YOUNGSTOWN DIOCESE Hunger-relief work brings grants

Twenty-five percent of Operation Rice Bowl money is used for local efforts.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Office of Social Action of Catholic Charities of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown announced that several local grants have been made to various groups for their work in hunger relief and efforts in social justice.
Each year, Catholics around the country and here in the six-county Diocese of Youngstown have a collection for Operation Rice Bowl/Catholic Relief Services and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
In both cases, 75 percent of the money collected is sent to the national office of Catholic Relief Services/Operation Rice Bowl and the national Catholic Campaign for Human Development, respectively. Twenty-five percent of each of these collections is used for local efforts pertaining to the purpose of each of the collections.
Operation Rice Bowl money is used to support groups and/or parishes involved in hunger relief activities. In 2004, Catholics around the diocese collected $83,418 for Operation Rice Bowl.
Locally, the Office of Social Action granted $19,500 to fund various groups and parishes involved in hunger relief efforts and programs.
Allocation
These groups in Ashtabula County will share grants totaling $4,300: St. Vincent de Paul/St. Joseph Church; Neighbor to Neighbor; Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County; and Conneaut Human Resources Center.
These groups in Columbiana County will share grants totaling $2,900: Immaculate Conception Church-St. Paul's Parish and School; St. Vincent de Paul/St. Patrick; and Catholic Charities Regional Agency.
These groups in Mahoning County will share grants totaling $5,500: Ursuline Sisters AIDS Ministry; House of Blessing/Potter's Wheel; the St. Vincent de Paul Societies of St. John the Baptist, St. Dominic, St. Columba Cathedral; St. Patrick; and Sacred Heart Soup Kitchen.
Catholic Charities of Portage County will manage a grant of $1,500 to serve families in that county.
These groups in Trumbull County will share grants totaling $2,500: Emmanuel Community Care Center; House of Blessing/Potters Wheel; Catholic Charities Regional Agency; and the St. Vincent de Paul Societies of McDonald and of the Trumbull Deanery.
These groups in Stark County will share grants totaling $2,800: Catholic Charities of Stark County; All Saints Parish; St. Joan of Arc Food Cupboard; St. Anthony's Parish, MECCA/Sts. Philip and James Parish; and St. Barbara's Parish.
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development money is used to support groups of low-income people engaged in social justice and social change work.
In 2004, Catholics around the Diocese of Youngstown collected $61,387 for the CCHD. Locally, the Office of Social Action granted $13,500 to these groups involved in social justice activities: Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods (ACTION); Common Wealth Revolving Loan Fund; Northside Revitalization/Farmers' Market and Community Yard Sale; North Star Patchwork Training Center; Women of Faith in Motion/Potter's Wheel; Greater Ohio/Mahoning Valley Network; and CopyThis Business Center/Catholic Charities of Portage County.