My Dear Friends in Christ,
Many American families are struggling to make ends meet. For nearly 40 million people in the United States, that is a thin line: between eviction and home, between hunger and health, between unemployment and work, between anxiety and stability. This line is the Poverty Line. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by funding community programs that encourage independence.
Our faith calls us to work for an end to the injustices of poverty and to recognize the importance of work to aid our fellow humans. For 39 years, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has stood with poor and low-income people helping them create permanent solutions to poverty in their communities. CCHD supports the poor and low-income in acquiring affordable housing, fair wages and access to health care and vocational training.
It was recently brought to the attention of CCHD that several organizations they were funding were operating contrary to church teaching. That funding has been withdrawn, and checks and balances have been implemented to avoid such occurrences in the future.
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development’s efforts are funded almost entirely through an annual parish collection that will take place on Nov. 21-22. We send 75 percent of your donations to the CCHD national office to invest in anti-poverty projects across the country while 25 percent remains in our diocese for local initiatives.
Please join me in solidarity with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development to put an end to poverty in our community and nation. Each of us should be grateful for our blessings and show our gratitude by helping to make a real difference in the lives of our fellow human beings. Your support will make life better for many people who struggle.
May God bless you for your generosity.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Rev. Martin Amos
Bishop of Davenport
