USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - Catholic Campaign For Human Development Awards $9.5 Million To Fight Poverty

Catholic Campaign For Human Development Awards $9.5 Million To Fight Poverty

Grants Given To Community Groups To Support Grassroots Efforts

WASHINGTON (October 26, 2007)–The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) distributed more than $9.5 million in grants to local organizations working to overcome poverty in the United States.

The 2007, grants, totaling $9,578,000, will be used by 314 projects in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The average award is $30,500 and will go to local organizations that address the specific concerns of their poor and low-income members. These groups work toward economic justice, fair housing, health care access, living wages, and immigrant and worker rights, among other concerns.

John Carr, CCHD interim executive director, highlighted CCHD's importance.

"Overcoming widespread poverty in the richest nation on earth is a moral imperative. The U.S. Census Bureau report released in August indicates that 36.5 million Americans still live at or below the poverty line ($20,614 for a family of four). The Catholic Campaign for Human Development invests in bottom-up, community empowerment strategies across the United States."

CCHD is supported by Catholics through an annual, national collection taken up in Catholic parishes, generally the weekend before Thanksgiving. Twenty-five percent of the donations remain in the diocese for local CCHD initiatives and the remainder is distributed across the country.

Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, of Albany, New York, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) CCHD Committee, noted Catholic support for the Campaign.

"Our people are generous in their efforts to help their poor and low-income neighbors through CCHD. We are grateful for their confidence. We are also challenged by the ever-increasing need for our help," he said.

The following groups are representative of the organizations funded in 2007:

Mississippi Poultry Workers' Center (MPOWER) of Morton, Miss., represents low-income Latino and African American poultry workers – many of whom are women. It helps poultry workers bridge the "black/brown divide" in one of the country's most dangerous industries and seeks to protect them from retaliatory firings. ($30,000)

Natural Home Cleaning Professionals in Oakland, Calif., is a worker-owned and operated cooperative that uses environmentally friendly cleansers and practices. Most of the employees and members are immigrant women who will benefit from a grant to expand the size and strength of the organization. ($40,000)

Albany Park Neighborhood Council in Chicago is an association of 22 religious, ethnic and educational groups that work collaboratively to develop community leaders and solve local problems. The grant will expand its successful program to secure more affordable housing in gentrifying areas. ($35,000)

Women's Community Revitalization is trying to help low-income families stay in their Philadelphia homes, even as they are threatened with displacement from gentrification and eminent domain rulings. The grant will enhance the group's efforts to develop and manage affordable housing for families. ($25,000)

Families United for Racial and Economic Equality in Brooklyn, N.Y., is a group of low-income women, many of whom are self-employed as home child care providers. With a grant, the women will be able to continue to advocate for reasonable state regulation of their work and to build a youth group to organize for improvements to their school system. ($30,000)

Disabled Rights Action Committee in Salt Lake City, Utah, is helping to bring more than 1,000 housing units into compliance with accessibility laws and promoting legislation to fund emergency dental care for low-income residents. It will use its grant to strengthen advocacy for youth living with disabilities. ($25,000)

Established in 1970, CCHD is the USCCB's national anti-poverty program. Since its founding, CCHD has given more than $300 million in grants to 7,800 projects aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty.

Note to Editors: In the 2007 funding cycle, grants were made in every state except Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Wyoming, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You may want to contact the CCHD diocesan director in your local area for more information or to arrange an interview with a member of a funded organization. A complete listing of directors is available at the CCHD website: www.usccb.org/cchd/director.shtml.