The Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP) is an interfaith, multiracial collaboration founded in the late 1960s’ that started providing services to the Greater Richmond community with the opening of our first food pantry in 1971. Many more organizations and initiatives followed, from farmer’s markets to land trusts, rape crisis centers to economic development agencies, all with the common goal of helping those in need. Meanwhile, new congregations continued to join the coalition.

Today GRIP is a vibrant and robust community outreach, advocacy and homelessness prevention organization encompassing over forty-one Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist member congregations and individuals. Together, we work to address critical issues of human dignity and social justice that affect the poor, the homeless and the disenfranchised.

Celebrating the diversity of our community, we draw on our varied traditions and cultures, actively seeking solutions to transform the lives of individuals and families as we carry out a deeply held commitment to heal the world around us.

Today, our focus is on three core initiatives: providing food, shelter and supportive services to help homeless individuals and families make the transition to self-sufficiency. Our programs are administered by a small staff supplemented by a vast team of dedicated volunteers.

GRIP is governed by a 15-member Board of Directors drawn primarily from member congregations, and includes a representative from the homeless community. GRIP’s annual budget currently exceeds $3,500,000; $2,400,000 of which is earmarked for fiscally sponsored projects.

All Good Neighbor donations for the month of October will benefit GRIP.