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Baltimore-area groups awarded $356,000 in CCHD grants, speak of togetherness

A theme of togetherness resounded within the diverse groups receiving grants at the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s annual Catholic Campaign for Human Developmental awards luncheon Aug. 10 at St. Bernardine Church in West Baltimore.

Speakers from the Baltimore CCHD committee, Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., and the eight organizations receiving grants all touched on the need to work collectively to achieve their goals of ending systemic poverty and racism in their communities.

“We can’t live in silos. We have to work together to connect communities,” said Ronald Miles, with the RJY Chick Webb Council of East Baltimore, a group receiving its first CCHD grant.

Monsignor Richard Bozzelli, the Baltimore Diocesan Director of CCHD, speaks at the Aug. 10 CCHD awards luncheon. (Gerry Jackson/CR Staff)

“Together we can make a difference,” said Zo Tum Hmung, executive director of CHIN Association of Maryland.

CCHD Diocesan Director Monsignor Richard J. Bozzelli noted that Baltimore was “blessed” with a diversity of groups receiving more than a quarter-million dollars in grants, and said the local committee is always looking to expand its reach beyond the immediate city area.

Bishop Lewandowski, the archdiocese’s urban vicar, echoed the theme in his opening remarks and blessing. “When you get diverse people together, great things can happen,” he said.

CCHD is the domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic bishops. It has a complementary mission of educating on poverty and its causes.

CCHD’s funds primarily come from a national collection each November. The funds collected locally go to the national CCHD office and then are distributed as grants to regional committees throughout the nation. 

This year’s Baltimore archdiocesan collection brought in $127,000. However, the Baltimore CCHD committee’s groups were awarded $356,000 in national and local grants.

Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Urban Vicar, presents a grand to Amy Lamke of PATH at the annual CCD awards luncheon. (Gerry Jackson/CR Staff)

Some CCHD-funded projects help to create jobs, improve neighborhoods and build affordable housing. Each grant provides low-income people with the means to change the conditions that make poverty prevalent. To receive a grant, projects must affect institutional change; efforts must benefit a poverty group; members of the poverty group must have the dominant voice in the organization; and the organization must support the development of ongoing leadership and financial self-sufficiency plans.

This year’s national grant recipients included: 

This year’s local grant went to:

The Baltimore Archdiocese CCHD Committee is made up of 11 volunteers, who meet once a month, to shepherd organizations through the grant application process, led by Chairwoman Marge Trenkle. They will host an in-person and virtual workshop Sept. 24, noon, at St. Bernardine to instruct groups on how to apply for grants. Visit cchdbaltimore.com for details or email cchd@cchdbaltimore.org.

This year’s CCHD collection will be held in Baltimore-area parishes the weekend of Nov. 19-20. The Baltimore committee also will hold its annual social ministry convocation Feb. 25 at Mercy High School.

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org

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