Last week, Catholic Charities USA released its 2008 Annual Survey--an extensive compilation of front-line data that comes on the heels of the U.S. Census Bureau numbers and painfully though not surprisingly further documents increasing levels of poverty.
The number of clients served by Catholic Charities in 2008 jumped by 10.2 percent, moving from approximately 8 million to 8.5 million, substantially reversing the reduction in poverty trends and levels that the Annual Survey positively revealed in the middle of the decade. Additionally, Catholic Charities' agencies reported providing:
Employment services to 67,597 persons in 2008, an increase of about 35 percent from the 50,080 reported in 2007; Financial Literacy programs to 58,589 clients, an increase of almost 47,000 in just one year; Earned Income Tax Credit assistance to 53,858 clients; and
Disaster Services to 331,727 clients, a 21 percent decrease from 2007 but a 60 percent increase over 2004/2005 levels.
Overall, trend lines for services most in demand in 2008 tracked with the eroding economy. In a webinar on September 15th, Rev. Larry Snyder, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, presented the results of the survey to the Catholic Charities USA network. To view the webinar, please click here. A summary of the 2008 Annual Survey and the full report are available by visiting the following link.
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