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March 2008
Our fundamental relationship with God is expressed as a covenant: “I will take you as my people, and I will be your God.” (Exodus 6:7)
Poverty ruptures that covenant.
It ruptures the covenant because poverty is an injustice. Justice places things in their right or proper order. As people of faith, we must put God as the center of our lives. Poverty exists because we have placed higher importance on things rather than our relationship with God.
We each shoulder the responsibility to repair that covenant with God.
Though we are grateful for and our work would be impossible without your financial support, repairing the covenant and placing God as the center of our lives require more from each of us.
We at Catholic Charities rely on you to help change systems that trap and force people into poverty and penalize the most vulnerable members of society. We rely on you to advocate for changes to laws, especially as the legislature discusses issues such as creating protections for tenants renting from landlords facing foreclosure, providing access to personal property in impounded cars and increasing the minimum wage.
At Catholic Charities, we know the impact of the housing crisis and a slowing economy, and we count on you to speak on behalf of those whose voices often go unheard, to tell of the increase in people seeking help putting food on the table.
A recent national study showed more people in Minnesota receive assistance from Catholic Charities than in any other state in the nation. This top ranking must not be a point of pride. Nor should we brag about the fact that from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007:
- Our food shelves recorded 10,010 visits, a 14.1 percent increase from the prior fiscal year.
- We saw a 19 percent increase in requests for housing through our emergency shelters.
- We provided 10,863 households — families of single people or parent/guardian-headed families with children — with emergency housing because they had no place to sleep. We could easily fill every bed at least twice.
Last year, the Dorothy Day Center opened a long-term shelter for women. The beds were full within a week. Our emergency shelter for families recently added beds, which were filled within days. In 2005, 264 families sought help at the Dorothy Day Center. Last year, that number stood at 574.
We are commanded to put our faith into action, to meet our brothers’ and sisters’ needs and to break down barriers so everyone’s basic needs are met. We ask you to join us and walk with the poor. Those who cry out the least take the biggest hit.
As we head toward Easter and the promise of the resurrection, resolve to ask the tough questions about poverty and homelessness. Challenge the thinking of your neighbors, family, lawmakers and yourself. Ensure lawmakers hear the cry of the poor.
In the covenant, God pledged faithfulness. As God’s children, we owe nothing less to each other.
Fr. John Estrem, Chief Executive Officer
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