By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development’s annual national collection might best be described as a coin with one side representing charity and the other side representing justice.
That’s the image suggested by Brenda Rascher, executive director of the Diocese’s Office of Catholic Social Services, in promoting the annual collection, to be taken in parishes Nov. 14-15.
“Charity,” she said, “meets an immediate need, but CCHD asks the question, ‘What more can we do to help [someone] out of poverty?’”
CCHD, the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ domestic anti-poverty program, aims to break the cycle of poverty by empowering low-income individuals to take steps that will positively affect their lives, families and communities. Of the amount collected, 75 percent is sent to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ national CCHD office for grants and programs in communities across the country. The remaining 25 percent is retained by each Diocese to support local anti-poverty projects.
“This collection is an investment in people, local leadership, strong families and communities,” Rascher said. “CCHD invests in people who understand their communities and are working toward lasting solutions.”
Unwavering Generosity
Rascher recognized all parishes in the Diocese for their contributions to CCHD, making a point to mention the 2025 collection’s highest contributors: St. Joseph, Toms River; St. Francis of Assisi, Long Beach Island; and St. Catharine-St. Margaret, Spring Lake.
“Thanks to these three parishes, as well as every contributing parish, CCHD can make a real difference both nationally and locally,” she said. “These vital funds enable all of us, through CCHD, to respond to Jesus Christ’s call to uphold the dignity of every human person.”
The Diocese’s allocation from the 2025 collection totaled $30,000 and Rascher said her office awarded two $10,000 grants from that collection. The remaining $10,000 will be used for emergency purposes and promotional efforts as determined by her office.
Toward Self-Sufficiency
Trenton’s Mount Carmel Guild received one of the grants for its Dream Again Trenton initiative, designed to assist individuals experiencing economic hardship move toward greater stability and self-sufficiency.
“The project’s goals are to increase access to education and employment resources, strengthen financial knowledge, address obstacles to stable housing and healthcare and help participants make measurable progress toward greater independence,” Daren Miller, the Guild’s executive director, indicated on the application. “By connecting services through a trusted community organization, Dream Again Trenton seeks to make assistance easier to navigate and encourage participants to pursue opportunities they may otherwise find difficult to access.”
The St. Vincent de Paul Conference in St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan, received a $10,000 grant for its Neighbor to Pathway to Success project, designed to provide neighbors experiencing financial hardship with a structured “hand-up” toward sustainable self-sufficiency, conference member Anthony Pluchino said on a grant application.
The Vincentians first will address the neighbor’s basic needs and determine the assistance the conference can provide with situations like housing, utilities, food, transportation, employment or other essentials. Once the situation is stabilized, the Vincentians will use a system called dynamic budgeting and work with the neighbor to review income, expenses, debt, benefits, employment and other factors affecting household stability. Dynamic budgeting allows the neighbor to examine how changes in such areas can improve their household’s financial position.