| The Catholic Social Action Office is part of the Department for Community and Apostolic Services. This office strives to build the capacity of the diocesan Church to act effectively in defense of human dignity, human rights, and the pursuit of justice and peace. Staff members interact with the community at large in efforts such as homeless shelters, food pantries, meal programs, welfare reform, violence prevention, healthcare, and advocacy. Whenever possible, an ecumenical and interfaith perspective is sought.
The Catholic Social Action Office includes the following programs:
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Catholic Relief Services
Operation Rice Bowl
Work of Human Hands
Rural Life Ministry
Voices for Justice
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is the domestic anti-poverty program of the Catholic Church in the United States. Through CCHD, the Church helps to develop a just society by funding self-help projects and through justice education programs. Locally, Catholic Campaign for Human Development funds are collected as part of the annual Spring Combined Collections program.
Catholic Relief Services provides direct aid to the poor and involves people in their own development, helping them to realize their potential. CRS educates the people of the United States to fulfill their moral responsibilities toward our brothers and sisters around the world by helping the poor, working to remove the causes of poverty, and promoting social justice.
For 25 years, Operation Rice Bowl has been bringing families, parishes, schools, and other faith communities together during Lent to pray, fast, learn, and give. Operation Rice Bowl challenges us to put out faith in action and walk in solidarity with our neighbors in need all around the world. Through daily reflection, prayer, and action, Operation Rice Bowl helps people connect with their global community.
Work of Human Hands is an ecumenical partnership between Catholic Relief services and SERRV International. This program promotes the social and economic progress of people in developing regions of the world, including parts of the United States, by marketing their handcrafts and food in a direct and just manner. This program gives thousands of low-income craftspeople a chance to create meaningful work for themselves.
Artisans receive a fair wage for their hard work through the promotion of more just trading relationships. Parishes and schools are encouraged to host a Work of Human Hands sale.
Rural Life Ministry attempts to meet the advocacy and spiritual needs of the rural people of the archdiocese. Staff members are involved in Rural Life Day, the interfaith Wisconsin Farmers Foundation, and Project Isidore, which provides emergency relief grants to farm families in need of medical care and utilities payment.
Voices for Justice is an archdiocesan legislative network that is grounded in Catholic social teaching and works to put children and families first in public policy at the state and federal level. Staff members work closely with the Wisconsin Catholic Conference and other local, state, national and international advocacy organizations.
Voices for Justice staff members participate in annual issues briefings and training in legislative skills, action alerts during legislative sessions, opportunities to visit with legislators and government leaders, leadership development for network liaisons, opportunities for grounding in spiritual and theological reflections for our legislative actions. |
