Contact:             

Lindsay Hansen                              

Catholic Charities                         

480.205.6195                    

PHOENIX, Ariz. (Dec. 15, 2008) – The holidays are arriving early this year for thousands of families in NBA cities throughout the country. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), Catholic Charities USA and Feed The Children announced today that they are teaming up to deliver meals to 30,000 deserving families this holiday season.

Locally, the event is taking place on Tuesday, Dec. 16 from 10:30 to 1:30 at Catholic Charities’ Administrative Service Center, located at 4747 N. 7th Ave. in Phoenix. 

The nonprofit organization will distribute 500 turkeys and help families in need.  Catholic Charities’ case managers, program staff and clients will pick up holiday sized USDA Grade A turkeys on Tuesday. 

On a local level, Catholic Charities offers a diverse range of social services that strengthen families, protect and nurture children, and support people in crisis.  Last year, we touched the lives of nearly 200,000 people in Central and Northern Arizona through programs like foster care and adoption, counseling, prostitution rehabilitation, domestic violence, immigration, refugee, transitional housing shelters and more. 

“NBA players recognize how the current economy is impacting our fans and families all across the country.” said NBPA president Derek Fisher. “We appreciate that the need this year is greater than ever before and believe that working with these great organizations will help us expand our holiday outreach.”

This year’s effort continues the six-year partnership that the NBPA has with internationally recognized relief agency Feed The Children. Together, they have staged large scale distributions of food and personal care items to families in various cities.

“This holiday season will be brighter for hundreds of Valley families because of the generosity of the NBPA,” said Paul Martodam, Catholic Charities CEO.  “On behalf of all who will benefit from this worthwhile project, Catholic Charities thanks the NBPA and NBA players for their work in the community.  This year, more than ever, our programs are relying on support and donations.  We are extremely grateful.”

About Catholic Charities, USA
Catholic Charities USA’s members—nearly 1,700 local agencies and institutions nationwide—provide help and create hope for nearly 8 million people of all faiths and social and economic backgrounds. For more than 280 years, local Catholic Charities agencies have been providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from day care and counseling to food and housing. For more information, visit www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org.

About The National Basketball Players Association

The National Basketball Players Association is a unique labor institution. As the recognized labor union for all NBA Players, the NBPA has fought to promote the best interests of NBA players both on and off the court for over 40 years.  Whether negotiating a collective bargaining agreement, prosecuting a grievance on a player’s behalf, or counseling a player on benefits or educational opportunities, the mission remains the same – To ensure that everything possible is being done to help players maximize their opportunities and achieve their goals on and off the court. The NBPA urges and assists players to give back to the community whenever possible.

About Feed The Children

Founded in 1979 by Larry and Frances Jones, Feed The Children is consistently ranked as one of the 10 largest international charities in the U.S., based on private, non-government support. Feed The Children is a Christian, international, nonprofit relief organization with headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty or natural disasters. Since its founding, the organization has reached out to help those in need in the US and in 118 countries around the globe. For more information, please visit www.feedthechildren.org.

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