Encounter, learn and act to fight poverty

Published: January 4, 2023

“Let us not despise the poor, the little ones, the workers; not only are they our brothers and sisters in God, they are also those who most perfectly imitate Jesus in his outward life. They perfectly represent Jesus, the worker of Nazareth. They are the firstborn among the elect, the first to be called to the Savior’s crib." — St. Charles de Foucauld

Did you know more than 38 million people live in poverty in the United States? In Arkansas, nearly 500,000 are poor. Of these, about 24 percent are children. January is Poverty Awareness Month and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) offers a daily calendar with reflections that offers ways to learn about poverty in America.

CCHD, the national anti-poverty program of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, offers other resources to create awareness of and ways to address the root causes of poverty in America, including the website, Poverty USA. It challenges visitors to encounter, learn and act to fight poverty. To learn more, We are Salt and Light details the connection between poverty and mental illness.

In Arkansas, Catholic Charities of Arkansas (CCA) offers several ministries that serve the poor, vulnerable or marginalized among us, including adoption, immigration or refugee resettlement services, prison ministry, a free medical clinic, help for victims of domestic violence and parish outreach. 

CCA relies on income from a number of sources to run its programs. No one single source of income amounts to more than 10 percent of total operating costs. Therefore, donations are needed. To support this work, please donate online now. If you prefer to mail your gift, please send your check to: Catholic Charities of Arkansas, P.O. Box 7239, Little Rock, AR 72217-7239. For more information, contact Megan Moore, office administrator of Catholic Charities of Arkansas at (501) 664-0340.