Dear Friends,
"The Lord hears the cry of the poor, blessed be the Lord." This is the scripture that came to mind when I heard the presidential results. Most of us had been praying for the grace to see God's Holy Will no matter the outcome. I thank God for HIs mercy and a reprieve.
There were hundreds of new volunteers participating in this election; inspired and energized by an outpouring of God's grace. It's truly incredible. Stepping out of comfort zones was a common theme and the "zones" seem to have been left, permanently.
As advocates for innocent human life, we have our work cut out for us in Oregon. US Catholics voted President Bush 52% and Kerry 47% with moral issues as the number one reason. Oregon Catholics voted President Bush 42% and Kerry 58%with Iraq as number one reason.
Oregon was a target state with outside money flowing in because of the homosexual marriage issue. Outside money also paid for voter's registration in some Portland area Catholic churches through the Chicago-based National Committee for Worker Justice using the same name as the US Bishops program "Faithful Citizenship". The Oregon Catholic Conference agreed to the Chicago-based organization doing voter registration. As advocates for innocent human life, it seems unfair to allow outside groups into Oregon when local Catholics want to get involved. We'll work on this.
Now is the time to get back to basics. We need to re-evaluate our commitment to the Church's teachings and be good stewards of our money. Let's look into where Catholic money goes and if we want to continue financing secular groups that already get money from secular sources. Charity begins at home.
Pro-life ministry in Oregon has a budget of approximately $2,000 for the year. It seems UNJUST that over $120,000 goes to outside, non-Catholic and in some cases pro-abortion, pro-homosexual groups. Let's shed some more light on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Please note the information in RED.
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Archdiocese of Portland
2004 National CCHD Grants
Project: Adelante Mujeres – Holistic Education and Entrepreneurship Project
Organization: Adelante Mujeres
Geographical area: Washington County
Funding award: $30,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Past CCHD grants:
($35,000, 2003 – 2004 national CCHD grant); ($35,000, 2002 – 03 national CCHD
grant); ($5,000, 2001 – 02 local CCHD grant);
Adelante Mujeres Education and Entrepreneurship Project addresses the most critical obstacles low-income Latina immigrant women encounter. Adelante Mujeres provides training, education and support for integral development, including vocational discernment, skills acquisition, internship opportunities, and mentoring for small business development and management.
Project: General Organizing
Organization: Oregon ACORN IMPORTANT!
Geographical area: metropolitan Portland area
Funding award: $25,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Past CCHD grants:
($30,000, 2003 – 2004 national CCHD grant); ($27,500, 2002 – 03 national CCHD
grant) ($30,000, 2001-02 national CCHD grant);
ACORN (The Association of Community Organization for Reform Now) is an active grassroots association of lower-income and minority families. Member-chosen issues
include ending community apathy, securing fair and affordable housing and community control of urban renewal funds, equal urban infrastructures (road paving, increased lighting, more traffic controls, etc.) equal community policing and credit and loan policies.
"ACORN, a progressive membership based community organization is accustomed to media attention for its work bringing together low income people around issues like better access utility assistance. Now, the national organization is getting publicity of another kind. ACORN's Washington state office has been accused of engaging in unfair labor practices and of bringing at least one manager up from Portland to scab while workers are out on the picket line....."
"Meanwhile, ACORN workers are maintaining their picket line as well as pursuing charges of unfair labor practices against the organization through the National Labor Relations Board. What the repercussions of this incident will be on Oregon ACORN, which had started to work with Jobs with Justice, and even more closely with the New Party and the Rainbow Coalition, remains to be seen." Portland Alliance
Project: Full Inclusion
Organization: Lane Independent Living Alliance (LILA)
Geographical area: Lane County
Funding award: $40,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Past CCHD grants:
($25,000, 2003 – 2004 national CCHD grant); ($4,600, 2002 – 03 local CCHD grant).
Project Full Inclusion will increase the involvement of people with disabilities on local boards and commissions so that we are “at the table” in the local decision-making process. People with disabilities have an important role to play in identifying issues of concern and actively participating in community life to resolve those concerns. LILA’s mission is to increases access, civil rights and voter participation for person with disabilities in Lane County.
Project: Anti-Poverty Leadership Project
Organization: Oregon ACTION IMPORTANT!
Funding award: $30,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Past CCHD grants:
($25,000, 2003 – 2004 national CCHD grant); ($30,000, 2002 – 03 national CCHD grant);
This project is developing an expanded core of low-income leaders across the state to achieve victories on low-income issues. The leaders are playing decisive roles in
working for reforms for greater food security, affordable housing and living wages. Low income Oregonians organize through Oregon ACTION on their own behalf. Leadership training and empowerment of hundreds of people takes place through popular education training and community organizing training.
Oregon Action (oregonaction.org)
• American Civil Liberties Union - Oregon
• AFL-CIO - Oregon
• Basic Rights Oregon - (Pro-Homosexual)
• CAUSA
• Community Development Network
• Ecumentical Ministries of Oregon
• Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network
• Fair and Clean Energy Coalition
• MoveOn.org
• Oregon Food Bank
• Oregon Human Rights Campaign
• Oregon Revenue Coalition
• Oregon Rural Action
• Oregon Trial Lawyers Association
• OSPIRG - Did paid voter's registration
• PCUN
• Rural Organzing Project
• SEIU Local 503
• Sisters In Action
• VOZ
Oregon Action is assisted by...
• Alliance For Justice
• Applied Research Center
• Center for Budget and Policy Priorities
• Center for Community Change
• Center for Third World Organizing
• Data Center
• Families USA
• Food Research and Action Center
• Midwest Academy
• Money In Politics Research Action Project
• National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights
• National Voice
• Oregon Center for Progressive Policy
• SPIN Project
• TACS
• Western States Center
Latino
Organization: Portland Schools Alliance, Portland, OR
Geographical Area: Portland
Funding award: $20,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Past CCHD grants:
($5,000, 2003 – 2004 local CCHD grant).
Project that focuses on training and organizing Latino parents to be leaders in their children’s education and the school community.
Project: Housing Justice Program
Organization: Community Alliance of Tenants
Geographical area: Portland area
Funding award: $25,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Community Alliance of Tenants is a tenant-controlled membership organization that educates and empowers low-income tenants to organize and develop leadership who can advocate for better housing policies and practices. The organization also seeks to improve the quality of affordable housing by changing rental housing standards and making low-income housing more widely available.
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Archdiocese of Portland
2004 Local CCHD Grants
Project: Crossroads People’s Organization
Organization: Sisters of the Road
Geographical Area: Portland area
Funding award: $5,000, 2004 Local Grant
Crossroads seeks to give voice to the homeless population by conducting workshops and training leaders who will work to impact public policy and establish the humane enforcement of laws affecting the homeless. Crossroads will participate in Portland’s 10 Year Plan Committee and the Subcommittee to Eradicate the Institution of Homelessness.
Project: Proyecto Educate
Organization: Huitzilin Cultural Group
Geographical Area: Independence
Funding award: $5,000, 2004 Local Grant
Huitzilin uses cultural performances to educate and inform the Latino community about leadership, mutual respect, self-determination, collaboration, and civic involvement. Their goal is to meet with local leaders and obtain representation in the Town Council, School Board, and other civic bodies so that they can impact the laws and policies that affect the Latino community.
Project: Immigrants Rights Workshops
Organization: VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project
Geographical Area: Portland area
Funding award: $5,000, 2004 Local Grant
VOZ is a worker-led organization of day laborers that helps members build constructive relationships with employers and authorities, gain control over their lives and working conditions, and address the injustices they encounter. VOZ established a living wage of $9/hour, recovered over $80,000 in unpaid wages, and trained workers in computer use and the English language.
Project: Right to Sleep Campaign
Organization: Street Roots
Geographical Area: Portland area
Funding award: $5,000, 2004 Local Grant
Street Roots will conduct the media campaign for the Right to Sleep Campaign by empowering the homeless to write about their stories, engage in professional journalism, and produce and sell their own newspaper. The newspaper will advocate for the homeless, raise social awareness, create community, and furnish jobs that lead to professional opportunities for the homeless.
Remember: Pro-LIfe Ministry in Oregon has a budget of only $2,000. We need JUSTICE.
Please look into all of these groups. For over 20 years, CCHD has given Oregon Catholic dollars to people "not because they are Catholic, but because We are Catholic." In the spirit of true justice, it is time to make sure that Catholic money is used to save souls as well as jobs.
Let us work together to make Oregon a Culture of Life and Love.
"We are bleeding at the roots, because we are cut off from the earth and sun and stars, and love is a grinning mockery, because, poor blossom, we plucked it from its stem on the Tree of Life, and expected it to keep blooming in our civilized vase on the table."
- D.H. Lawrence