No matter what your skills, interests, age or resources, there are ways you can make a difference in the lives of the nearly 36 million men, women and children who are working for independence from poverty. By volunteering your time, contributing resources, donating materials and money, you can help others find a lasting solution to the problem of poverty.

If you would like to make a direct donation (cash, check, or money order), send your gift to:

Rev. Robert J. Vitillo, Executive Director
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20017-1194

CCHD can also receive gifts of stocks and securities; email us to learn more at cchdpromo@usccb.org All donations to CCHD are tax deductible; a receipt for tax purposes will be provided.

Here are some other simple steps you can take to contribute to the effort.

GIVE OF YOURSELF
Share your time, talents or other resources with an organization initiated and led by poor and low-income people as they empower themselves and become leaders in their communities. Visit www.usccb.org/cchd/02fund.htm to find local opportunities in which you might invest your energy, talent, and experience.

Learn how one CCHD-funded group is working to give low-income Latino communities a stronger voice in directing their future

Work directly with people struggling to break free of poverty. Getting out on the "frontlines" to help is the best way to understand the reality of poverty in the United States, while simultaneously addressing the immediate concerns of fellow Americans in need.

Contribute to the behind-the-scenes effort at an anti-poverty organization by volunteering to file papers, answer phones, process donations or other vital office activities. You know what you do best. Find a place that fits, then get to work. Start by contacting the local office of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development for organizations in your area that need volunteers.

Looking for more hands-on work? Contact the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to find a list of non-profit organizations that assist with housing development for low-income families (www.hud.gov/local). Or locate a nearby chapter of Habitat for Humanity by visiting www.habitat.org.

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LEND A HAND UP
Donate goods and materials to self-help organizations. While the concern and support you give as a volunteer is essential, direct material assistance is also a critical first step. Escaping poverty and rebuilding lives doesn't happen overnight; in the meantime, people caught in a vicious cycle of too little food, clothing, shelter - the necessities of life - need help with the basics just to survive.

Ask before you donate to a self-help organization. Find out what the people they work with need the most - whether it is clothing for job interviews, home furnishings for families moving into permanent housing, or books and used computers for school-aged children. Call the organizations or agencies in your area for a list of their most wanted items, then distribute the list to family and friends to join the donation effort.

Read how Massachusetts seniors have banded together to effectively address the needs not only of low-income seniors, but working families and children as well,

Raise funds for a self-help program through a community event. Sponsor a benefit concert featuring local musicians and poets, organize a walk-a-thon or a collective yard sale, then donate the proceeds to a local organization working to give those in poverty a hand up, not a hand out.

Sponsor the education of a poor child, since education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Check with a community-based social services organization sponsored by your church or local government and ask if they can direct you to a child in need. Or, contact a local high school and ask a guidance counselor if they could recommend a student who would benefit from financial aid.

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development provides an opportunity for people of goodwill to support the work of local self-help community based groups throughout the United States. If you would like to learn more about how to use your time, talent and treasure to support this ongoing work, we would be happy to send you more information. Contact us at www.usccb.org/cchd/info.htm

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For more information about the state of poverty in America or its residents send us an email or write to us at:

Catholic Campaign for Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20017-1194

To find out about or get involved with CCHD projects in your community, contact the CCHD director in your local Catholic diocese.