The Community Gift, a tradition at the ECW Triennial, serves two purposes. It helps keeps our focus on outreach and service oriented ministry, and it helps ensure that we leave the host city of Triennial/General Convention at least a little better off than before all the Episcopalians hit town. For our time in Indianapolis, the National ECW board chose The Craine House to receive the Community Gift.

Craine House in Indy is a residential work-release program for women with pre-school age children serving a court ordered sentence for a non-violent crime. One of only six such programs nationwide, its vision statement says, in part: (The goal is to) Mentor and educate these women and families to break the cycle of destructive behaviors with treatment and ways to eliminate a negative life situations, thus encouraging these women and their families to live in a safe and structured environment.

The head of Craine House’s board of directors addressed Triennial delegates and explained that the overwhelming success of Craine House has prompted judges and correction agencies to encourage it to expand in order to accept more families and provide more programs. In fact, that is happening; Craine House will soon be moving to a new residence nearly quadruple its current size. 

Meanwhile, much is needed in the way of supplies to keep a house filled with women and young children running. Episcopal Church Women were invited to donate items or gift cards that could be used to purchase everything from food to cleaning supplies to towels and linens. Thanks