Christmas has come early for eight Queensland Baptist Churches - and the vulnerable people that they support.
Churches in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Townsville have been awarded grants through the latest round of Carinity's Collaborative Community Projects funding scheme.
A total of $188,000 will be allocated to support new projects which are designed to relieve and mitigate disadvantage, promote connectivity for vulnerable people, and increase the strength of local neighbourhoods.
This funding is on top of the $312,000 that was approved in previous approval rounds to fund ongoing projects during 2024.
"These funded projects will help to address some serious societal issues in the churches' respective communities. These include homelessness, gambling addiction, family and parenting matters, and cost-of-living pressures," Interim Carinity CEO David Angell said.
The latest Collaborative Community Projects funding recipients are:
- Annerley Baptist Church
- Ashgrove Baptist Church
- Bridgeman Downs Community Church
- Coolum Beach Baptist Church
- Crosslife Baptist Church
- Northreach Baptist Church
- Shalom Family
- Toowoomba Community Baptist Church
Funding will enable Annerley Baptist Church in Brisbane to upgrade its crisis accommodation with an additional bedroom and laundry, used by people at risk of homelessness.
Ashgrove Baptist Church in Brisbane will expand its community services to include family and parenting and youth wellbeing support.
Bridgeman Downs Community Church has been funded to conduct its Streetlight City program, which provides services to homeless people in Brisbane's CBD.
On the Sunshine Coast, Coolum Beach Baptist Church will purchase a new commercial oven for larger breakfasts and group cooking classes for the homeless.
As part of its Compassion Connection ministry, Crosslife Baptist Church will introduce a community chaplain to support problem gamblers at a licensed club on the Gold Coast.
Northreach Baptist Church in Townsville will expand its food relief program, Northreach Community Care, and develop a larger space to accommodate more op shop items.
The Koiki Mentoring Project, designed to help develop the next generation of young Indigenous cultural leaders in Townsville, will be introduced by Shalom Family.
A project run by Toowoomba Community Baptist Church, the Coffee and Cards Program, will support vulnerable people in the community including donating food hampers.
The Collaborative Community Projects builds on Carinity's previous funding program, the Carinity Innovation Grants. That initiative supported 92 Queensland Baptist churches to deliver 137 community projects over 14 years.
