The Episcopal Church’s United Thank Offering (UTO) has given $100,000 to St. Leonard’s Ministries to renovate the the St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church building on its campus, located on Chicago’s West Side.

St. Leonard’s is an Episcopal Church-affiliated agency that runs residential programs for men and women returning to the community after being imprisoned. The grant will allow St. Leonard’s, which is also supported by Episcopal Charities, to renovate the St. Andrew’s building to serve as a space for community gatherings, worship, arts programs, and more.

“This revitalization of an old building will both honor the spiritual origins and tradition of the sacred space as well as build new communal spaces for returning residents,” the Rev. Wes Smedley, mission and strategic advancement manager and chaplain at St. Leonard’s, said. “It will find new life as a gathering space where faith and community can learn from Saint Leonard’s 70 years’ experience in post-prison re-entry and more importantly, from participants.”

The grant will pay to repair the building’s roof, replace exterior doors, and update wiring, tuck pointing and plumbing. Additional funds contributed to the project will be used to air condition the building and help make it more accessible and safe.

The grant to St. Leonard’s was one of 22 grants, totaling more than $1 million, given by UTO this year to address the worldwide incarceration crisis.