The New Hunger/Poverty Program

S.T.E.P.

October 8, 2003 Update

Introducing …

STEP: Steps Toward Eliminating Poverty!

STEP: Steps Toward Eliminating Poverty is the name of the new anti-hunger, anti-poverty program of the Diocese of Joliet’s Peace and Social Justice Ministry. Four key aspects or “steps” in the struggle against poverty are included in STEP … prayer, education, charity and justice.

Many of the parishes involved with the CROP Walk in the past have attended information meetings for the new program, and some are planning to hold their first STEP event in Spring 2004. One parish has scheduled a Fall 2003 date, and so will help to pilot the program for the Diocese.

All funds raised in local parish STEP events will be divided with 75% allocated to global efforts, and 25% to local organizations, as is common in other hunger relief projects. Initially, the 75% for global needs will be donated to Catholic Relief Services, for their projects in agriculture, health, education, micro-enterprise, etc. in over 80 countries around the world. Eventually, if the program develops ecumenically, other organizations working for hunger relief or on related justice issues (such as Bread for the World or Heifer International) may be included in the distribution of the global donations. The 25% raised for local funding may be given to local food pantries or related organizations recommended by parish STEP coordinators.

Basic Program Design

STEP: Steps Toward Eliminating Poverty

 

    • the project involves more than a "walk" to relieve hunger – rather, a "progressive event" moving from church to church in the local area (much like Good Friday public Stations of the Cross or Advent "Las Posadas" rituals)
    • ecumenical collaboration with other local denominations is encouraged, though we understand that for the first years following the Diocese’s withdrawal from the CROP Walk, this may not be possible or appropriate where the Protestant churches continue to hold the Walk at the same time of year
    • use of prayers and songs during the walk and/or at church stops
    • brief education about hunger and poverty issues (local and global) at some of the church stops … e.g., displays, quizzes, short videos, contests (a great way to involve youth groups!) … a different country or issue might serve as the event’s theme or focus each year
    • opportunity for a simple closing meal (e.g., from Operation Rice Bowl recipes) and/or advocacy about hunger/poverty at the final church stop (using Bread for the World materials, postcards about legislative bills, etc.)
    • pledges for those participating in the event, and funds possibly raised at stops along the way would be distributed much as they are with the CROP Walk:
      • 25% to local food pantries and needs
      • 75% globally – initially, funds will go to Catholic Relief Services
    • in areas where participating churches are physically too far apart for all to serve as stops along the walk, the local food pantries, schools and community organizations may consider participating as stops or stations for the event

 

    • finally, the project as designed is flexible enough to address hunger relief one year, and perhaps related issues such as health care, homelessness, poverty in general, etc. in following years

 

View a preliminary photo/flyer for STEP.

S.T.E.P. Steering Committee

A Steering Committee for STEP is being formed, to help promote and further plan the program as more parishes prepare to implement it. To date, the following parish reps have volunteered to serve on this Committee: Art Leamy, Divine Savior, Downers Grove; Jeanne Mulroy, St. Margaret Mary, Naperville; Liz Michalski and John St. Laurent, St. Thomas, Naperville. Others interested in joining the Steering Committee may call (815-834-4028) or e-mail us at the Peace and Justice Office.

A first meeting for the Steering Committee is being planned for mid-November, so that the lessons learned from the parish piloting the STEP program this Fall can be included.

We aim to have promotional materials available for parishes in January … expecting that any which are planning Spring events will target a weekend date from mid-April (following Easter on Apr. 11) to mid-May. Parish packets with educational materials, logistical helps, suggested prayers/songs, participants’ forms, etc. should be available by late February.

Please contact us in the Peace and Justice Office with any questions or comments you may have.

Many thanks for the interest and helpful ideas many of you have shared with us these past few months!

Peace and blessings,

Mary Jeanne Lindinger

 

From the Chancellor

August 1, 2003 JOB

CROP WALK STATEMENT: In accord with the decision of Catholic Relief Services, (the international relief organization of the U.S. Bishops) to withdraw as a designated agency of CROP Walk, parishes are instructed not to participate in or promote CROP Walk. Instead, parishes are encouraged to find ways to support other international relief efforts, as well as local efforts such as food pantries and meals for the homeless. An alternative hunger/poverty event is being created by the Peace and Social Justice Ministry in cooperation with CRS and will be available to parishes for their 2004 spring events. Further details about the new program, as well as additional information on the decision to withdraw from CROP Walk, may be found at http://www.paxjoliet.org.

July 1, 2003 CROP Walk Update

Dear Father,
 
Some time ago I wrote to inform you of the diocesan decision that parishes should not continue participation in CROP Walk.  (You may review that letter and the letter from Catholic Relief Services at http://www.paxjoliet.org/CROP_Walk.htm) Since then much has transpired and I am excited to announce a new Hunger/Poverty event that will be available to our parishes. We are designing this as a pilot program with CRS in our diocese with the hope that it will become national next year.
 
Following is a letter which was sent to some of our parish peace and justice contacts describing the new program and announcing an information meeting on July 29th.  This letter will provide you the latest information. If your parish has been involved with CROP Walk in the past, or you would like to take this opportunity to begin a Hunger/Poverty event, I encourage you to send a representative to this meeting.
 
Thank you for your ongoing efforts on behalf of the poor and vulnerable.
 
Respectfully,
 
Tom Garlitz,
Director
 
CROP Walk Update Letter: July 1, 2003
 
Summer greetings and blessings!
 
As you know, the Diocese of Joliet has been working with Catholic Relief Services to design a new "Hunger Project" to take the place of the CROP Walk in the Diocese. A number of our parishes have been actively involved in local CROP Walks with other faiths in recent years. Some are eager to kick-off the new project this coming Fall – when they would otherwise have been taking part in the CROP Walk. Some interest from Protestant denominations is beginning to surface, also.
 
We invite you or another representative from your parish to an Information and "How-to" Meeting about the Hunger Project on Tuesday, July 29th at 7:00 pm at the St. Charles Borromeo Pastoral Center. This meeting has two purposes:
    1. to present the project as designed with CRS and further developed with some parish input from the Diocese;
    2. to cover the logistics, promotion and other packet materials needed by parishes to implement the project.
Although some parishes will choose to schedule the project for this Fall, most likely a Saturday or Sunday in September or October, parishes which may be interested in joining the project for Spring 2004 or a later time are invited to attend this meeting as well.
 
A name for the new project has not yet been finalized with CRS, but the project design is fairly complete:
    • the project would involve more than a "walk" to relieve hunger – rather, a "progressive event" moving from church to church in the local area (much like Good Friday public Stations of the Cross or Advent "Las Posadas" rituals)
    • ecumenical collaboration with other local denominations is encouraged, though we understand that for the first years following the Diocese’s withdrawal from the CROP Walk, this may not be possible or appropriate where the Protestant churches continue to hold the Walk at the same time of year
    • use of prayers and songs during the walk and/or at church stops
    • brief education about hunger and poverty issues (local and global) at some of the church stops … e.g., displays, quizzes, short videos, contests (a great way to involve youth groups!)
    • opportunity for a simple closing meal (e.g., from Operation Rice Bowl recipes) and/or advocacy about hunger/poverty at the final church stop (using Bread for the World materials, postcards about legislative bills, etc.)
    • pledges for those participating in the event, and funds possibly raised at stops along the way would be distributed much as they are with the CROP Walk:
      • 25% to local food pantries and needs
      • 75% globally – for Catholic churches, funds going to CRS; for Protestant participants, the option to designate to CRS or a non-denominational group such as Bread for the World or Heifer Project International
    • finally, the project as designed is flexible enough to address hunger relief one year, and perhaps related issues such as health care, homelessness, poverty in general, etc. in following years … because of this, the project name will likely not include the word "Hunger"
We hope you’ll be able to join us on July 29th. Please call or e-mail me at any time if you have questions before the meeting.
 
We must stress that the focus of the meeting needs to be on planning for the new project, especially since time is short for those parishes/areas who want to run the event in Fall 2003. We know discussion continues in some of your parishes about withdrawal from the CROP Walk, and valid questions and concerns are still being raised. However, we cannot include these as part of the July 29th meeting. We encourage you and your fellow parishioners or ecumenical friends to continue to contact our office if further questions or suggestions arise, as the Diocese moves from CROP Walk involvement to the new project with Catholic Relief Services.
 
We appreciate your understanding in this, and look forward to hearing from you. Please let us know by Thursday, July 24th, if possible if you plan to attend on the 29th.
 
May God continue to bless your dedication and efforts!
 
Mary Jeanne Lindinger
Parish Outreach Associate
 
Please address all questions and replys to:

 

March 13, 2003

CROP Walk and the Diocese of Joliet

I wish to follow up on our earlier communication about CROP Walk. (Please see letter from Catholic Relief Services below.) In an effort to support those parishes who have participated in CROP Walk in the past and to continue such good work of solidarity, charity, and ecumenical cooperation, our office intends, in collaboration with  Catholic Relief Service,  to develop for the diocese our own "Hunger Project." By so doing we can guarantee that all donations by Catholics designated to Catholic Relief Services will be correctly appropriated and that no such donations will go toward programs in conflict with our Catholic values, especially in regard to the sacredness of all human life. We plan for the program and materials to be in place by late summer or early fall. Our theme for the fall 2003 and spring 2004 will be based on the U.S. Bishops' recent statement, A Place at the Table: A Catholic Recommitment to Overcome Poverty and to Respect the Dignity of All God's Children. We will endeavor to produce materials suitable for ecumenical cooperation, as we see this as one of the strengths of CROP Walk.

As our "Hunger Project" is only in the concept stage, we are inviting input from past participants in CROP Walk and other interested parties. We will announce a meeting in the near future. If you are interested or wish to send a representative from your parish, please contact Mary Jeanne Lindinger, ministry associate with this office, who will be coordinating this effort: mjlindinger@dioceseofjoliet.org , 815-834-4028. There are many questions to be answered, especially as pertains to the mechanics of the program. We value your wisdom and interest.

Sincerely in Christ,

Tom Garlitz,

Director

 

January 2003

TO:   CRS Diocesan Directors and Friends
RE:    Decision regarding Catholic Relief Services and CROP WALK

I wrote in October that Catholic Relief Services was re-examining our relationship with CROP WALK, the Church World Service community-based event designed to raise awareness of hunger and funds for local and international hunger-fighting agencies. I write now to inform you that Catholic Relief Services has decided to withdraw as a designee agency in CROP WALK.

These last three months, we’ve been in intensive dialogue with Church World Service as well as with diocesan staff and parish volunteers involved in organizing CROP WALKs locally. As a result, we are confident that Church World Service is doing everything they can to account for clearly designated donations. Nevertheless, it is obvious that due to the highly localized nature of each CROP WALK event, Church World Service is unable to cost effectively share the names and addresses of every CROP WALK donor or walker with their designations. Furthermore, it would be extremely difficult and costly to ensure that all Catholic sponsors designate their funds only to CRS.

Without complete information, we are unable to thank CROP WALK participants for their gift or to educate past and future donors on the proper designation process. Undesignated contributions go into the general fund of Church World Service, and some Church World Service partners support the provision of contraceptives which is contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Accordingly, Catholic Relief Services’ name will not appear in CROP WALK materials printed after January 2003, although you may still see our name in materials for the Spring CROP WALKs. Church World Service has assured us they will forward any future designations to us.

Catholic Relief Services has been a periodic recipient of CROP WALK donations since 1979. We have used these donations to help fund our operations in more than 80 countries around the world. We affirm CROP WALK in its goal to end world hunger and applaud the organizers for their success in building grassroots, ecumenical participation and engagement in this important global issue. We also support and respect the right of each diocese to choose whether it will participate in the annual CROP WALK event.

Many thanks to all of you for your ongoing support of CRS. We invite you to continue, with us, to fight world hunger and the conditions that perpetuate it. May your families and communities enjoy a peaceful and blessed new year.

Sincerely,
Ken Hackett
Executive Director

 

www.paxjoliet.org