Catholic Charities USA Aims to Reduce Poverty BY 2020

Alexandria, VA— Catholic Charities USA today announced a new multi-year initiative to cut poverty in half by 2020, urging Congress and the Administration to give a much higher priority to the needs of the poor in budget and policy decisions on issues such as health care, housing, nutrition, and economic security.“Poverty is a moral and social wound on the soul of our country and threatens the health and economic well-being of both families and our nation,” Rev. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, said at a briefing this morning on Capitol Hill. “We must marshal the strength and the collective will of our nation to take on this tragedy that affects 37 million people who are living in poverty in one of the wealthiest nations in the world.”

“The Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America is about who we are as a nation,” Father Snyder said. “We must no longer ignore the injustice of poverty and the extreme inequality in America and instead must seize this opportunity to advocate for changes that promote human dignity and the common good.”

The goal of Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America is to cut the poverty rate in the United States in half by 2020. Catholic Charities USA is leading a broad effort that will involve partners in social service agencies, the faith community, and other groups in a sustained effort to convince government officials of the importance of making systemic changes in government programs to help the poor and most vulnerable in our society.

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