crs check

Diocese to Send $500,000 to CRS

Special to the HERALD

The Arlington Diocese will send a check for $515,525 to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Baltimore on June 11 to assist with the Kosovo relief effort. It is believed to be the largest diocesan donation to CRS for this particular relief effort. The money was donated by diocesan Catholics in a second collection the weekend of May 1-2.

The diocese earlier sent nearly $900,000 to CRS to assist with the hurricane relief effort in Central America.

CRS is the longest-serving major U.S. aid agency with extensive programming in the Balkans. The agency is currently assisting more than 300,000 refugees suffering as a result of the conflict in Kosovo.

CRS started operating in the Balkans in 1991. It opened an office in Macedonia in 1992 and in Kosovo in 1993. The agency now operates 15 offices in the Balkan region.

In addition to Arlington’s generous donation, CRS officials announced June 7 that they have received an additional $100,000 from David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), and Rabbi James Rudin, director of Interreligious Affairs. The check was presented to New York Cardinal John O’Connor on behalf of CRS.

AJC’s Kosovo Relief Fund is a nationwide fundraising effort that started in March 1999 and has elicited an enormous outpouring of support.

CRS is accepting donations for the Kosovo regional crisis. For additional information on how you can help, contact CRS headquarters in Baltimore at 1-800-736-3467. The agency’s address is P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, Md. 21203-7090.