Second Collection to Take Place for Catholic Campaign for Human Development
November 17, 2017
On Nov. 18 and 19 there will be a second collection at Masses across the Archdiocese to support the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), which allocates funds to community projects that promote the mission and vision of CCHD while adhering to the moral and social teachings of the Catholic Church.
In his statement establishing the World Day of the Poor on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Pope Francis called for Christian communities to mark the occasion with “moments of encounter and friendship, solidarity and concrete assistance” with people living in poverty.
“Poverty challenges us daily in the United States, but it also presents an opportunity for true encounter with the suffering flesh of Christ. CCHD is a concrete sign of the Church’s solidarity with people living in poverty and its commitment to bringing hope and the joy of the Gospel to our sisters and brothers in need,” said Bishop David P. Talley of Alexandria, chair of the CCHD Subcommittee of the USCCB’s committee on domestic justice and human development.
There are more than 46 million people in the United States living in in poverty, and this collection supports programs to empower local communities to address the challenges they face.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, For more than 43 million Americans, there is a thin line between eviction and home, hunger and health, unemployment and work, and anxiety and stability. This line is the poverty line; for a family of four, that line is $24,257 a year.
The CCHD supports those living in poverty across the country to identify and address the unique obstacles they face as they work to lift themselves out of poverty.
The fund is dedicated to enable those living in poverty locally to break the cycle of poverty by funding community programs that encourage independence and provide the support they need to make lasting changes.
In addition, 25 percent of funds collected will remain in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to fund local anti-poverty projects.
For example, with the support of the CCHD, El Pájaro Community Development Corporation (CDC) in Watsonville, California is empowering Latino and Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs like Marleny. Marleny came to the United States from El Salvador, escaping violence and an unsafe situation. She had a dream to start a pupuseria restaurant and to serve traditional Salvadoran food and support her family.
She entered the Business Education and Loan Program at El Pájaro CDC and in October 2014 opened Pupuseria Marleny’s. With the support and education she received, her business has been so successful that she has already opened a second restaurant. The restaurants have allowed Marleny to provide gainful employment to five new workers and help revitalize her community.
To learn more about the Collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston, click here. Or visit www.usccb.org/cchd/collection.
Other way to donate
Send check or money order to:
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Office of National Collections
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
P.O. Box 96278
Washington DC 20090-6278
Checks payable to “USCCB – Catholic Campaign for Human Development”