The following is the text of an email sent to Cal Catholic on Nov. 20.

Dear Catholic Friend:

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development national collection is this weekend and no doubt you will agree it is important for people to know how CCHD is carrying out its commitment to ‘accountability and transparency’ to be good stewards of your donations.

Take for instance POWER (‘People Organized for Westside Renewal’), a recipient of $50,000 for the 2014-2015 grant period. Among the ways POWER fights “the root causes of poverty” are these:

In May 2010, POWER was part of an acrimonious demonstration that disrupted a Los Angeles City Council meeting and resulted in multiple arrests.

In October 2011, POWER was a supporter of the Occupy LA protest at the Los Angeles City Hall that resulted in more than $1,000,000 in direct damage and clean-up costs to the City and over 300 arrests.

In November 2011, POWER participated in a protest that blocked traffic at a major intersection resulting in many arrests.

A video on POWER’s Facebook page proclaims the “need and justification for revolution” and proposes solving poverty by the unilateral cancellation of all debt (“Global Economic Amnesty”).

Today, POWER is an active, participating affiliate of National People’s Action (NPA) which has called for continuing public funding to support Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the United States.

(You can see even more here.)
To date, POWER has received $300,000 in grants from the CCHD in funds raised from parishioners in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who believe they are helping to fight poverty.

There are hundreds of similar stories in the recent history of CCHD and many in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles itself. The USCCB’s CCHD office knows this. The Archdiocese’s Office of Life, Justice, and Peace knows this. The Archdiocesan CCHD office knows this. And now you know it too.

The only people who don’t know are those who will be asked to fund these organizations on November 23. This Sunday, be sure you understand the kind of activities your money is used to support.

And will you please forward this message to others who would appreciate knowing?

Sincerely in Truth,

Truth About CCHD

www.TruthAboutCCHD.com