Hillsborough Organization
for Progress and Equality -- Tampa, FL
For many years, the response to student misconduct by schools in Hillsborough County, Florida wa s out-of-school suspension.  But this approach often hurt more than it helped. Suspended students’ grades were docked two percentage points for each day of suspension, and the students were often left unsupervised at home with nothing to do, making them more prone to get in trouble.  What’s more, out-of-school suspensions were having a disproportionate impact on students of color.  While African American students were only 21 percent of the student population in Hillsborough County, they accounted for over 40 percent of out-of-school suspensions.

When a community group, Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality, or HOPE, realized the severity of the problem, they decided to do something about this ineffective system, which they believed focused too much on punishing students and not enough on helping them develop the skills to succeed in the long-term.  At first, the 20 racially and ethnically diverse congregations that make up HOPE considered hosting suspended students at churches during the day so that they would not be left unsupervised.  But they soon realized that more structural change was needed.  “It was a good lesson for our leaders between charity and justice,” recalled Rev. Sharon Streater, the lead organizer for HOPE.  more

Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment -- Jackson, Tennessee
The residents of East Jackson, Tennessee know what it’s like to weather the storm. When tornados ripped through Tennessee in 2003, this area was hit the hardest.  Homes and local businesses were destroyed, yet the community was overlooked by the City of Jackson as re-development money was dispersed.  Six years later, Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment, or SOCM, is empowering the community to hold the city accountable for its irresponsiveness to the disaster.

SOCM was founded in 1972 by residents of Tennessee’s Cumberland Mountains to empower members to address problems in their communities.  In 1974, they received their first grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), which helped enable SOCM to win important victories to better protect local communities from toxic waste from coal mining in the Cumberland Mountains.  CCHD’s continued support for SOCM throughout the years has enabled the organization to address a broad range of issues affecting minority and low-income communities—including the need to hold policy-makers accountable when they fail to protect the common good. more

Chinese Staff and Workers' Association -- New York, New York
Many people believe that in the 21st century, sweatshop labor exists only in developing countries.  But the experience of Chinese workers in factories in New York City has shown that this is far from the truth.  In the 1990s, garment workers at a Chinatown subcontractor for Liberty Apparel, a large clothing company, reportedly worked up to 80 hours a week for less than three dollars an hour.  In 1999, the workers were left without their wages when the business closed without notice—and without payment to the women for work completed.

Twenty-six garment workers banded together through the Chinese Staff and Workers’ Association (CSWA) to take legal action to secure the back wages.  For the next decade, Liberty Apparel denied responsibility for its subcontractors’ actions.

But in 2009, the sweat and tears paid off:  Liberty Apparel was ordered to give $600,000 in unpaid wages to the workers. The victory was significant because it set a precedent that companies must be held accountable for the actions of their subcontractors.  Its impact was immediate, becoming the basis for similar cases in the construction industry and public sectors.  more

Massachusetts Senior Action Council -- Boston, Massachusetts
For senior citizens living in Boston’s senior and disabled housing developments, funding for resident activities comes from an unusual source:  revenues from onsite washer and dryer facilities.  So, when the Boston Housing Authority decided in 2007 to double the cost of laundry facilities and to no longer allow proceeds to be used for tenant activities, residents were outraged.

Luckily, many residents were members of the Massachusetts Senior Action Council (MSAC) and knew what to do.  Through MSAC, the residents of dozens of developments quickly came together to push for the return of proceeds for resident activities.  While they were at it, residents also decided to demand more control over the division of funds towards activities, requested regular access to information about the amount of funds received, and proposed a more efficient process to speed up the disbursal process.  As a result of MSAC members’ actions, the Boston Housing Authority agreed to return $150,000 in retroactive funds for resident activities and further agreed to double future payments.  It also agreed to work with MSAC members to improve its policies and procedures. more

Communities Organized for Public Services (COPS) – San Antonio, Texas
The Bible and Catholic Social Teaching are powerful motivators for the members of Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS) and Metro Alliance; organizations funded by CCHD that collectively include 70 member churches, schools and labor unions in San Antonio, Texas.  Ramon Duran, the lead organizer for these two affiliated organizations, explains, “You have to connect what was said in biblical times to what is happening in 21st century San Antonio.  Studying the scripture is useless if there is no action as a result.”

The scripture came alive for COPS member Christina Castro when she helped with a parish census of community needs at St. Henry’s in 1993.  Her group reported its findings, but she found herself filled with sadness and guilt when a 90-year-old respondent was burned to death cooking his breakfast outdoors the following winter.  His utilities had been turned off.  Christina says that the guilt of not following up on the old man turned to “holy anger” more

Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center – Seattle, Washington
“If you stick with the process, change will come," says Chris Hillman of the Seattle-based Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center (IPJC) which is helping low-income women take action on poverty issues.  With the help of funding from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, IPJC's Justice for Women project has held nearly 50 Women's Justice Circles, bringing together low-income and homeless women with "collaborators" from churches, hospitals, colleges, and community organizations.  Women in the circles identify the issues to be addressed, talk about solutions, and develop action plans that are transforming their communities.  The circles have addressed such disparate topics as inequities in the local housing authority application process, dispute mediation and landlord/tenant rights, and screening and treatment for depression in homeless people. more

Blocks Together -- Chicago, Illinois
Some days, as Delores Collins walked to work, she would kick needles into the sewer so kids wouldn't step on them. Her Chicago neighborhood was "a tough area, with lots of drugs and gangs."  Then George Goehl from Blocks Together (BT) showed up at her door and invited her to join the CCHD-funded neighborhood group working with residents to improve the community.

Founded in 1993, BT meets with police and local aldermen to advance its goals of ridding the streets of drug dealers, prostitutes, and the violence they bring.  At the BT meetings, residents can report trouble spots anonymously, without fear of reprisal from the gang leaders in the area.

Delores was particularly concerned about the 1,600-student school that some of her six children attended.  She volunteered there as a parent attendance officer, following up on truant students. Now Delores works there part-time as she studies for her General Equivalency Diploma (GED) with the help of her daughter, who is president of BT's Youth Council.  "Every time I took a job outside the neighborhood, my kids' schoolwork suffered and they acted up," she says.  "What better way for my kids to get a good education than for me to work there?"

• Secured funding for a new roof and replacement windows for a neighborhood elementary school to keep out the cold and the bees.
• Received commitments from the City of Chicago for two new schools in the neighborhood to reduce severe overcrowding.
• Honored as "The New and Emerging Community Organization of the Year" by a prestigious group of Chicago foundations.

Family Farm Defenders -- Madison, Wisconsin  

Photo caption:  Mike Moon shows off samples of Family Farmer Cheese, a fair trade cheese label developed by Family Farm Defenders.  Photo by Sam Lucero

In Wisconsin, the farm crisis has hit families especially hard.  So Family Farm Defenders (FFD) is turning to the state's best-known export - cheese – among other foods as a way to keep these family-owned businesses in operation.  The group is organizing farmers and establishing a cooperative system to bring high-quality food to market at fair prices. In one instance, FFD developed the Family Farmer Cheese label, which pays farmers a more equitable price for their milk and in turn offers consumers a product made without growth hormones.  The cheese, called fair trade cheese and made by Cedar Grove Cheese near Madison, Wis., is distributed through restaurants and supermarkets as well as at conferences and events. Mike Moon, an organic vegetable farmer and manager of the cheese project, says the goal is to get all of the cheese produced by Cedar Grove to be fair trade cheese and to cover the entire cost of production through distribution.  FFD members are also working to bring other FFD-developed healthy foods into classrooms and school cafeterias.

Beacons & Bridges -- Jonesboro, Arkansas

Photo caption:  James Lawrence received help with the business plan for his new company, Prestige One Landscaping, from a CCHD-funded group in Jonesboro, Arkansas.  Photo by Rodney Freeman

James Lawrence knows how hard it can be to start a business.  Last year, he opened Prestige One Landscaping in Jonesboro, Ark., with no equipment or inventory but the dream of being his own boss.  Although he made nearly $100,000, he spent three-quarters of it on advertising, franchise fees, and materials. That's when he turned to Beacons & Bridges (B&B), a local non-profit started in 1998 by the Blessed Sacrament Church.  Through its Business Development Center, the organization helps low-income people establish and grow their small businesses.  Lawrence received help putting together a business plan and re-evaluating his marketing approaches.

This year his business is picking up, even though he no longer operates as a franchise, advertises through word-of-mouth, and trades landscaping services for advertising space.  For a state plagued with high poverty rates, Arkansas relies on organizations like Beacons & Bridges to help spur economic recovery and growth.  B&B is working to improve training and employment opportunities and create self-sufficiency for people in depressed areas.  New and fledgling owners of daycare, beauty salons, and restaurant businesses have all found success thanks to B&B.  For James Lawrence, he can already see the day he'll reach his goal of $250,000 annually in business.

Haley House -- Boston, Massachusetts
Ten years ago, a group of regular guests at Haley House’s popular soup kitchen in Boston’s gentrifying South End asked their hosts to teach them a trade.  Haley House, which receives grant support from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, responded by offering training in bakery skills after the day’s last meal was served in the soup kitchen.

The demand for both the training and the baked goods grew rapidly.  Haley House opened a storefront bakery and later expanded the three-month breads-and-sweets course to a six-month program that now includes preparation of soups, salads and sandwiches, customer relations and basic business principles.

More than 70 trainees have completed the program and found work in the Boston area.  According to Haley House Executive Director Kathe McKenna, the bakery profession typically pays a living wage and is one of the few industries open to people who may have a criminal record.   The bakery training program has expanded in several directions to meet the needs of the trainees and the demands of the market.  On the bakery side, the trainees are producing muffins and organic pizza dough for wholesale clients.  At-risk teens participate in a cooking class taught by the bakery café’s head chef and a local police officer.  And so many non-profit organizations in Boston asked for catering services that the catering department holds the promise of putting the bakery café in the black during its march to profitability as a model business.

Kathe says that “the way we do what we’re doing is an important part of our mission,” which is summarized in the bakery cafe motto, “nourishing our community while fostering economic independence.”

Community Land Trust -- Portland, Oregon
Blanche Gardner of Portland, OR, is a grandmother who supports her extended family by working 30 hours a week in a grocery store meat department and earning additional income as a caregiver.  Six years ago, when she moved into low-income apartment housing, home ownership was an impossible dream.  But thanks to a remarkable new program sponsored jointly by the Portland Community Land Trust (PCLT) and the Clackamas Community Land Trust (CCLT), Gardner recently purchased a 58-year-old bungalow and converted the garage into two additional bedrooms.  “I’ve done it all,” she confidently says of her experience in real-estate and construction negotiations.  “I’ve learned all about filing permits, reviewing blueprints and hiring contractors, and even how to save money by doing some work myself.”

Gardner is the first of what PCLT and CCLT hope to be many success stories in their Smart Growth Community Land Trust Homeownership Program, which preserves and renovates homes in the City of Portland and nearby Clackamas County, providing low- and moderate-income earners with the opportunity for permanent home ownership.  The Smart Growth program received a $35,000 economic development grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) in 2006.  Funds from the grant helped both community land trusts (CLT) to implement home-buyer education programs and contract with a rehabilitation manager to assist new homeowners with needed improvements.

Citizen Potawatomi -- Shawnee, Oklahoma
Jason Glasgow’s construction firm has much-needed new equipment.  His is one of a growing number of Native American-owned businesses that have obtained a helping hand from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) funded Citizen Potawatomi Nation Community Development Corporation (CDC).

The Potawatomi Nation set up the CDC to make loans to tribal members and other Native Americans across the United States. Glasgow spent a year doing homework on becoming an entrepreneur, and formed Glasgow Paving in early October 2003.  However, he experienced difficulty obtaining bank loans for the equipment his new business needed,  “Lenders wouldn’t even talk to me because of my age.”
With help from CDC, Glasgow was able to obtain a loan at First National Bank & Trust Company.  He used the loan proceeds to purchase a Case landscaper, new concrete saws, and other equipment.  He brought lay-down machines, rollers, and trucks into the business.

Glasgow gives the CDC tremendous credit for turning his dream into reality.  He believes the advantage he will offer his customer is the ability, as a small company, to spend more time with each project, ensuring better quality.

He is willing to travel across Oklahoma to perform work with his new equipment.
(This feature was adapted with permission from a Citizen Potawatomi Nation web feature)

Faith Works in the Roanoke Valley -- Roanoke, Virginia
At Faith Works in the Roanoke Valley, listening is an art. That’s because the group invests a good deal of its time in one-on-one conversations with members of churches and residents in the city’s Southeast, a neighborhood that reflects the area’s lingering racial divide.

 Because 80 percent of residents are uninsured, Faith Works helped to get the area classified as a medically underserved area, a critical step in securing $6 million in public and private funding for a new health clinic.  The group also works on neighborhood safety, housing and business improvements, and a recent youth outreach program focuses on the needs of young people, from afterschool care to safe recreational opportunities.  Members have also begun reaching out to the growing Hispanic population, training leaders and listening to the concerns of the community.  These visible signs of progress are mirrored in the relationships that have developed across once-taboo color lines.  As one member put it, “nowhere else would we probably have talked to each other but here we are now working together, gardening [in community gardens] together.”

Faith Works director Donna Bollinger says the organization’s work is varied, but all the projects share a common goal.  “It’s hard to say we’re about a particular issue because we’re really about people having charge of their own lives, rebuilding neighborhoods one leader at a time,” she says.

Win-Win Cleaning -- Dorchester, Massachusetts
Nhan TonThat (pronounced Nee-yan Ton-tuck) credits CCHD with keeping Win-Win Cleaning in business following an exodus of technology companies from commercial buildings in and around Boston.  “Without CCHD’s generous support, we would have probably closed shop, but their support allowed us to try new strategies, test out new markets and new sales techniques,” said Nhan, executive director of the Vietnamese American Initiative for Development, Win-Win’s parent company.  The cleaning cooperative helps Vietnamese immigrants make inroads into the lucrative commercial cleaning business. The company has recruited and trained eight entrepreneurs who serve businesses ranging from large offices to local builders’ spec houses. Members undergo intensive training in basic and advanced cleaning as well as administrative functions like tax reporting, record keeping, and time management.  Because English proficiency is often an issue, Win-Win handles marketing, insurance, sales, and customer service for its members while encouraging them to learn the language. It’s a model that TonThat says works particularly well for the Vietnamese community and taps into the hardworking entrepreneurial spirit of people who want their own business.

For members like Thao Le (pronounced Tow—rhymes with how—Lay), who operates Le Cleaning, the business supplements his regular income, allowing his wife to stay home with their two young children, something they both wanted.  In keeping with Win-Win’s objective of creating self-sufficiency, Le hopes one day to operate the business on his own, with a staff and major cleaning contracts. Given his dedication, that day will likely come soon. And as the name implies, that’s a win for everyone.

Rebuilding With the Poor, in the Aftermath of Katrina
As Catholics we understand that people closest to problems are in the best position to identify solutions. Therefore, we have provided $150,000 to the principal community organizing networks that have projects in the affected areas or in locales where people are being relocated.  These organizations are working closely with local authorities to assist in welcoming the victims of Hurricane Katrina, recruiting and training volunteers, and ensuring that low-income people are receiving basic emergency assistance.  CCHD’s funds will also help with the more intermediate steps to work with government agencies, legislators, and public entities on an array of planning and policy issues, e.g., city reconstruction, housing, employment, healthcare, and education.

We made direct connections between these organizations and the work of Catholic Charities USA* which coordinated emergency relief efforts on behalf of the Catholic Church on a national level.  We encouraged Catholics to support the special called for by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and administered by Catholic Charities USA to provide for the essential long-term recovery efforts in addition to emergency relief.  CCHD also encouraged other interfaith funders to respond in kind.

In the face of such overwhelming need, we pray that our offering will contribute to the tremendous task of reconstruction. We pray that the spirit of cooperation, compassion, and solidarity will prevail—restoring economic strength and stability to these communities.

Four Bands Community Fund -- Eagle Butte, South Dakota
When you ask Tanya Fiddler to talk about the success of the Four Bands Community Fund, she tells of last year’s town parade and the triumph of having a parade float representing a native-owned business.  To some it may seem trivial, but to Tanya, who is Four Bands’ executive director, it is a small but significant sign that the organization is fulfilling its mission to support self-determination, self-sufficiency, and a stronger economy for the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.  The float’s owner, Makeshift Innovations, is a local welding and repair business that received help from Four Bands.  It is among just one percent of Native America-owned businesses in an area where Native Americans make up nearly 80 percent of the population.  Four Bands incorporated in April 2000, to lend money to businesses and entrepreneurs who are tribal members.  The organization takes its name from the four bands of Native Americans living on the reservation.  The federal name for the Lakota people—including those Native Americans on the reservation—is Sioux.  Four Bands also provides training and technical assistance, marketing support, and access to “Made on the Rez,” a retail and e-commerce outlet that sells native-made products and is located in the recently restored Eagle Butte historic railroad depot.  Participants receive micro loans of up to $5,000, or larger revolving small business loans of up to $50,000.  For the larger loans, members participate in Cheyenne River Entrepreneurial Assistance Training & Education (CREATE) courses, which teach personal finance, business planning, and the basics of writing a business plan.  So far, the program has helped more than 250 people and made 30 loans disbursing more than $66,000.  In an area with 78% unemployment and some of the highest poverty rates in the country, Four Bands Community Fund is helping residents to feel a sense of pride in their accomplishments and hope for self-sufficiency.

Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition -- Huntington, West Virginia
Maria Gunnoe, a fourth-generation resident of Bob White, West Virginia, lost five-acres of her property to a raging river created when rock and rubble from mountaintop mining was deposited by a coal company into a nearby brook.  Fighting back has pitted her against angry coal-miner neighbors and big companies with deep pockets.  But Maria has help in the form of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC), a West Virginia non-profit that organizes the state’s coal field residents to fight for clean air and water and an end to destructive mountaintop mining practices.  OVEC got its start in 1987; when local residents got together to successfully oppose a toxic waste incinerator.  The group’s legal victories include a state supreme court ruling against coal companies trying to take land from property owners and a record-setting $38.5 million Department of Justice fine against Ashland Oil and other refineries.  OVEC’s staff also works with media to educate them about environmental justice issues and trains community members in leadership development and media relations.

HealthReach Incorporated – Chicago, Illinois
Have you ever walked out of the doctor’s office more confused about your diagnosis?  Or perhaps you had difficulty describing your symptoms to your doctor.  The medical lingo can seem foreign.  Imagine the greater difficulty if you did not speak the same language as your doctor.  This is the reality for thousands of low-income people in the United States.

HealthReach Incorporated, a not-for-profit provider of free health care for the uninsured in Lake County, Illinois, created a solution to break down the cultural and linguistic barriers to good health care.  Through funding from CCHD, HealthReach Inc. implemented an economic development program called HABLA (Healthcare Access By Language Advocacy).  HABLA trains and employs low-income Latinos to provide interpretation services to poor residents and their health care providers.

Since 2003, HABLA has trained 42 medical translators who now have valuable communication skills and employment that pays a living wage.  Due to HABLA’s success, more than 6,200 low-income patients have increased participation in their diagnosis and treatment which, in turn, increases the likelihood that they will succeed at following the prescribed care regimen.

Throughout its 35 years, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has funded community-based initiatives that improve access to health care services, secure health benefits for workers, promote independence and inclusion for people with disabilities, and ensure quality of home health care for seniors.

These efforts rely on the leadership of poor and low-income leaders who define the problems, decide on the priorities, and determine the appropriate action to solve the problems.

Hope Street Youth Development – Wichita, Kansas
Employment Opportunities for Teens living in low-wage families can do much more than supply spare change for entertainment.  In addition to helping families meet basic needs, those employment opportunities can help teens develop into healthy adults.  Hope Street Youth Development (HSYD) project provides leadership, empowerment, and employment opportunities for African American youth in Wichita, Kansas, through partnerships with government agencies, local businesses, and community-based organizations.  One of the group’s most successful efforts has been its Youth Summer Jobs campaign.

When this group of youth in Wichita realized that they would not be able to get a job in their community because employment opportunities did not exist, they concentrated on helping to create the jobs.  Their research led them to federal legislation that provides states with funds for summer employment.  HSYD members met with city, state, and federal officials, including the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas, over a three-year period to create a summer employment program for fifteen- to seventeen-year old youth.  In summer 2003, with the support of CCHD funding, they realized their goal of obtaining summer jobs for thirty youth, securing jobs in a hospital, an advertising agency, a diner, and a social service agency.  HSYD hopes to turn this pilot project into an annual summer success story.

New Image Foundation – St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Cynthia Jerry went looking for a few good women to fill retail jobs in the Virgin Islands and ended up developing a hugely successful training program with 225 graduates to date.  The New Image Foundation (NIF), with support from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, turned a labor shortage into an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty for hundreds of low-income women.

The first group of 25 trainees were moving from welfare to work in the retail and hospitality industries.  Their program covered topics as diverse as computer basics, building a business wardrobe on a limited budget and relating to peers in the workplace.  “We integrated many issues in the first 120-hour course and helped the women develop confidence that they could determine their future,” says Cynthia.  “We let them take time to envision themselves as professionals.”

New Image has modified the program to reflect its experience and meet the changing needs of its clients.  With CCHD funding, the Excel Core is a basic 72-hour course and other New Image programs focus on upgrading current employment and getting started in entrepreneurship.  Potential trainees sign a document committing them to the program.

The New Image Foundation is a dynamic example of CCHD’s efforts to help women empower themselves and improve their economic situations.

Café Reconcile – New Orleans, Louisiana

People Acting for Community Together – Miami, Florida

The Wheels on the Bus Go 'Round and 'Round...All Through the Town
But not quite the entire town. . .
Members of People Acting for Community Together (PACT) told of long waits, overcrowding, frequent breakdowns, and inconsistent scheduling on Miami-Dade County buses.  In fact, while researching the issue, PACT learned that a 2-hour commute was commonplace for those who rely on the bus.  PACT member Andre Bony shared, "People are losing their jobs because the bus is not on time and making them late to work."  Community residents learned that the county had not expanded its bus fleet in over 20 years, despite rapid population growth.  Roads and bridges continued to be built while improvements for those without cars were ignored.

Recently, about 200 PACT members joined 1,000 other concerned citizens at a "Transportation Summit" organized by the Mayor of Miami.  Each member wore a T-shirt that read "Make the ride complete.  In three years double the bus fleet!"  Their efforts paid off.  The county included the community's request in its proposed plan.

PACT is an interfaith coalition of diverse congregations working together for social and economic justice in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1988, PACT members come together to make systemic changes on the issues that affect their lives, including education, public transportation, and city services.  Currently, PACT is comprised of 25 congregations representing more than 50,000 people -- making it the largest grassroots organization in South Florida.

Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles – Los Angeles, California
When your neighborhood houses more than meets the eye. . .  Members of Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles discovered that a local middle school was built adjacent to a contaminated Superfund* site.  The health risks to their children prompted neighbors into action. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is supporting the group's environmental justice campaign that will pressure the local school district to address environmental concerns as it builds 16 new schools in the community of South Central Los Angeles.

Formed in 1985, CCSCLA members initially came together to speak up against the development of a mass waste incinerator which was planned for construction in their neighborhood.  After winning that battle, the members stayed together to work on other issues impacting their community, including affordable housing and other environmental issues.  The group's 700 members from the Vernon-Central neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles have made significant progress on their goals of educating the community and exposing brownfields and other toxic waste sites.

One of their popular educational tools is a comic-book account of teen involvement in the middle school project.  It chronicles the experiences of three young students as they become aware of the problem in their community, learn about the issue, and end up testifying before a congressional committee on behalf of their community.

*The Superfund Program locates, investigates, and cleans up the worst environmental sites nationwide. The US Environmental Protection Agency administers the Superfund program in cooperation with individual states and tribal governments.

Norris Square Civic Association – Philadelphia, PA
Strengthening local economies – With CCHD's help, the Norris Square Civic Association of Philadelphia is working for self-sufficiency.  The organization has developed a worker-owned construction company, has built townhouses for low- and moderate-income families, administers a training program for neighborhood businesses, and has created a neighborhood market, El Mercado.  Norris Square members plan to expand El Mercado to house ten vendors and two commercial kitchens.  The members will sell fresh food, help incubate businesses, and develop their own line of healthy food products.

The CCHD Economic Development Program (EDP) is focused on job creation and business development. The EDP builds upon the Catholic social teaching principles of life and dignity of the human person, the right and duty to participate in society, the dignity of work and the rights of workers, and the preferential option for the poor. From these roots, and CCHD's founding resolution for organized groups of poor persons "to develop economic strength in their own communities," the EDP supports projects that create jobs for low-income persons that offer just wages and benefits, as well as opportunities for business decision-making and ownership.

Student Advocacy, Leadership and Service Association – Waco, Texas
No chips needed – SALSA (Student Advocacy, Leadership and Service Association) is a Catholic high school organization that grew out of one young man's belief that the required senior year two-week service project was insufficient.  His high school, Reicher Catholic, sits in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Waco, Texas, but most of the student body comes from outside the neighborhood.  The young man saw the poverty around the school and determined that the school could and should be more involved, so he started SALSA.  Twenty-five percent of the school's 250 students have joined.  SALSA members have met with:

• the city manager to find out more about the neighborhood and what the city was doing,
• the nearby public middle school where they threw a block party to begin building relationships with the neighborhood kids,
• the public high school in order to develop a partnership with the public high school students, and
• neighborhood associations to see what service the students could do for and with the community.

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