CCHD helps empower those in the margins in Houston and beyond

People line up at a soup kitchen. CCHD is the U.S. bishops' domestic anti-poverty program, and the collection coincides with the annual World Day of the Poor Nov. 13. (CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn)HOUSTON — Since 2016, the Catholic Church has observed the World Day of the Poor on the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time as a way for Catholics to reflect more deeply on our call to love the poor as our brothers and sisters. 

On Nov. 15 to 16, parishes in the Archdiocese and in many dioceses throughout the U.S. will be able to observe this year’s World Day of the Poor by taking a collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the domestic anti-poverty initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

“Jesus reminds us that faith, even as small as a mustard seed, holds within it the power to transform the world. From something seemingly insignificant can grow a tree that offers shelter, hope and new life. In many ways, that is the story of the CCHD, founded by the bishops of the U.S. in 1969. Through CCHD, the Church lives out the Gospel call to solidarity, fostering the capacity of people experiencing poverty to work together to confront the roots of injustice and build stronger, more just communities,” said Bishop Timothy Senior of Harrisburg, chairman of the bishops’ Subcommittee on the CCHD. “This same spirit of faith takes root in our own communities, where 25% of every CCHD collection stays within the diocese. These funds support local efforts that uplift our neighbors, strengthen families and help build a future of hope.”

CCHD provides crucial support to both growing and longstanding organizations that promote justice, neighborhood improvement, and job creation for marginalized groups in both urban and rural communities across the U.S. 

For more than 50 years, CCHD has funded organizations that empower low-income individuals in Houston and other communities to make positive changes through education, training and building networks of solidarity. Working together, members of CCHD-funded groups share knowledge and diverse experiences, enabling them to engage effectively with faith leaders, businesses and political officials to address the needs and concerns of low-income communities.

While CCHD grant recipients include nonsectarian, ecumenical and interreligious organizations, all must abide by Catholic moral teaching, including respect for human life from conception until natural death and prioritizing the concerns of the poor.  

In 2024, the bishops awarded $2.24 million in grants. 

“World Day of the Poor is an invitation for us to pray and to act, to build a world that truly recognizes the God-given dignity of our brothers and sisters who are most vulnerable,” Bishop Senior said. “One concrete way to respond to this call is by participating in the collection for the CCHD. I invite you to remember the Lord’s words about the mustard seed: even the smallest act of faith can, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, grow into something that transforms lives and renews communities, both across our nation and within your own diocese.”

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si’, in which Pope Francis wrote “just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society and interior peace” (no. 10). The CCHD shares this vision by supporting organizations that bring together people from low-income communities and equip them to advocate for policies that fight pollution, protect the environment and secure justice for their own and other marginalized communities. 

Support for CCHD helps community organizing and economic development organizations achieve results that make a positive difference in the lives of low-income people in Houston and in cities, towns and rural areas across the country. Some dioceses take the collection on a date.

For more information about CCHD, visit www.usccb.org/cchd.