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October 23, 2003

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information, Contact:
Bud Bunce (503) 233-8373
bbunce@archdpdx.org
 

Archdiocese of Portland announces 2003 local Catholic Campaign for Human
Development grants

            The Archdiocese of Portland has announced the awarding of five local 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.

    The local CCHD grants that have been awarded total $25,000, and were given to
projects that aim to eliminate the root causes of poverty in Oregon. The Archdiocese of
Portland is still accepting grant proposals for local CCHD funded projects. Those
interested in information concerning local CCHD grants should contact the Archdiocese
of Portland, 2838 E. Burnside St., Portland, OR, 97214, or by email at
justiceandpeace@archdpdx.org. Grants are awarded on the basis of need, not religious
affiliation.

        In July the Archdiocese announced that National CCHD grants for 2003-2004 had
been awarded to seven projects in Oregon and one regional project. The national
CCHD grants totaled $225,000, bringing this year's total CCHD grants to $250,000.
 

Catholic Campaign for Human Development
2003 – 2004 Local Funding Grants

Project: Livable Jobs
Organization: Southern Oregon Economic Development Coalition, Medford, OR
Geographical Area: Southern Oregon
Funding award: $5,000 2003-2004 Local CCHD Grant
Program that helps small business owners create livable jobs that offer wages, benefits
and workplace practices that enable their workers to meet their basic needs

Project: Latino Caucus
Organization: Portland Schools Alliance, Portland, OR
Geographical Area: Portland
Funding award: $5,000 Local CCHD Grant
Project that focuses on training and organizing Latino parents to be leaders in their
children's education and the school community

Project: Native American Cooperative Business Project
Organization: Native American Leadership Institute, Ashland, OR
Geographical Area: Southern Oregon
Funding award: $5,000 Local CCHD Grant
Association that promotes the development of Native American businesses through
trainings, meetings and networking

Project: Homelessness Working Group
Organization: Southeast Uplift neighborhood Program, Portland, OR
Geographical area: Portland
Funding award: $5,000 Local CCHD Grant
Coalition working to build the necessary political will to address issues of homelessness
by engaging homeless community members with the rest of the community, and
promoting leadership.

Project: JORNALEROS Program
Organization: Centro Cultural of Washington County
Geographical Area: Washington County
Funding award: $5,000 Local CCHD Grant
Program that develops leaders among the day labor population through education,
empowerment, and organizing.
 

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.
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