News

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism. Created in response to recent events of racism and violence, the committee will focus on addressing the sin of racism and the urgent need to come together to find solutions.

Relationships are at the heart of Incarnate Word Foundation’s mission and the charism of its founder, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. This focus on relationship and solidarity prompted Bridget McDermott Flood, executive director of the Foundation, to envision STL Youth Jobs, a program started in 2012 that employs disenfranchised youth ages 16-24 in summer jobs in St. Louis, where the Foundation is located. Serving as co-chair of a youth violence prevention task force for the mayor at the time, Bridget wanted to do something that had a direct, immediate benefit to St. Louis communities that have high rates of youth unemployment, poverty, juvenile crime, and low graduation rates – rather than producing a report that would “just sit on a bookshelf,” she explains.  In a short five weeks, Bridget and her team at the Incarnate Word Foundation started what would become STL Youth Jobs, placing 63 youth in jobs for an investment of $75,000 that first summer. Fast-forward to this summer, and the program has grown exponentially to 800 jobs, has an over $1.8 million budget (Incarnate Word Foundation still invests $75,000 – a testimony to how the Foundation’s leadership has leveraged other funders), and a record of helping thousands of young people connect to the mainstream economy.   STL Youth Jobs is one of the Incarnate Word Foundation’s most important projects, not only because of the program’s impressive outcomes. It also captures what Incarnate Word Foundation and Catholic foundations do best, explains Bridget. This includes the ability to leverage partnerships based on trust. “One

Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home) turned two on June 18, just after the world celebrated World Environment Day on June 5. Watch Catholic Climate Covenant’s video series featuring Catholics’ reflections on how Laudato Si’ inspires them to care for creation and care for the poor. Watch the series.

In 1997, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina set out to address childhood poverty in a way that many don’t think about – through the perspective of the role of fathers. Compelled by the fact that children in father-absent homes experienced poverty at more than four times the rate of children in married-parent homes, the Foundation began a fatherhood initiative to focus on the specific need to assist dads in overcoming barriers to becoming better fathers. In 2002, the Foundation founded The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families, a stand-alone nonprofit and now the only state-wide fatherhood program in the nation.  “We have a long standing commitment to this issue,” said Tom Keith, president of the Foundation. “I believe that our investment in the Center has truly paid huge dividends which makes it one of the top organizations we have ever funded. We really have taken great pride in its evolution and tremendous success.” The program has a broad network of services and staff to offer comprehensive support for dads. The curriculum ranges from job readiness and employment, economic, healthy relationships, and co-parenting and parenting classes. Being a hub focused on fathers and families allows the Center to hone in on the advocacy needed to raise awareness and, when warranted, improve the systems specifically affecting dads. Two such advocacy examples include the recently launched awareness campaign and website Father365.com and the successful “Jobs Not Jail” program coordinated with South Carolina’s judicial system. Through Jobs Not Jail, men who fall behind in child support payments can be court-ordered to

Healey Education Foundation has launched a beautiful new logo and website.  The site features a robust resource page with terrific references and tools for schools, dioceses and philanthropists, including:  an overview of the board of specified jurisdiction, changing the “candy bar” culture and case studies. 

FADICA joins in prayer with all those suffering from the impact of Hurricane Matthew across the Caribbean, including Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and now the shores of the continental United States. Catholic relief organizations Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Caritas Haiti have already shifted into action, moving personnel and transporting and delivering relief items to the most affected area of southern Haiti, where CRS aid workers report that people are beginning to return to markets in search of food and trying to dry clothing and other household items even as the rainfall continues. Catholic Medical Mission Board is actively mobilizing community partners and resources to provide access to clean water, shelter and food for those affected, as well as medical supplies. “Hundreds of lives have been lost. We have seen roofs blown off houses, damaged homes and waters flooding the streets, but we still don’t know the full scale of the damage. We will be doing all we can to reach the most affected areas as quickly as possible,” says Catholic Relief Services Haiti Country Representative Chris Bessey. “We are very concerned about the damage to crops and food stocks in areas that are important bread baskets in the country.” CRS and Catholic Health Association (CHA) have activated the power of prayer and are encouraging communities of faith to come together in solidarity and action, using resources provided forprayer and disaster relief. We join CRS, CHA, Caritas Haiti, and others in praying for the families evacuating, seeking shelter and searching for lost ones, and for all the aid workers serving tirelessly during this devastating time. To find more information and support these Catholic

FADICA joins with Support Our Aging Religious (SOAR!) in spreading the word about SOAR!’s special 30th anniversary year Founders’ Grants. Available to aging Sisters, Brothers or religious Priests who are working in ministry and residing outside their congregation’s motherhouse or healthcare facility, these grants will help ensure the safety, comfort and dignity of our active aging religious by providing adaptive equipment or furniture that enable them to continue to live independently. Share the application with a Sister, Brother or religious Priest for submission by March 15th, 2016.

It is with heartfelt respect and admiration that I thank Steve Hilton for his 30 years of dedicated service and leadership at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and in philanthropy generally. This interview was conducted at his office just prior to his retirement as President and CEO, where he was generous with his time and thoughtful in his reflections on both the past and the future. FADICA is truly grateful for the contributions and inspiration the Hilton Foundation brings to our member community.-Alexia Kelley Alexia Kelley: Congratulations on this year and all you’ve accomplished in this time. We all have a lot to learn from the impact you’ve had and your years of service. Alexia: Looking back over your 30 years of leadership, of what are you are most proud, and what has the Foundation’s greatest impact been in that time? Steve Hilton: I would say the thing I am the most proud of is that I feel we have stayed true to Conrad Hilton’s vision of helping to improve the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged people throughout the world. In particular, we’ve been true to supporting the works of the Catholic Sisters, whom Conrad mentions in his last will. He also mentions helping children, which has been another area where we have focused a great deal. In terms of impact, numbers of people touched, there are two examples that come to mind. One of them is our water program, which is mostly in Africa. As a result of that initiative we have touched the lives of over two

More than 100 high-level regional and global leaders across domains discussed the impact of climate change on food and nutrition security and health at a forum co-sponsored by FADICA member Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB). CMMB Senior Vice President, Adrian V. Kerrigan, noted that climate change is undermining current efforts to reduce undernutrition, one of the world’s most serious but under-addressed socioeconomic and health problems. Policy solutions for national adaptation plans and international cooperation, including empowering women and children, were discussed as part of the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. In concluding remarks, CMMB CEO Bruce Wilkinson said that “at the center of our considerations and interventions ultimately should not be economics, certainly not politics, but rather humanity and its wellbeing and protection; for the sake of current and future generations to come.”

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its Caritas partners have mobilized an immediate response to address the devastation caused by the earthquake that struck Nepal, which has killed over 4,000 to date. CRS is supporting the emergency effort with critical supplies for families left homeless by the quake. The 7.9 quake is reported to be the worst to hit the area in 80 years, according to CRS. Learn more about the current response.