The Campaign for Human Development: Help break the cycle of poverty

November 18, 2004

My Dear Friends in Christ,

In spite of the prosperity that many Americans enjoy, poverty in the United States is on the rise - nearly 35 million Americans live below the government - established poverty line. One in eight Americans is going hungry, worrying about making the rent payment, foregoing medical care and struggling to break free from poverty.

We can reverse this trend by rekindling the spirit of community with those in need and by joining in solidarity to break the cycle of poverty. There is much we can do, as individuals and as a Catholic community, to work with other Americans in order to address the root causes of poverty.

Since it was established by the Catholic Bishops of the United States in 1969, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has worked in the bishops' name to help people break the cycle of poverty, not for just a day, but for a lifetime. CCHD is committed to helping people change the conditions that keep them living in a state of poverty. CCHD-funded projects in our diocese and throughout the United States support low-income people as they work together to solve community problems, increase educational opportunities and create jobs.

CCHD relies on an annual parish collection to fund anti-poverty programs in communities across the country. Each year, the campaign receives increasing requests for funds, and in recent years, CCHD has been forced to turn down nearly half of the applications forwarded to this national office. I urge you to give generously to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development when the annual collection is taken in your parish on Nov. 20-21, 2004. We send 75 percent of the donations to the CCHD national office to support anti-poverty projects across the country. We keep 25 percent here in our diocese to fund local self-help initiatives to benefit our local communities.

By joining in solidarity with Catholics in parishes across our country, you lend strength to efforts already underway to end the vicious cycle of poverty. Please support the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. May God bless you.

Sincerely yours in Our Lord,

Rev. Msgr. Roger J. Augustine
Diocesan Administrator