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January 10, 2019Poverty Awareness Month
“Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt. 25:40).
Poverty is a fact of life even in the most prosperous societies. With January designated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' as Poverty Awareness Month, it is good time to ensure the least among us is cared for.
The USCCB created the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) to fund anti-poverty programs that enable the poor to make good decisions to benefit their families and communities, and to provide education about the root causes of poverty.
According to the CCHD website (povertyusa.org), in 2017, 573,057 Oklahoma residents were living in poverty. Rural areas such as in northeastern, southeastern and west-central Oklahoma, including much of the panhandle, have some of the highest concentrations of poverty in our state.
So, what can parishioners do? If a parish has a food bank, parishioners can donate canned and boxed non-perishable foods. Meals on Wheels helps the elderly poor and parishioners can volunteer to cook and deliver meals. There are several pantries in the archdiocese, including the Corpus Christi Food Pantry at 3355 S. Perdue and the Dorothy Day Center at 5024 N. Grove, both in Oklahoma City, and God’s Food Bank at 402 W. Vilas Ave. in Guthrie.
Parishioners can support or volunteer at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and support Catholic Relief Services to fund poverty programs around the world.
Catholic schools also play a role in helping families grow from poverty by providing superb education and varied opportunities. Catholic schools are one of the key elements in breaking the cycle of poverty. The Opportunity Scholarship Fund with the Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma (catholicfoundationOK.org) is a way to provide such opportunities for lower-income students.
As clearly stated in the Letter of Saint James: “What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and in lack of daily food and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body what does it profit? So, faith by itself, if it has not works, is dead” (James 2: 14-17).
Ted King is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
For an action calendar, liturgical aids and daily reflections, go online to usccb.org and search Poverty Awareness Month.
