Rich at Ten Reasons points out:
Each year, the USCCB’s Catholic Campaign for Human Development allocates hundreds of thousands of dollars to local projects coordinated by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The National Catholic Reporter recently asked John Carr, executive director of the USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, which includes the CCHD staff, about success stories. Here is what he cited for Cincinnati:
And here is the success story referenced:
“Some of it is mundane, but very important,” Carr added. He said on a recent trip to Cincinnati, “I asked the CCHD archdiocesan director if there had been any significant victories recently.
“And he said, ‘Absolutely. There was a huge victory.’ He said one of the groups that CCHD funds was able to persuade the mass transit board to change the route of a bus line so that it didn’t stop three-quarters of a mile from the mall — so that the people who work in the mall and people who shop in the mall who don’t have a car, mostly low-income people, don’t have to walk in the rain, or walk three-quarters of a mile in order to carry out their work or do their shopping.”
Now if that doesn’t grease open your wallet to give money to CCHD I don’t know what would. I mean a success story like that will be passed on for ages.
Well maybe not, I for one am glad my bishop is not contributing to CCHD in our diocese. CCHD is trying to rebrand itself putting aside the errors in the past to forge one. Unfortunately their renewal sounds exactly like more of the same in giving money to exactly the same problematic groups that are better at promoting themselves than actually doing something for the poor.
13 comments
Apparently they don’t have high expectations in Cincinnati.
Because…. one thing that low-income people really *need* is to buy outrageously over-priced luxury goods from retails exploiting workers in 3rd world countries. The irony of social-justice lefties is almost too much to behold.
The people who use the bus system to the mall almost certainly work there. Do any of you have to walk 3/4 of a mile to your jobs? Seriously, I used to work for the Texas Employment Commission and transportation access is a very big deal.
People who’ve never been poor may not realize that some of the lower-end shopping malls provide space not only for department and clothing stores, but also for grocery stores and pharmacies, as well as office space – offices leased by the state employement assistance agency and the Social Security office, as is the case with one low-to-moderate-end shopping mall in our area.
Low-income people without cars may be counting on going to that mall to buy bread and milk, to get a prescription filled, and to check in with the state employment office or Social Security. To be able to do so at one location is a huge benefit for someone without a car.
That particular mall also serves as a major connector hub for other transit routes in our local area. If the “D” bus stopped running to that mall, people who live along that route would have a much harder time connecting to the “H” “J”, “M”, “S”, “T”, and “W” lines, one of which they need to transfer to on their way to and from work, and all of which they used to pick up by taking the “D” to the shopping mall.
Sign me,
Never truly*poor*-poor, but have done the “Broke-college- student-without-car Scramble” a time or two
As someone who has done the ‘ walk 1/2 a mile in the rain’ thing, I’d just like to say that Marion’s comment is dead right. (I do have a car now….)
Why *shouldn’t* low-income people be allowed to spend an extra three hours a week walking to and from work in the Cincinnati winter? How unchristian of CCHD to interfere with their me-time like that!
I agree with Marion and Donna. Is getting a bus to drive an extra 3/4 mile to the mall a huge, outstanding accomplishment? Probably not. Is it important, and is it going to positively impact the lives of others, including, based on Marion’s report, helping some of the poor in some very meaningful ways? Absolutely.
The same concupiscence that causes us to judge others too harshly, I think, often causes us to judge things like this too harshly, or at least too rashly.
And of course remember: in the story of the last judgment, even so little as giving one drink of water is emphasized in how people are judged, so I do think we should be very slow to discount even the tiniest good that a person or group is able to accomplish.
I think the comments miss the point. The changing of the bus route can certainly be a good, but considering the amount of money donated why in the world don’t they have a much better success story. Or really what success stories can CCHD point to as a whole.
Jeff:
I did pick up on the bathos of describing a modified bus route as “a huge victory.”
But who knows, maybe it was. What do I know about Cincinnati politics? Maybe it really does cost [tens of] thousands of dollars to get one bus route changed — in which case, we can certainly debate the prudence of using the money in that way.
Or maybe each diocese has three or five or ten such “mundane but very important” success stories. I don’t know, and the article doesn’t say, but I do think more mundane successes are just as acceptable as fewer showy successes.
I don’t know, and the article doesn’t say, but I do think more mundane successes are just as acceptable as fewer showy successes.
True, but then again the concern is that this is merely a token effort at damage control. Obviously, we can’t prove bad motives on CCHD’s part, but there are some trust issues that can’t be easily mollified. Frankly, with all the good organizations that don’t have this baggage the USCCB should look at finding another one or do a radical housecleaning of this one.
Jeff, does this mean that CCHD does not really stand for ‘Caring Christ Hopefully Delivered’?
I hear ya! To be honest Victor, “IT” really is a start and once we so called christians get pass all those bully’s who seem to know “IT” all, many othert christians will be able to do a LOT more with our money in “Time”.
Hey! Maybe they could start a hot line against those bullies like some Gays organization did to protect their own christians!? 🙂
What’s that you say Jeff?
I agree! That will be enough out of you sinner vic!
I’m Sorry!
God Bless Peace
For those of you who think that using money given by Catholic parishioners to CCHD to change bus routes is a great idea, the opportunity for you to donate lavishly to the CCHD soon awaits you. Before you write your check, just re-read what you wrote so that the amount reflects the strength of your convictions.
As someone from Cincinnati, and someone who DOES appreciate that access to work or shopping is important, let me say that my reaction to the claim that having a bus route changed is a “major victory” was: Give me a break!!!!!! If that is your idea of a major victory, you need to GO.