January is National Poverty Awareness Month, and its objective is to understand poverty and its root causes, learn about how local communities are helping to alleviate poverty and urge others to join them in action.
“When we think of poverty one might think that it exists somewhere far away maybe in another country, but if we look around, poverty exists in every community,” said Teresa Rocha, Director of the Diocesan Office of Community Services & Outreach Programs.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 13% of San Bernardino County residents and 11% Riverside County residents live in poverty. Nationally, 1.5 million children are experiencing homelessness in the U.S., according to Poverty USA, an initiative of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).
“In the business of the daily chores one might forget that some families are experiencing difficulties with work, health or housing so that is why it is important to remind everyone that all that we have is to cherish and at the same time to share with others,” Rocha said.
For Poverty Awareness Month, the Diocesan Office of Community Services and Outreach Programs continued to collaborate with organizations who serve the needs in the community. One of these organizations is Mary’s Mercy Center in San Bernardino, which provides services like food, water, showers, clothing and a transitional living program. The Office also spent time notifying service organizations of different grants available through CCHD.
In January, parishioners seized the opportunity to join parish efforts and service organizations to help alleviate the needs in their community in any way possible, including volunteering at food pantries, donations and daily prayer and reflection. The office encourages parishioners to continue in their efforts to help those in need even after January. During Lent, parishioners have the opportunity to support Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and collect donations for the annual Rice Bowl campaign, which assists the poor and vulnerable overseas.
“Today, followers of Christ are often challenged to respond to the call to discipleship,” Rocha said. “One aspect of this is opening our hearts to encounter the ‘other,’ particularly those who are poor and vulnerable.
Pope Francis tells us that this focus is central to our lives as Christians when he said this in his message for the 2023 World Day of the Poor, ‘In order to perform an act of worship acceptable to the Lord, we have to recognize that each person, even the poorest and most contemptible, is made in the image of God.’ ”