The aim of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is to transform lives by breaking the cycle of poverty in communities across the United States. Its two-fold mandate commits it to funding empowerment projects for people on low incomes and to education the public about the root causes of poverty. CCHD programmes are funded through an annual collection in parishes.
Budget Approximately US$14 million in 2006

CCHD today is one of the nation’s largest funding organizations for self-help programmes for the poor. These include improving working conditions for poultry workers, supporting a Chicago neighbourhood-development programme to combat gang activity and helping to secure living wages for airport workers in Los Angeles. CCHD conducts poverty surveys to determine the true extent of poverty in the United States and advocates to raise awareness of the numbers estimated to be living in poverty in the United States – 36.5 million people, of whom 15.6 million live in extreme poverty.

Programmes

Examples of the numerous CCHD success stories include:

Scenic Central dairy farmers’ cooperative in Wisconsin

Enabling farmers to obtain a fair price for milk; supplying local cheese producers.

Café Reconcile in New Orleans

The café is also a school: at-risk young people receive restaurant training and learn job skills.

Safe Passage campaign, Los Angeles

Helping children’s education by making their walk to school safe and secure.

Urban Oasis, Washington DC

Growing nutritious food, improving diets and contributing to soup kitchens for the destitute.

Las Mujeres en Progreso, New Mexico

Day-care centre at which children are taught and fed while their parents work.

Pathways Learning Centre, San Francisco

Enabling Latino immigrants to learn computer skills, English and job interview skills.

There are many other successful CCHD funding projects such as low-cost housing schemes, micro-finance initiatives, support for small business enterprises, development of community centres and an innovative scheme to involve homeless people in developing solutions to their problems at the State level. Details of these and other programmes are on the CCHD website.