NETWORK today issued the following statement regarding federal funding of Catholic human needs programs:

Catholic groups and members of the Obama administration have had some disagreements in recent weeks, but we at NETWORK believe that some Catholic complaints have been exaggerated or misinformed.

One area of disagreement concerns the continuing level of government funding for vital Catholic programs. The truth of the matter is that the Obama administration has actually increased funding for Catholic nonprofit organizations and programs. In fact, more than $1.5 billion went to Catholic organizations over the past two years.

Funding increases for Catholic organizations in recent years include the following:

  • An increase from $12.45 million (2008) to $57.89 million (2011) in USDA food assistance to Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
  • An increase from  just over $440 million (2008) to more than $554 million (2010) to Catholic Charities USA
  • Increases in Dept. of Labor grants to Catholic organizations such as Catholic Charities of Kansas for ex-offender reintegration and other programs from $300,000 (2009) to more than $5 million (2011)
  • An increase of HHS funding for Catholic Medical Mission Board global health activities from $500,000 (2008) to $7 million (2011).

These are just a few examples of the many types of support received by Catholic organizations. They stand in sharp contrast to the overblown rhetoric about government cuts to Catholic groups since HHS decided in late September to deny a new grant to the Church for services to human trafficking victims in favor of other groups.

Because we lobby strenuously for government funding for programs that serve the needs of people, we take seriously any charges that the government may be shortchanging them. For that reason, we want to set the record straight now. And we intend to make sure that this administration and others to follow continue to serve the common good.

This above story comes from a Jan. 31 release from NetworkLobby.org.

 

Calif. dioceses on the dole

On Sept. 18, 2014, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the award of nearly $10 million in grants to 40 organizations that will help permanent residents prepare and apply for U.S. citizenship. Located in 24 states and the District of Columbia, these organizations will receive federal funding to support citizenship preparation services for permanent residents through September 2016.

….Under this year’s program, grant recipients will offer citizenship instruction to prepare permanent residents for the civics and English components of the naturalization test, and naturalization application services within the scope of the authorized practice of immigration law. The period of performance for the grants is two years.

Among the 2014 (fiscal year) grant recipients:

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa RosaSanta Rosa, Calif.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of StocktonStockton, Calif.
Catholic Charities of San Bernardino and Riverside CountiesSan Bernardino, Calif.

This information from the Sept. 2014 report of U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services.