The Diocese of Allentown has announced that 18 programs and agencies from around the diocese have been awarded Poverty Relief Fund grants totaling just more than $97,000.

The money is allocated from the proceeds of the Poverty Relief Fund collection taken in the 84 parishes of the diocese on the third weekend of November.

Applications for the grants totaled more than $117,000, more money than was received in the collection.

Local recipients, their award and the programs it funds are as follows:

• $10,000 to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Joseph Parish Summit Hill for community dinners, utility relief, a community garden, clothing and household item support.

• $2,000 to the Divine Mercy Cenacle at St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Orefield to provide boxes of food and gift cards.

• $1,000 to Sacred Heart Church, Palmerton to operate a homeless shelter as part of the Family Promise Initiative in Carbon County.

• $5,000 to the Divine Mercy Society at St. Joseph Parish, Jim Thorpe for help with heating fuel, car insurance, utilities, car repairs, gas, emergency food and shelter.

• $2,000 to the Food Pantry at St. Peter the Fisherman Parish, Lake Harmony for food.

The 2018 Poverty Relief Fund collection will be taken up at all the churches in the Diocese of Allentown on November 17 and 18.