Nine central Illinois organizations have received local grants from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development of the Springfield diocese. The awards were made at a luncheon June 9 held at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Springfield. The announcements were made by Msgr. Carl Kemme, vicar general and moderator of the curia for the diocese, and Sister Jane Boos, SSND, director of the diocesan Office for Social Concerns.
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development was founded in 1970 by the Catholic bishops as a way to work toward the elimination of poverty and injustice in the United States. The CCHD funds small self-help programs initiated and led by the poor.
“In November 2011, parishes in our diocese participated in the annual collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development,” said Sister Jane. “Through the generosity of people in our diocese, organizations that focus on addressing the root causes of poverty are able to apply for local grants to carry out their mission. Clip out this article, pray for the grant recipients, and the people they serve.”
Grant recipients for 2012 are:
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Highland Area Christian Service Ministry (HACSM), Taking Charge Program, Highland;
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Illinois Coalition for Community Service (ICCS), Open Door Computer Lab, Charleston;
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New Directions, Life Skills, Jacksonville;
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Camp Care-A-Lot, Leaders Program, Springfield;
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Elizabeth Ann Seton Program, Clean Road to Health, Springfield and Litchfield;
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Pregnancy Care Center of Springfield;
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MERCY Communities, Inc., Advisory Case Management, Springfield;
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St. Patrick Grade School, Higher with Humanities, Springfield;
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St. Frances Cabrini Church, Faith and the Immigrant Experience, Springfield.
Guest speaker at the luncheon was Roosevelt Pratt, owner of Fashion Afrique. Pratt was the recipient of a small business loan through the Economic Development Initiative of the Springfield Project, a national CCHD grant recipient.
Information about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, its programs and grants, is available at www.usccb.org/cchd.