a project that produces meaningful change within a local community. The success of these projects may not solely be measured on the expected or hoped for outcomes, but also on the learning and growth that happens as a part of the collective work.

To apply for a UTO grant, see https://unitedthankoffering.com/apply for all the important information and contact your UTO diocesan coordinator to get their help and advice early in the process. Remember that each diocesan bishop can recommend only one UTO grant proposal each year, and a signed bishop’s approval form is a mandatory part of the grant application.
Thus your proposal idea may have to compete at the diocesan level before submission to UTO. Again, contact your diocese early to learn about their specific internal process and to get advice that might greatly improve your chance of success.

In 2024, UTO collected $1.08 million to award as grants, an increase of 8.0% compared to 2023. In 2024, UTO donations from dioceses in Prov VIII totaled $65,027, a decrease of 6.0% compared to 2023. Note that as a Province, we are midrange in giving with Provinces II, III and IV giving more than us, and the other Provinces giving less. Below is a chart showing UTO
donations from Prov VIII dioceses over the last 10 years. Notice that donations are slowly coming back to pre-covid19 levels, but have not quite fully recovered yet. Also following is a map showing the dioceses that increased their contributions from 2023 to 2024 colored in blue, and a table showing the amounts donated by Prov VIII dioceses in 2024 and the change (in percent) from 2023. We want to especially thank and congratulate the Dioceses of Spokane, Los Angeles and Olympia for giving the largest amounts, and the Dioceses of California, San Joaquin, Hawaii and Northern California for more than doubling their 2023 donations! Please keep up the excellent work because every penny of your donations quickly goes out to Episcopalians and Anglicans in the USA and the wider world to make much-needed improvements in their communities! We anticipate that this coming year we will see even more requests from overseas dioceses due to the cessation of funding from USAID.

 

Submitted by: UTO Board Member from Prov VIII – Tammy Smecker-Hane (tsmecker@cox.net)