July 22, 2003
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information, Contact:
Bud Bunce (503) 233-8373
bbunce@archdpdx.org
Archdiocese of Portland Announces 2003
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
National Grants
The Archdiocese of Portland has announced the awarding of the national
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
(CCHD) grants for 2003 – 2004. The
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
is the domestic anti-poverty program
sponsored by the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops. National Catholic
Campaign for Human Development grants
totaling $225,000 were awarded to seven
projects in western Oregon and to one
regional project. Project descriptions are listed
below. CCHD is the largest private funder
of anti-poverty programs initiated and led by
poor people in the United States. The
Catholic Campaign for Human Development was
established in 1970.
Criteria for funding included:
* At least 50% of those benefiting from
the project must be from the low-income
community.
* Members of the poverty group must have a dominant voice in the project.
* Projects must work to bring about institutional
change by attacking the basic
social, economic and political causes
of poverty and powerlessness.
* Projects may have a focus on community-based
ecologically sustainable
economic development with business efforts
that ensure family wages,
meaningful work and participatory respect
in the work place.
* Projects should empower low-income people
to gain access to community
decision-making structures.
Catholics in the U.S. support the Catholic Campaign for Human Development
through an annual collection. The collection
this year will be taken up in the
Archdiocese of Portland on the weekend
of November 22 – 23, 2003. Catholics in
western Oregon contributed over $164,800
to the support of the Campaign last year,
and have contributed more than $900,000
the past five years. Grants are awarded on
the basis of need, not religious affiliation.
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Programs receiving 2003 – 2004 national CCHD grants.
Catholic Campaign for
Human Development
2003 – 2004 National Funding
Grants
Project: Adelante Mujeres Holistic
Education and Entrepreneurship Project
Contact Persons: Bridget Cooke and
Sr. Barbara Raymond, SNJM 503/992-0078
Organization: Adelante Mujeres
Geographical area: Washington County
Funding award: $35,000 2003 – 2004 National
CCHD Grant
$5,000.00 (2001 – 02 local CCHD grant);
$35,000.00 (2002 – 03 national CCHD grant)
Adelante Mujeres Education and Entrepreneurship
Project addresses the most critical
obstacles low-income Latina immigrant
women encounter. Adelante Mujeres provides
training, education and support for integral
development, including vocational
discernment, skills acquisition, internship
opportunities, and mentoring for small
business development and management.
Project: Predatory Lending Outreach
and Education
Contact Person: Andrew Maxim Ginsberg
503/788-4362
Organization: Oregon ACORN
Geographical area: metropolitan
Portland area
Funding award: $30,000 2003 – 2004
national CCHD grant
$30,000.00 (2001-02 national CCHD grant);
$27,500.00 (2002 – 03 national CCHD
grant)
ACORN (The Association of Community Organization
for Reform Now) is an active
grassroots association of lower-income
and minority families. Member-chosen issues
include ending community apathy, securing
fair and affordable housing and community
control of urban renewal funds, equal
urban infrastructures (road paving, increased
lighting, more traffic controls, etc.)
equal community policing and credit and loan
policies. The Predatory Lending
Education project focuses on improving banking CRA
statistics while ending the predatory
practices of certain kinds of lenders. Oregon
ACORN members deepen the creation of progressive
social change by promoting
policy reforms that improve the lives
of all low-income and minority families.
Project: Trillium Artisans Marketing
Cooperative
Contact Person: Rebecca Slak
503/775-7993
Organization: Neighborhood Pride
Team
Geographical area: Outer Southeast
Portland
Funding award: $30,000 2003 – 2004
national CCHD grant
$50,000.00 (2001-02 national CCHD grant);
$30,000.00 (2002 – 03 national CCHD
grant)
Trillium Artisans is a member owned marketing
cooperative that provides training,
material sourcing, product design and
marketing services to low income women and
men who, in their homes, are making high
quality arts and crafts out of reclaimed
materials. It is designed
with the principles of sustainability woven through it --
reclaimed and recycled materials are used
that were destined for land fills. The
artisan's creativity is celebrated and
valued as they gain newfound dignity and self
esteem through meaningful work providing
a living wage and work that is family friendly.
The cooperative structure will ensure
that the artisans, formerly marginalized by society,
will now be active decision makers in
a business they own and operate in their local
economy.
Project: Grassroots Organizing
in Corvallis and Lane County
Contact Persons: Heidi McGowan 541/908-1863
/ Joy Marshall 541/349-9040
Organization: Oregon Stand for Children
Geographical area: Corvallis and
Lane County, and moving toward statewide
Funding award: $30,000 2003 – 2004
national CCHD grant
$5,000.00 (2001- 02 local CCHD grant to
Corvallis Stand for Children); $5000.00
(2001– 02 local CCHD grant to Lane County
Stand for Children); $25,000.00 (2002 – 03
national CCHD grant to Oregon Stand for
Children).
The Grassroots Organizing Project is building
on the work of these two local Stand for
Children chapters, creating a sustainable
organization strong enough to win funding for
children and change the local balance
of power – giving low to moderate-income
citizens a voice. Corvallis and
Lane County, Oregon Stand for Children are currently
organizing to improve training and wages
of child care providers to ensure our
youngest, most vulnerable children are
in safe, quality care. Childcare providers earn
poverty wages ($6.70 on average), preventing
qualified providers from entering or
staying in the field. The key to
solving both of these problems is greater financial
support for teacher training and education,
and wage supplements that encourage
additional training and enable qualified
teachers to remain in the field.
Project: Tenant Organizing
Contact Person: Robert Franco 503/981-1618
Organization: Farmworker Housing Development
Corporation
Geographical area: Woodburn and vicinity
Funding award: $25,000 2003 – 2004
national CCHD grant
$25,000.00 (2002 – 03 national CCHD grant)
FHDC is a non-profit community based organization
dedicated to farmworker
community and leadership development.
FHDC has developed the Nuevo Amanecer
as a community of affordable housing in
Woodburn. The Tenant Organizing engages
the active participation of FHDC residents
in property management and programs, in
decision processes at the board level,
and in community and city affairs that affect their
lives. Leadership development among
farmworker families is a key to this project.
Project: Anti-Poverty Leadership
Project
Contact Person: Kate Titus 503/282-6588
Organization: Oregon ACTION
Geographical area: statewide
Funding award: $25,000 2003 – 2004
national CCHD grant
$30,000.00 (2002 – 03 national CCHD grant)
This project is developing an expanded
core of low-income leaders across the state to
achieve victories on low-income issues.
The leaders are playing decisive roles in
working for reforms for greater food security,
affordable housing and living wages. Low
income Oregonians organize through Oregon
ACTION on their own behalf. Leadership
training and empowerment of hundreds of
people takes place through popular
education training and community organizing
training.
Project: Full Inclusion
Contact Person: Carole Patterson
541/683-2641
Organization: Lane Independent Living
Alliance (LILA)
Geographical area: Lane County
Funding award: $25,000 2003 – 2004 national
CCHD grant
$4,600.00 (2002 – 03 local CCHD grant)
Project Full Inclusion will increase the
involvement of people with disabilities on local
boards and commissions so that we are
"at the table" in the local decision-making
process. People with disabilities
have an important role to play in identifying issues of
concern and actively participating in
community life to resolve those concerns. LILA's
mission is to increases access, civil
rights and voter participation for person with
disabilities in Lane County.
Project: Homeland Security Campaign
Contact Persons: Derek Bernie and
LeeAnn Hall 206/568-5400
Organization: Northwest Federation
of Community Organizations
Geographical area: the Pacific Northwest,
including Oregon, Washington, Idaho and
Montana
Funding award: $25,000 2003 – 2004
national CCHD grant
$40,000.00 (2002 – 03 national CCHD grant)
The Homeland Security Campaign addresses
dire threats that low-income families in
the Northwest face in terms of economic
insecurity and barriers to the public process.
NWFCO brings together the energies of
Oregon Action, Idaho Citizen's Network,
Washington Citizen Action and Montana
People's Action to: a) create a publicly
accountable entity to make prescription
drugs more affordable, b) improve states'
implementation of public benefits programs
(including food stamps, child care, and cash
assistance), c) protect the Medicaid program
from de facto block-granting through
waivers, and expand eligibility, and d)
protect the rights of immigrants and restore the
eligibility of immigrants to the benefits
of state and federal programs. NWFCO's
empowerment work involves a comprehensive
regional training program for grassroots
leadership development.
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