Across the globe, war, natural disasters, political strife, extreme poverty, and human trafficking combine to affect families in ways often unimaginable. Families are separated by migration for long periods of time, sometimes indefinitely. A decrease in the availability of visas makes prompt reunification unrealistic. Unaccompanied minors are exploited. Difficult and expensive legal systems keep families apart.
The Catholic Relief Services Collection values families. It works to provide for their basic humanitarian needs, protect vulnerable children, reunite families, and encourage legislation that reflects the importance of family in society. The reach of this Collection spans the globe, helping families on every continent from an array of ethnicities and backgrounds, addressing a myriad of needs.
In 2023, the Catholic agencies supported by The Catholic Relief Services Collection funded the following projects:
A Catholic Relief Services program in Chad established community-based savings and lending services for impoverished villages, allowing community members to start and grow businesses that help their families and neighbors flourish.
Through USCCB Migration and Refugee Services, the Coalition of Organizations and Ministries Promoting the Abolition of Slavery at Sea (COMPASS) aided or rescued victims of trafficking working in the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries, while the Become a Shepherd program trains laity and clergy at the parish level to recognize and combat human trafficking at the local community level.
CLINIC provided legal aid to a Catholic religious sister from Asia who had been ministering in the United States but who was forced back to leave the United States for extended periods due to complications in the visa application process.
The USCCB Secretariat of Cultural Diversity’s Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs sponsored the creation of an online certification course in Catholic ministry for those who serve Catholics from Asian and Pacific Island communities in the United States.
The USCCB Secretariat of Justice and Peace’s Office of International Justice and Peace is helping the Catholic bishops of Colombia work for a just end to the civil war that has brutalized their nation since 1964.
Download the most recent Annual Report and see how your gift makes a difference in here in the United States and around the world.