The annual collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human
Development will be held in the Diocese of Arlington the weekend of Nov. 17-18
to coincide with the second World Day of the Poor.
Nearly 40 million people live in poverty in the United States.
This collection supports the work of groups that allow low-income people to
participate in decisions that affect their lives. Projects supported by CCHD
include expanding access to affordable housing, developing worker-owned
businesses and protecting worker rights, and reforming the immigration system.
In his statement for this year’s celebration of the World Day of
the Poor, Pope Francis called on the faithful to “make tangible the church’s response
to the cry of the poor, to experience this World Day as a privileged moment of
new evangelization.”
“The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is one of the many
ways that the Church hears the cry of the poor and recognizes their needs. This
collection empowers low-income people to work to break the cycle of poverty in
their communities, helping them to live life anew in dignity,” said Bishop
David P. Talley, chairman of the CCHD Subcommittee of the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
CCHD is the official domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S.
Catholic bishops. This national collection is the primary source of funding for
CCHD’s community and economic development grants and education programs aimed
at fostering hope in communities across the nation. Twenty-five percent of
funds collected remain in each diocese to support local anti-poverty projects.
