Catholic Campaign for Human Development

What is it?

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is the domestic, national anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic Bishops working to break the cycle of poverty by helping low-income people participate in decisions that affect their lives, families, and communities. CCHD offers a hand up, not a hand out.

Its mission is to address the root causes of poverty in the U.S. through promotion and support of community-controlled, self-help organizations and through education on Catholic Social Teaching. At the heart of its vision is priority for the poor and vulnerable.

If you know of an organization that could benefit from a CCHD Community Development or Economic Development Grant, please contact Bobby Ehnow at rehnow@sdcatholic.org.

Our Experience with CCHD

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Grant Program

CCHD is committed to supporting organizations led by low-income individuals as they work to break the cycle of poverty and improve their communities. The CCHD grant programs to support communities are made possible by the generosity of the faithful through the annual National Collection, which falls  on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

To qualify for CCHD funds, applicant organizations must not promote, in any way, activities that work against Catholic values. CCHD’s grants to local anti-poverty efforts are screened, awarded and monitored in close partnership with local Catholic dioceses. CCHD grants to groups in a local community require the explicit approval of the bishop of that diocese.

Community Development Grant Program

CCHD Community development grant amounts range between $25,000 and $75,000. To qualify for this grant program, the organization must be led by people living in poverty who are working to address the root causes of poverty by nurturing solidarity between the poor and non-poor. Applicants must also facilitate the participation of people living in poverty to make decisions that perpetuate poverty in
their lives.

As part of such efforts, low-income people gain the ability to identify barriers, brainstorm solutions, and take action to change problematic structures and systems in their communities.

Economic Development Grant Program

CCHD Economic Development grant amounts range between $25,000 and $75,000. CCHD supports economic development initiatives that significantly include the voice of the poor and marginalized in developing new businesses that offer good jobs and/or develop assets that will be owned and enjoyed by local communities.

Strategic National Grant Program

These grants are intended for organizations working to promote justice or economic development on a statewide, regional or national level. These grants are intended for campaign-style initiatives of significant scale, with focused time-specific goals of regional or national importance.

San Diego County Grant Recipients

To learn more information about CCHD grants, please visit www.usccb.org/cchd.

Newsletter

CCHD’s quarterly newsletter, Helping People Help Themselves, features a message from the Director, Ralph McCloud, and offers inspiring examples of the good work CCHD funds.

Send Us A Message

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pulido’s coat of arms is divided into four quarters with wavy horizontal lines from top to bottom. The blue and white lines represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also suggest water, which alludes to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples and to the waters of baptism. The red and gold lines represent the Holy Spirit and fire. The colors also can be seen as referring to the Blood that (along with water) poured from Jesus’ side at His crucifixion, as well as to the bread (gold) and wine (red) transformed into the Eucharist. At the center is a roundel featuring a symbolic representation of the “mandatum” (washing of the feet), which he believes exemplifies service to all humanity. The roundel’s outer edge is a line composed of small humps; it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Yakima, where Bishop Pulido served as a priest before being named a bishop.

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pham’s coat of arms depicts a red boat on a blue ocean, which is crisscrossed by diagonal lines suggesting a fisherman’s net. This symbolizes his ministry as a “fisher of men,” as well as how his own father had been a fisherman. The boat is also a symbol of the Church, which is often referred to as the “barque of Peter.” At the center of the sail is a red beehive (a symbol of the bishop’s baptismal patron saint, St. John Chrysostom, who was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher). The beehive is surrounded by two green palm branches (an ancient symbol of martyrdom; the bishop’s ancestors were among Vietnam’s first martyrs). The eight red tongues of fire around the boat are a symbol of the Holy Spirit and a representation of the diversity of ethnic and cultural communities. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire allude to the blood of the martyrs.

About the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms combines symbols that reflect Bishop Bejarano’s spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows four wavy vertical lines on a gold background. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God. The upper third of the shield is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, of which the Bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted holding one. The Eucharist is Bishop Bejarano’s inspiration for his vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice. The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart, alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ, and of a rose for Our Lady. It is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, and highlights the bishop’s Hispanic heritage.

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