US bishops' group approves $9 million in anti-poverty funds
Washington D.C., 18 June 2013: The domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops has approved more than $9 million in grants to help alleviate
poverty and injustice throughout the United States.
Ralph McCloud, director
of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, said in a June 17 statement that “Catholics
should be proud of this opportunity to get involved in making a real difference in
the lives of the people in their communities.” The recent grants were approved by
the bishops serving on the campaign subcommittee, during a June meeting in San Diego,
Calif.
Of the allocations this year, more than $1.5 million will go to the
Catholic Campaign for Human Development’s new National Strategic Grant Program, which
focuses “on issues that are broader in scope regionally and that require a more intensive
community response, especially from the Catholic community.”
Other activities
that will be supported by the new grants include the “statewide launch of a clinic
in California that provides alternatives to abortion,” along with programs to “strengthen
fatherhood and families,” and “funding for parishes and other congregations in Florida
to address criminal justice reform.”
McCloud explained that the grants “represent
the Catholic Church and the bishops of the United States standing in solidarity with
those determined not to give in to the despair caused by pervasive poverty in our
country.” He said that the organization “is just as committed as ever to standing
by those who want to create a better life for themselves, their families and their
communities.”
“As always, CCHD continues to support grassroots groups making
real change, advancing justice and human dignity, providing hopeful alternatives to
young people, supporting the rights of immigrants, and empowering entrepreneurs,”
he said.Source: CNA/EWTN