Donate to CRS 
 

From Catholic Relief Services: 

Enhance your work for justice with these new advocacy how-to videos, including how to write impactful letters to your congressional members. The complete set of videos, in both English and Spanish, is available here.

Urge Congress to oppose canceling previously approved funding for these critically important programs! 

Push back on the rescissions package with our Senators is our priority advocacy focus through the deadline of July 18.

What can you do before July 18:

• English: https://www.crs.org/act/rescissions-senat
  
  
• Spanish: https://www.crs.org/es/abogar/rescisiones-senado

• CRS Backgrounder Rescissions _ June 2025

• Action Sheet. _ July 2025

• Rescissions FY26 One-Pager _ June

Recap of what’s happened and an update on funding for poverty-reducing international development and humanitarian assistance: 

1. Over 80% of the U.S. government’s international humanitarian and development assistance programs within the U.S. Agency for International Development were terminated. 
   
   
2. Just two weeks ago, CRS’s programs focused on addressing hunger were terminated, including 13 of CRS’s school lunch programs. That means, come July, close to 800,000 children across 11 countries will not receive the daily, nutritious meal they have come to depend on. 
   
   
3. The administration has issued that package to cancel funds Congress already approved for programs that help children, families, and communities to thrive.
   

The action alerts are available in English and Spanish. 

Don’t Let Children Go Hungry: Protect School Meals:
 
The abrupt termination of CRS' McGovern-Dole Food for Education school feeding programs will deprive school-age children of their only reliable meal each day. 
Beginning in July, more than 780,000 children across 11 countries will be left without their school meal, as 11 out of CRS’ 13 projects have been terminated—deepening the crises of hunger, malnutrition and poverty that already threaten their ability to learn, grow and thrive.

CRS Week of Action: Mobilizing to Protect Life-Saving Aid: CRS Week of Action from April 6-12, (flyers attached).  Please TAKE ACTION during this week to show Congress the importance of continuing to support those who need it most.  If you would like to learn more about these actions and the importance of mobilizing a targeted time to act as one community, please review this 6-minute video below.

• 2025 CRS_Guidance for Leaders_ENG_SPN

• 2025 CRS_Week of Action_ENG_SPN

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas.  CRS is the official international relief and development agency of the United States Catholic community. The CRS provides emergency supplies to families in other countries following disasters and assists with food, water, and housing.  In poverty stricken areas of the world, CRS provides better agricultural practices, public health information, microloans to help individuals or groups wanting to start a business, and a number of other ways of helping people to help themselves.   CRS operates in more than 90 countries.  For more information go to http://crs.org/ or https://www.usccb.org/national-collection/catholic-relief-services-collection 

Resources

The collection supports six Catholic organizations:  

• Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international Catholic humanitarian overseas relief and development agency of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). CRS provides emergency relief and long-term assistance to help people become more self-sufficient.

• Migration and Refugee Services of the USCCB helps dioceses and churches resettle refugees, as well as victims of human trafficking.

• Holy Father’s Relief Fund assists victims of natural disasters and other emergencies around the world.

• Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the USCCB advocates for poor and vulnerable people throughout the world, and works for international justice and world peace.

• Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) is a network of legal immigration programs that promote the dignity and protect the rights of immigrants. It provides technical assistance and training to dioceses with immigration programs like ours in the Diocese of Davenport.

• Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church of the USCCB supports a network of national pastoral centers and diocesan personnel who minister to various ethnic groups and migrant communities.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On March 9-10, 2025, our diocese will take up The Catholic Relief Services collection. Your support for this collection provides emergency assistance to victims of war and natural disasters; assists migrants and refugees who need housing, education, and specialized legal assistance; and supports travelers and others whose livelihoods require special pastoral support to access the sacraments. Among the most vulnerable of migrants are the victims of human trafficking.  Read more... 

To help parishes learn about other countries and the ways in which CRS is involved, CRS provides priests & deacons to speak at weekend liturgies.  Several parishes in the Diocese of Davenport have taken advantage of this program in the past and all have been pleased with the result, including the response by parishioners.  These priests and deacons are called Global Fellows. 

To invite a Global Fellow to your parish or community. Contact us at 410-951-7336 or [email protected]. or click here

Additional Resource.

CRS Chapters are springing up all around the Midwest!  As communities of people committed to serving the poor and ending global poverty, CRS Chapters take actions that contribute to CRS’ mission to create transformational change for our global human family. Attending the launch workshop is the first step in joining a national movement of CRS Chapters who are working together that end.

If you would like to learn more, please contact Deacon Joe: [email protected]

Also you can view promotional video in English and Spanish that gives an overview of chapters. 

• Catholic Relief Services

• CRS-Rice Bowl Local Grants

• Monthly Prayer

Other Useful Links:

• Action Center: Resources and Tools

• Catholic Relief Services Chapters 

• Campaigns to End Global Hunger

• Ways to donate to CRS