1. Take time to prayerfully seek God's guidance and support for ways your parish can find real human need and respond to these needs in ways that build the dignity and self-reliance of those in need. Pray for willingness to listen carefully to those in need so that your response respects their wishes and realities, not your preconceived notions of what's needed.

6. To respond to the needs of the community, specific training is often required. Determine opportunities for leadership training for parish leaders both in the diocese and the larger community. These events will encourage the personal growth of parishioners and prepare them for important service to those in need.

 2. Organize listening sessions with individuals and/or groups in the parish to assess the most pressing basic human needs as well as the ways in which parishioners are able and willing to assist others.

3. Contact key community leaders, social welfare workers, directors of service organizations, local politicians, and civic activists to learn more about economic deprivation in the larger community and to discern areas where parishioners may be of assistance.

4. Where possible meet directly with persons or families in need to determine what is most needed and what would be the most helpful response seeking always to protect their dignity and rights to self-determination.

5. Contact appropriate officials within the diocese to learn about other needs in the larger community. CCHD and Catholic Charities staff persons are often aware of both problems and programs needing volunteer assistance. Diocesan Social Action Directors can also assist you in locating issues and persons needing the energy and support of your parishioners.

8. View the larger parish community as your major resource. Once needs have been identified, determine which persons within the parish could be of assistance. Where prayers are needed, ask your parish’s prayer group or sodality. If employment is needed, are there managers or business owners looking for employees? If legal advice is needed, are there lawyers? For medical help, are their doctors? If painting is needed, is the youth ministry or young adult group seeking a project? The goal is to have the parish's charity efforts be a ministry of the whole parish, not a small committee.

9. Publicize in weekly parish bulletins opportunities for parishioners to be involved individually and as families in social service activities in the community. Utilize the bulletin to keep parishioners informed of the various outreach ministries. These notices affirm the efforts of those involved and encourage others to join.

1. Prayerfully consider the needs of the community and the call of the bishops to participate in and/or support low-income communities organizing to achieve goals and to improve their own communities. Ask for God's guidance in finding the resource persons who can inform your group of existing opportunities or, if appropriate, assist you to initiate such an effort.

2. Contact your diocesan director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. This individual will be able to tell you about organizing and/or economic development projects in your community. You will also be able to learn of other parishes or religious organizations engaged in these activities. Usually these projects will have their own local staff persons. Ask for the names, addresses, and phone numbers for the offices of these organizations. .

3. Call directly to these organizations and meet with the appropriate staff person, leader or board member. Be prepared to share why your own parish wishes to be involved in the organization and what it is you might have to bring to such an effort. Your CCHD diocesan director will be helpful to you in preparing for these meetings.

4. Attend some of the activities of the organization before you formally join. Is there training for leaders? Are the local parishes and congregations growing spiritually and physically as a result of their participation in the organization?

Is your participation being welcomed and supported? Is the organization achieving real results? Are there annual dues? If sohow much are they? It is important to know what you are joining before your parish gets deeply involved.

5. Offer training for your own parish leaders on the difference between charity (direct service) and organizing for justice. This kind of workshop could be offered as an adult education activity during Advent or Lent. A clear theological framework for empowerment activities is often helpful to parishioners as they determine their own participation. Your diocesan Social Action and Catholic Campaign for Human Development Directors can be helpful in putting together such a session.

6. Invite a staff person or leaders from a CCHD funded group to address your adult religious education class or other appropriate parish organization. The direct contact with someone involved in the organizing efforts helps parishioners see the importance and dignity offered by the organizations' activity. Inviting a Catholic Campaign for Human Development funded group's leader to speak after Masses on the week before the CCHD Collection assists parishioners to understand where their money is going and encourages them to give more generously to the effort.

1. Prayerfully consider your parish's role as advocates for the poor and vulnerable in your community. Ask for God's guidance and support as you seek to become a voice for those unable to speak for themselves. Pray for courage, for knowledge, for resources, for empowering connections, for civility, for patience, and for the development of needed skills to carry out this important work.

6. Hold a sign-up Sunday in your parish to create your own parish advocacy network or a chapter of an existing state or diocesan network. This sign-up process can take place after Masses, through existing parish organizations, or through bulletin announcements.

 2. Contact your diocesan peace and justice office, pro-life office, and/or your state Catholic conference to determine whether they are involved in advocacy and whether they would welcome your parish's involvement in their work. Ask about legislative networks, phone trees, and other efforts in which parishioners could participate.

3. Call national organizations which offer information on public policy issues (e.g., USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, etc.). Many of these organizations send out Issue Backgrounders and/or periodic "Alerts" to members so that appropriate action can be taken on priority issues. For addresses and phone numbers, see the "Resources" section.

4. Contact local interfaith organizations to determine if they are involved in advocacy on economic issues and how your parish might participate.

5. Participate in legislative networks. Many diocesan and state Catholic conferences have formed legislative networks enabling parishioners to act together on public policy issues. These networks, made up of Catholics from a region or state, are organized to respond to a limited number of priority issues to protect or enhance the lives of vulnerable brothers and sisters. Information on issues is distributed through written alerts, telephone contact, e-mail, or fax machines. Your local diocesan social action office or state Catholic conference can tell you if such a network exists. .

8. Organize a letter writing or telephone campaign on a specific economic issue such as fair taxes, welfare reform, or changes in the minimum wage. This activity could be limited to those who have signed up for your parish network, or after receiving approval from appropriate persons, could be for the whole parish after Masses using petitions or postcards. In any case, it is important to provide brief but clear fact sheets on the issue, sample letters, and correct addresses and phone numbers of elected officials.

9. A legislative network established in your parish can carry out a number of other important parish and civic functions. For example, bi-annual, non-partisan voter registration drives held after each Mass communicates the importance of faithful participation in the country's leadership selection process. Other parishes have sponsored non-partisan candidates forums to provide an opportunity for parishioners to hear where potential leaders stand on a variety of priority issues

1. Prayerfully consider the needs of the community and the call of the bishops to participate in and/or support low-income communities organizing to achieve goals and to improve their own communities. Ask for God's guidance in finding the resource persons who can inform your group of existing opportunities or, if appropriate, assist you to initiate such an effort.

2. Contact your diocesan director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. This individual will be able to tell you about organizing and/or economic development projects in your community. You will also be able to learn of other parishes or religious organizations engaged in these activities. Usually these projects will have their own local staff persons. Ask for the names, addresses, and phone numbers for the offices of these organizations. .

3. Call directly to these organizations and meet with the appropriate staff person, leader or board member. Be prepared to share why your own parish wishes to be involved in the organization and what it is you might have to bring to such an effort. Your CCHD diocesan director will be helpful to you in preparing for these meetings.

4. Attend some of the activities of the organization before you formally join. Is there training for leaders? Are the local parishes and congregations growing spiritually and physically as a result of their participation in the organization?

Is your participation being welcomed and supported? Is the organization achieving real results? Are there annual dues? If sohow much are they? It is important to know what you are joining before your parish gets deeply involved.

5. Offer training for your own parish leaders on the difference between charity (direct service) and organizing for justice. This kind of workshop could be offered as an adult education activity during Advent or Lent. A clear theological framework for empowerment activities is often helpful to parishioners as they determine their own participation. Your diocesan Social Action and Catholic Campaign for Human Development Directors can be helpful in putting together such a session.

6. Invite a staff person or leaders from a CCHD funded group to address your adult religious education class or other appropriate parish organization. The direct contact with someone involved in the organizing efforts helps parishioners see the importance and dignity offered by the organizations' activity. Inviting a Catholic Campaign for Human Development funded group's leader to speak after Masses on the week before the CCHD Collection assists parishioners to understand where their money is going and encourages them to give more generously to the effort.