The following is a letter from John Watkins, Director of Catholic Charities & Social Concerns Diocese of Sacramento:
To: Pastors, Parochial Vicars, Administrators, Deacons and Parish Staff
It has come to our attention that Food for the Poor, (an ecumenical international development agency based in the U.S.), is the subject of an Order to Cease and Desist, Revocation of California Charity Registration and Assessment of Penalties by The California Attorney General’s Office.
Click here to see the Attorney General’s report.
Until this matter is resolved, we advise parishes to cease any and all fundraising efforts to this agency. Please contact me with any additional questions or concerns 916-733-0253.
Respectfully, John Watkins
Director, Catholic Charities & Social Concerns Diocese of Sacramento
From Diocese of Sacramento.
Assuming the Attorney General’s action is appropriate, then I believe the Diocese is correct in recommending fundraising cease for this organization. Is Catholic Charities doing anything to help meet the need of these people?
Catholic Charities works in US. Catholic Relief Services works in other countries. Another organization is Cross Catholic Outreach.
What a shame. They are being fined by California alone for over a million dollars for improprieties, money that could be better used to feed the poor. If other states act in a similar fashion, the organization will be history. Maybe they already are. They were once above board– what on earth happened?
This is very sad. “Dan” is right, Food for the Poor was once unquestionably a good relief organization. Yet, like the diocese noted, the situation has not been resolved. It’s not like we can trust our attorney general who is hostile toward unborn babies and their mothers as well as marriage and family and is anti-Catholic. And, as noted, there are good organizations like Cross Catholic Outreach that we can support to reach those in need.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2018/07/10/unnamed-source-for-story-steps-forward-answer-charity-complaint/GKSvScwVCMnh7Gt4fnHSXP/story.html
I found this on Charity Navigator
https://oag.ca.govall/files/agweb/pdfs/charities/pdf/food-poor-inc-appeal-request-hearing.pdf
A profitable “not-for-profit” family business which does business with their own “for-profit” family business. Family members are paid quite well. Also $275K (that we know of) went to two of the founder’s mistresses (that we know of).
Like many so-called charites, FFP receives federal grants (your confiscated earnings). So the next time some clown chides you on charitable giving, tell him you gave at the office — literally.
I think this is much more than improprieties. If only a much smaller fraction of my money is actually going to the poor than what they say in their solicitations, wouldn’t it be much wiser to not waste my money on them but give money to an organization that won’t waste money on overhead and exorbitant salaries? Tens of millions of dollars are supposedly lost on hidden overhead. Further, should we really be shipping hundreds of millions of dollars worth of free goods into countries with weak economies in the first place? I mean talk about a way to kill someone’s economy. Local producers don’t stand a chance. Soon they will be lining up in the food line. Wouldn’t it be much better to purchase in the recipient country?