Catholic Relief Services: Acting in hope

Catholic Relief Services announced its vision for 2030.
 
Sean Callahan, president and CEO of CRS, said, "In our new strategy, we look to the evolving needs and opportunities of the people we serve and their local institutions, and challenge ourselves to be bolder and more ambitious in our aspirations to not only catalyze transformational change to combat poverty, injustice and violence, but to achieve these results at greater scale."
 
In Strategy 2030, CRS aspires to save lives and alleviate suffering, accelerate the end of poverty, hunger and preventable disease, and cultivate just and peaceful societies, which are interrelated and mutually reinforced, always placing the dignity of the human person at the center.
 
There are seven goal areas in Strategy 2030 are:
 
• Goal Area 1 All people live in just and peaceful societies;
• Goal Area 2 All people survive and thrive in the face of disasters;
• Goal Area 3 All people achieve dignified and resilient livelihoods in flourishing landscapes;
• Goal Area 4 All children reach their full health and development potential in safe and nurturing families;
• Goal Area 5 All youth are empowered to thrive.
 
For each goal, CRS has outlined the case for change, their commitment and the priority outcomes they seek.
 
COVID-19 has changed the way Equal Exchange does things. Many churches and temples aren't meeting for in-person services, which means Equal Exchange's sales in the Interfaith program are down by 38,000 pounds compared to this time last year.
 
This loss of volume has a real impact on Equal Exchange and farmer partners. Interfaith sales could be down by more than 80,000 pounds by the year’s end. That's why help is sought. If someone usually coordinates a sale at a place of worship, he or she could think about starting a buying club.
 
If a buying club isn’t possible for a place of worship, people can order wholesale cases directly from Equal Exchange by calling Customer Service at (774) 776-7366 or visit the webstore at shop.equalexchange.coop. 
 
This is a difficult time for everyone in the United States, but a shortfall of 80,000 pounds will be significant for small-scale farmers and their families during this especially difficult time.