The Catholic Campaign for Human Development raised the most it has ever raised in the Diocese of Little Rock last year, and local director Tom Navin hopes the parish collection Nov. 17-18 will show another increase.
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is one of the nation’s largest supporters of self-help, community-based programs initiated and led by the poor.
In Arkansas in 2006 the $71,248 collection increased 8.5 percent over 2005. Seventy-five percent of the money, or $53,456, was sent to the CCHD headquarters in Washington, D.C., to fund national projects.
But Navin said traditionally CCHD will fund two or three programs in Arkansas. Thus in reality, all or most of the diocesan collection supports the poor in the Diocese of Little Rock.
“We got back more than we sent out,” Navin said of last year’s collection. “We’ll be one of the leaders with an 8.5-percent increase. We will be in great shape nationally.”
For 2007 CCHD gave $55,000 to two programs, Pulaski County ACORN and the Northwest Interfaith Worker Justice Center in Fayetteville. ACORN, which stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, works on social justice issues affecting poor and middle-income people. The worker justice center tries to improve employment conditions for low-wage employees in northwest Arkansas.
An analysis conducted by Catholic Charities of Arkansas of CCHD funds from 1996 to 2005 shows that for every $1 sent to the CCHD office, $1.79 is returned to the state through national grants.
National grants range from $20,000 to $50,000 while local grants range from $500 to $2,500.
Navin said this year’s local grants included:
Catholic Charities Summer Institute, Little Rock, $2,000
Hope in Action food bank, $500
St. Dismas prison ministry fund, $500
Center for Women in Transition, Little Rock, $2,500
Arkansas Interfaith Conference, Little Rock, $1,000
Migrant worker program, St. Luke Church, Warren, $2,000
Heart to Heart Pregnancy Support Center, Fort Smith, $2,000
Kairos prison ministry, $600
Emergency aid for rent and utilities, $5,000
Navin said charities in Arkansas that support low-income people are eligible to apply for the smaller grants. The money can be used for direct services, education on poverty issues or help with administrative costs. Grants are distributed throughout the year.
“If you know of a non-profit organization, they need to apply to me,” he said.
For more information on national or local grants, contact Navin at tnavin@ dolr.org or (501) 664-0340.
