Newsroom Resources

Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) is the national office for Catholic Charities agencies and affiliates nationwide. CCUSA provides strong leadership and support to enhance the work of Catholic Charities agencies in their efforts to reduce poverty, support families, and empower communities. CCUSA’s members respond to disasters, provide help and create hope for more than 10 million people of all faiths each year.

Multimedia Resources

Please visit our YouTube channel and Flickr site to access images and video footage from events, speeches, volunteer opportunities, and our local agencies.

Publications

Please visit our Scribd account to download CCUSA press releases and publications such as policy papers, Charities USA magazine, white papers, and reports, available to the public.

Media Contacts

Patricia Cole| pcole@catholiccharitiesusa.org |  (703) 236-6218

 

We Asked, You Gave

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“Faith is genuine only if crowned by charity.”

At the beginning of Lent, we at Catholic Charities USA invited you to join with us in giving up your time and compassion to help those in need and asked you to share your #LentGiving stories. We received many heartwarming accounts of people truly seeking to help others and wanted to share a few of them with you below.

We heard from a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Des Moines, Iowa about the charitable efforts of some of the younger members of the parish:

“Our 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade Religious Ed class at St Peter’s Catholic Church in Des Moines, Iowa is involving the parish in a ‘Lenten Project.’ Our 8 students made a dozen posters to put in church, asking for donations of personal care items and cleaning supplies which we will then sort and put into buckets and present to the St Joseph Emergency Family Shelter. When a family is ready to move out into their own apartment, the Shelter blesses the family with a gift of one of the buckets. It’s a way we can all give a little, and make a BIG difference to those in need.”

A woman in New Jersey shared her story of volunteering at a church that is committed to serving those in need:

“I am a volunteer with St. Joseph’s Church in Toms River. Our social concerns/social justice ministry includes our Food Pantry; a soup kitchen (called Sunday Supper) which serves full meals on the last Sunday of each month; clothing drives in Spring and Fall at which the poor of Toms River can pick out clothing they need for their families; a household goods drive where the poor can find necessary household goods and small appliances which are donated by our parishioners, and a number of other giving opportunities for holidays, etc. I also volunteer for the St. Vincent de Paul ministry here at St. Joseph’s, giving financial assistance to those who find themselves in situations that require aid. We are a parish which does extensive outreach to the community. As a retired social worker I feel right at home working with these groups dedicated to their service to the poor in Toms River.”

We received a story from a teacher in Philadelphia:

“This Lent I am having my 5th grade Religious Education class collect money for Mercy Hospice Philadelphia annual fund drive. I’ve challenged my students to save 25 cents per day or $10.00 per student. I challenged them that I would match their gift up to $200. So if each student makes their contribution we will provide Mercy Hospice a $400 donation. In addition through another local parish I cook casseroles for Mercy Hospice.”

And a college student in Minnesota:

“I was part of a group of college students who spent part of their spring break in New York helping Hurricane Sandy victims. The students worked hard with mold removal and demolition of walls and flooring that needed to be removed.”

A member of our Facebook community told us of his Lent Giving charity:

“I have been volunteering an hour a day at my local soup kitchen/homeless shelter (Daily Bread Melbourne, FL) by doing work in their warehouse where they keep all their donated food and it’s been a wonderful experience!! In years past I would simply “give up” something for Lent like you said but now I’m finally experiencing the fullness of Lent…prayer, fasting AND almsgiving!!”

And from Atlanta we received a story about an entire community coming together to help those who are less fortunate:

“My parish (Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta) is sponsoring a Habitat for Humanity build this Lent. One home, one family being helped, right? I would suggest that hundreds are being helped in this one project. Every weekend (for seven weeks), 30-40 volunteer builders contribute their hard work, 4 bakers contribute their talents to provide treats to the workers and 5-8 cooks contribute their skills to provide a hot lunch to the volunteer builders. So, what does this one house mean to the soul of our parish? 210-280 workers, 28 bakers and 35-56 cooks all sacrificing time to yield to the common good of our community. What a win for all!”

These stories from CCUSA supporters across the country serve as examples for all of us going forward.  We are grateful for those who shared their experiences.

 

2011 Annual Survey Snapshot Findings

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Each year, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) surveys diocesan Catholic Charities agencies to better understand the scope and scale of social services they provide to people in need.  In 2011, local agencies provided more than 10 million individuals and families-in-need with assistance in five key service areas; education, family economic security, health, housing and hunger. Snapshots highlighting the five key service areas are available here in addition to an overview of the full survey findings.

CCUSA and Notre Dame Announce Alliance to Reduce Poverty in America

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Driven by a shared moral purpose and a common belief that helping those in need is a core element of the Catholic faith, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) and the University of Notre Dame announced the formation of an Alliance today which will take a multi-faceted approach to reducing poverty in this country.

“We have a moral commitment to not only serve the poor, but to determine the most effective and efficient models for doing so,” said Rev. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA.

Click here to download the full release.

Catholic Charities USA Welcomes Pope Francis I

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“We join with Catholic Charities agencies across the country and the Caritas movement around the world in offering our prayers and support for our new Holy Father,” said Fr. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA. “We look forward to continuing our mission of service and living out the call of the Gospel with Pope Francis I as our spiritual leader.”

Click here to access the full press release.

CCUSA Presents Lifetime Achievement Award to Gordon Wadge

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Catholic Charities USA presented Gordon Wadge, Executive Director of the YMCA of Greater New Orleans, with a Lifetime Achievement Award Saturday in recognition of decades of service to the Catholic Charities movement.

“Gordon’s commitment to collaboration and his passion for helping others serves as an example for all of us working on behalf of the least among us,” said Rev. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA. “His calm and steady presence throughout his leadership, particularly in disaster response, truly personifies what it means to be a servant leader.”

Click here to download the full release.

 

Catholic Charities USA President Responds to State of the Union

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“As the tenor of debate in our nation’s capital remains divisive and polarizing, it is important to recognize those issues and initiatives central to the lives of Americans in need that could offer opportunities for our nation’s leaders to fulfill their moral responsibility to the nation through bipartisan cooperation and compromise.  President Obama outlined a series of potential issues that could fulfill that promise in this evening’s State of the Union speech, including increased access to quality education and job training, action on immigration reform, and important improvements to our nation’s infrastructure.

“Every day our network of local agencies sees first-hand the struggles facing too many Americans who are finding it impossible to make ends meet, despite hard work and continued efforts to achieve their own American dream by building their own ladders to opportunity.

“While we recognize that the economic challenges facing this country are great, addressing education, workforce development, immigration and infrastructure is vital to not only the strength of our nation’s economy, but the strength of our nation’s people.  Now is the time for our country’s leaders to work together to bring innovative reform to address the challenges facing more than 46 million individuals living in poverty across the country.“

Click here to download the official statement

Catholic Charities USA Launches National Mentoring Program

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Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) announced the launch of its National Mentoring Program yesterday which aims to provide evidence-based mentoring services to at least 500 youth over a two-year period.  Enabled by a grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the program’s mission is to prevent delinquency, truancy, drug use, gang involvement, pregnancy and other high risk activities while improving school performance.

According to CCUSA President, Rev. Larry Snyder, “So often services that are directed towards at-risk youth neglect to incorporate the important role an individual mentor can play in the life of a child. As we continue our work to create holistic approaches to poverty reduction in communities across the country, we are grateful for the support enabled by grants such as this.”

Click here to download the full release.

CCUSA Releases Latest Quarterly Snapshot Survey Findings

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The majority of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) network agencies report having developed or are interested in developing a social enterprise according to Catholic Charities USA’s latest quarterly snapshot survey which included a special section on this innovative approach to addressing poverty in local communities.

“Social enterprise programs are just one of the many innovative ways that Catholic Charities agencies address poverty in their communities,” said CCUSA President Rev. Larry Snyder. “These programs not only deliver services effectively and efficiently, they often result in a profit for the implementing agency, enabling our network to reinvest those dollars in service provision, allowing us to help as many people in need as possible.

Click here to download the full release.

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