news article
Cady Grant Recipients 2025
July 1, 2025 / By Dr. Blenda Smith, Chair of the Cady Grant Committee / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
What an exciting year for the Cady Grant Committee. We were delighted that the Cady Grant stimulated so much interest. There were nine 2025 applications received which was a record year. Unfortunately, we could not honor that many requests for funding up to $5,000. Specific grant awards ranged from $1,200 to $5,000. We did the best possible to honor Ercil Cady’s bequest for people or projects that support people of color, especially black and brown and/or Native Americans. Here are grants that were awarded:
- Friends of Ganondagan: “Edge of the Woods Camp” is a five-day, cultural immersive, overnight camp held at Ganondagan for 15-20 Haudenosaunee youth. The camp experience will be led by 6-10 Haudenosaunee culture bearers and educators to make this a valuable and meaningful experience. People may know Haudenosaunee as the Iroquois Nation including Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora.
- Lincoln Memorial UMC: An educational and historical excursion to Charleston, SC will establish a relationship between that church and Greater Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church (GMAME). Charleston has a rich history for the African-American community, albeit a tragic and painful history, as a major port for the importation of enslaved Africans and continued as slave trading port until 1863. Learning the history of African Americans, their oppression and subsequent liberation in this country is invaluable in today’s American society.
- Midwifery Education: It is a painful reality that the maternal mortality rate during childbirth of African American women is four to five times the rate of white women in Erie County. We are pleased to be able to support someone in the Midwifery Program. As an African American Midwife, she will bring sensitive and appropriate health care to pregnant women of color.
- Laity Session of Upper New York Annual Conference 2025: Intercultural competency training for laity was an invaluable experience for over 300 attendees by empowering them to engage in more inclusive and culturally sensitive ministries. The Rev. April Casperson, well known to some on the Cady Grant Committee, shared insights on understanding and engaging across cultures that will be pivotal in strengthening the lay leadership of Upper New York.
- New Harvest Ministries: Work with young people, families, and children of different nationalities/ethnic groups helps to develop and train new congregational members with different classes that prepare them with the necessary knowledge to be able to connect to the undocumented community. This work helps the immigrant community with classes in English, civics, American citizenship, finances, and financial management.
- Onondaga United Methodist Church: As one of three Native American churches in Upper New York, the Onondaga Nation has faced serious water contamination issues due to historical industrial pollution in the region, particularly around Onondaga Lake. The Onondaga Nation frequently suffers from unsafe drinking water, with one recent incident involving a pipe burst that left the community without access to clean water for several days. Although this project seeks to provide emergency bottled water, this one time grant to Onondaga UMC can be a vital resource for people on the nation. In the future we hope that the Onondaga UMC will partner with Mission Central Hub of Upper New York Conference to supply water when needed.
The Cady Grant is a valuable funding opportunity available to local United Methodist churches, individual United Methodists, and district or conference ministry teams within the Upper New York Conference. This grant supports educational initiatives that foster growth, learning, and leadership development within the church and community.