Responding to the needs of the most vulnerable
“The measure of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need.” (Pope Francis, World Youth Day, Brazil, July 25, 2013)
November is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month in the U.S., a good time to reflect on these words of Pope Francis, and how they relate to the Nov. 21-22 special collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, and speak to the ongoing initiative in our diocese called “One Ohana: Food and Housing for All.”
Pope Francis continues to ask all of us to consider how we respond to the needs of the most vulnerable in our midst. The U.S. bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) answers this call directly by funding projects that fight the root causes of poverty in our country.
As Bishop Larry Silva points out in his letter to all in the diocese, “the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has supported a wide range of projects working with the most vulnerable, including HOPE Services Hawaii and the Pu‘a Foundation helping women returning from prison and families affected by incarceration.” (See page 2.)
For example, the Big Island’s HOPE Services works with ex-incarcerated persons and formerly homeless families. With college volunteers, it delivers food to parish pantries and to homeless shelters such as HOPE’s Friendly Place in Kona. HOPE supports kupuna housing and is helping Chuukese communities in Hilo and Pahoa plant ulu (breadfruit) trees as a way of contributing fresh produce to parish food pantries. HOPE has been a vital partner for Big Island parishes participating in One Ohana: Food and Housing for All.
The Pu‘a Foundation helps women leaving Kailua’s Women’s Community Correctional Center and returning to the community, and their families. It welcomes the support of food and housing ministries in Windward Oahu parishes. Pu‘a brings together parishioners and formerly incarcerated or “justice involved” women and their families in monthly community meals and special home renovation weekends. This past weekend, the organization gathered these families with service providers and representatives from Family Court to work on the re-integration of the women into their families and communities.
On the weekend of Nov. 21-22, every parishioner in Hawaii will have the opportunity to give to the second collection for CCHD to fund these programs and others like them across the country. Bishop Silva urges us to “help us defend human dignity and mercifully witness to Jesus” and encourages “all to give generously to this CCHD collection.”
We invite you to join our pope and our bishop in this effort to support CCHD-funded programs in Hawaii and throughout the United States, witnessing to Jesus by serving the poor.
Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
