There is much that Catholics can do to foster justice in society. A significant part of fostering justice is concern for the human dignity of all people – especially the poor, marginalized or vulnerable. A concern for justice must always be mindful of Christ's forgiveness and mercy.

The promotion of justice can be found in many Church agencies, including those serving the homeless, immigrants, prisoners, disabled people, and the elderly to name just a few. Catholics must always have a concern for justice and are encouraged to promote it not only in the public square, but also in volunteer efforts as well as their everyday lives.

More on Social Justice from Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted>

Association of Arizona Food Banks

The goal of the Association and of our six member food banks is food
security—access for all people to nutritionally adequate food at all
times from normal food channels.

St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance

The community can support the Food Bank in a variety of ways, donating time, money or food. Contributions are used efficiently and wisely; every dollar donated provides enough for seven meals. And, of each dollar, 96 cents goes directly towards programs.

40 Ways to Fight Hunger

Northern Arizona Food Bank

The Northern Arizona Food Bank's (NAFB) mission is to transport, store, and distribute food and commodities to thousands of Arizona's most impoverished. Working in conjunction with existing social service agencies, churches, civic organizations, food banks, and national hunger relief organizations, our food bank is determined to wipe out malnutrition and extinguish the flames of hunger in Northern Arizona.

Andre House

André House was founded by two Holy Cross Priests in 1984, combining elements of the Catholic Worker Movement with the charism of the Congregation of Holy Cross. We dedicate ourselves to serving Jesus through others, as we are challenged in the Gospel: "I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me." (Matthew 25:35-36)

Paz de Cristo

Paz de Cristo seeks to serve those in need in the East Valley with a daily meal service, food boxes and empowerment programs.At the same time, our ministry provides community service and justice-minded volunteers with an opportunity to directly serve people in need.

St. Joseph the Worker

St. Joseph the Worker's primary focus is helping people to help themselves. We provide people with the tools necessary to conduct successful job searches and support them in their efforts to better their lives.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul - Phoenix has been serving homeless and economically disadvantaged populations since 1946. Through home visits, shelter, food assistance, employment services, thrift stores and outreach programs, St. Vincent de Paul provides compassion and support to individuals in need, regardless of race, origin, religion or gender.

Voice of the Poor

In the spirit of Christian love and justice, the Voice of the Poor Committee upholds Catholic values by researching, validating, documenting,
advocating, and promulgating issues related to the condition of the poor and disenfranchised for the purpose of helping Vincentians to live their
faith by acting knowledgeably and credibly as a unified body speaking with one voice for the purpose of building up the Kingdom of God."

Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness

ACEH's mission is to strengthen the capacity of local communities in their efforts to end homelessness through statewide leadership, technical assistance and advocacy.

Arizona Catholic Conference

Arizona Catholic Conference is the official public policy agency for the Dioceses of Phoenix, Tucson and Gallup, New Mexico. This link will help you locate your local and state legislators.

Open Table

The goal of Open Table is to provide a community of support and motivation needed to help homeless individuals/families on the journey to self-sufficiency.

That so many people are poor in a nation as rich as ours is a social and moral scandal that we cannot ignore ( Economic Justice for All, #16, USCCB 1986).

Each of us has many opportunities in our everyday lives to make choices that help or harm those who are most vulnerable. In our families, we can make time to serve those in need and to become involved in efforts that promote justice. We can raise our children with an ethic of service and a passion for justice. As workers, owners, and managers, Catholics should contribute to a workplace that is safe and respectful, where workers have a voice and can earn enough to support themselves and their families. As consumers and as investors, we can support businesses that contribute to the common good, treat workers fairly, and do not exploit the poor and vulnerable. As consumers, we can also live more simply so that there might be enough at the table for all. As faithful citizens, we should take seriously our responsibilities to vote and to voice our convictions in support of public policies that defend human life and promote the human dignity of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. ( A Place at the Table, USCCB 2002).

More on Scripture, Catholic Social Teaching and Poverty>

Second Harvest Backpack Program

There are children in America that rely on resources such as free or reduced-priced school lunch, during the school year. The BackPack Program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations.

CCHD's Economic Development Program

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development promotes justice, human dignity, and self-sufficiency by supporting job creation and the establishment of businesses that provide decent wages, distribute profits more equitably, and ensure an active role for low-income persons in the governance of businesses.

Economic Development grants support the start-up and operation of numerous businesses and income-generating projects. These projects offer everything from organic cheese produced by family farmers to soaps made by women learning self-sufficiency skills.

Since 1984, Share Our Strength® has led the fight against hunger and poverty by inspiring individuals and businesses to share their unique talents and strengths. Today, our priority is to end childhood hunger in America.
Our strategy is to surround every child with nutritious food in the places they live, learn, pray and play. With your help, we will end childhood hunger in America

Catholic Charities USA’s Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America is a multi-year, multi-faceted approach to alleviating poverty in the United States. The goals of the Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America are:

• To reduce poverty in the United States by 50 percent by the year 2020.
• To call upon the government to do more to serve those who are poor, and to improve public policies that strengthen and support families.
• To educate policymakers and the public about the struggles of those living in poverty and the good work of those who serve them in local communities.
• To engage those who are most impacted by government policies to be active participants in developing solutions to reducing poverty.
• To work with individuals and organizations across the country to address poverty in our country.

Catholic Charities USA Social Policy and Advocacy

The Advocacy webpage provides information on the advocacy efforts of Catholic Charities USA on behalf of the poor and the vulnerable. The webpage provides advocacy tools, including a comprehenisve Advocacy Manual, and up-to-date information on key issues.

Christians should cooperate willingly and wholeheartedly in establishing an international order that includes a genuine respect for all freedoms and amicable brotherhood between all. This is all the more pressing since the greater part of the world is still suffering from so much poverty that it is as if Christ Himself were crying out in these poor to beg the charity of the disciples. Do not let men, then, be scandalized because some countries with a majority of citizens who are counted as Christians have an abundance of wealth, whereas others are deprived of the necessities of life and are tormented with hunger, disease, and every kind of misery. The spirit of poverty and charity are the glory and witness of the Church of Christ (Gaudium Et Spes, #88, Pope Paul VI, 1965).

But it will be necessary above all to abandon a mentality in which the poor — as individuals and as peoples — are considered a burden, as irksome intruders trying to consume what others have produced. The poor ask for the right to share in enjoying material goods and to make good use of their capacity for work, thus creating a world that is more just and prosperous for all. The advancement of the poor constitutes a great opportunity for the moral, cultural and even economic growth of all humanity (Centesimus annus #28, Pope John Paul II, 1991).

More on Scripture, Catholic Social Teaching and Solidarity>

Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States. Our mission is to assist the poor and disadvantaged, leveraging the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to alleviate human suffering, promote development of all people, and to foster charity and justice throughout the world.

Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) invite Catholics throughout the U.S. to join this campaign as we advocate for U.S. policies that foster economic and social development for people living in poverty throughout the world.
The campaign focuses on three areas of U.S. economic policy:

• Trade: Shaping U.S. trade policies so that overcoming poverty and promoting human development are central priorities;
  
• Aid: Supporting effective programs that foster long-term development and empowerment of the poor.
  
• Debt: Eliminating the debt of the poorest countries in ways that reduce poverty and promote human dignity.

Bread for the World

Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision makers.

World Ecumenical Hunger Taskforce (WHEAT)

Advocacy and practical ways to get involved.

One: The Campaign to Make Poverty History

ONE is Americans of all beliefs and every walk of life - united as ONE - to help make poverty history. We are a campaign of over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America's most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations. As ONE, we are raising public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in the world's poorest countries. As ONE, we are asking our leaders to do more to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE believes that allocating more of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world's poorest countries

UN Millennium Development Goals

The MDGs ranging from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.

Action Against Hunger  

Action Against Hunger's mission is to save lives by combating hunger, malnutrition, physical suffering and the associated distress that endanger the lives of children, women, and men in emergency situations of war, conflict, and natural disasters.

African Development Foundation  

The United States Congress established the African Development Foundation (ADF) in 1980 as an independent public corporation with a mandate to promote the participation of Africans in the economic and social development of their countries. For more than 20 years, ADF has helped grassroots groups and individuals in Africa help themselves by providing the resources they need to advance their own efforts to promote economic and social development.

Recipe For a Hungry Planet

From US Catholic....Feeling helpless about starving children in Asia or even next door? Here are five practical suggestions for putting food on your neighbor's table.

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