CHARLOTTE — Pope Francis has named Nov. 19 the first World Day of the Poor. This is the same day that parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte and around the United States will participate in a second collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
This annual collection funds CCHD, founded by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to help break the cycle of poverty by funding organizations that help people help themselves.
With its mission of improving education, housing situations and local economic development, the CCHD continues to make a positive impact in communities nationwide. Seventy-five percent of collected funds support CCHD’s National Grant Program. Twenty-five percent of the funds from the collection are put to use in the Charlotte diocese.
“Over 46 million people in the United States live in poverty,” says Ralph McCloud, national CCHD director. “That is equivalent to the population of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada and Nebraska, combined. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development works to empower those living in poverty to bring about change in their communities.”
The program puts the generous November parish CCHD offerings to work meeting the concerns and needs of the poor and vulnerable in communities across the nation by awarding Economic Development and Community Development Grants.
In the Charlotte diocese, the CCHD program is overseen by Catholic Charities’ Office of Social Concerns and Advocacy. A yearly Local CCHD Grant Program distributes grants to non-profits around the diocese from funds obtained through the 25 percent of the CCHD collection kept for use in the diocese.
“Last year in May, 14 Local CCHD Grants totaling $38,700 were distributed to organizations building community, empowering people economically and supporting those who are marginalized in society,” said Joseph Purello, diocesan CCHD director.
“These grant recipient organizations are located in eight of the diocese’s 10 vicariates,” Purello added, “showing that the benefits of the CCHD Local Grants reach throughout the diocese.”
In his statement dated June 13, 2017, Pope Francis urged clergy, religious and faithful alike to assist the poor of the world.
“This new World Day, therefore, should become a powerful appeal to our consciences as believers, allowing us to grow in the conviction that sharing with the poor enables us to understand the deepest truth of the Gospel,” the pope said.
“The poor are not a problem: they are a resource from which to draw as we strive to accept and practice in our lives the essence of the Gospel.”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. USCCB.org and Vatican.va contributed.
More online
At www.usccb.org/about/catholic-campaign-for-human-development: Learn more about CCHD’s national grant programs. Information on the local grant program in the Diocese of Charlotte is available at www.ccdoc.org/cchdcrs.