How You Can Help

Embrace Our One Human Family

How to save lives and rebuild communities in crisis around the world.

It is hard to believe that four years have passed since the Indian Ocean tsunami erased entire villages, washed away hundreds of thousands of lives, and left millions homeless, desperately grieving their loved ones who died in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

As Catholic Relief Services looks back on the work accomplished in the last four years, we are filled with the hope shown by so many survivors and grateful for the generosity, prayers and commitment of all those who make our work possible. We thank you for the compassion you've shown for the thousands of innocent people whose lives were changed forever.

Just as the horrific images and stories of the 2004 tsunami swept world events right off our TV screens and front pages, the news in late 2008 has been monopolized by the worldwide financial crisis. Around the world, the poorest of the poor have been especially hard hit; millions of people still live on the brink of life and death. CRS continues to address ongoing humanitarian emergencies that desperately need our attention, prayers and generosity.

HIV and AIDS

One of the biggest crises we're addressing—and will continue to address for years to come—is the AIDS pandemic. In 25 years, HIV has infected more than 65 million people. The majority of those suffering live in Africa, but the pandemic is quickly spreading in many countries throughout Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia. By 2010, it is estimated that 80 million people will be infected and 25 million children will have been orphaned. Catholic Relief Services has HIV and AIDS programs in 52 countries. In 2008, CRS directly helped more than 4 million people affected by the pandemic. With your support, we can help many more.

Meet some of the people helped by Catholic Relief Services' HIV and AIDS programs or donate to assist even more people in the future.

Sudan

Sudan is the largest country in Africa and has suffered the longest-running civil war on the continent. Catholic Relief Services is among the largest nongovernmental humanitarian agencies working in Sudan. In spite of significant security and logistical challenges, CRS continues to implement emergency relief and development projects that benefit more than 420,000 people across the country.

Catholic Relief Services has worked in Sudan since the end of the first major civil war in 1971 when the agency helped to resettle internally displaced Sudanese. These days, a variety of programs are helping southerners to rebuild, assisting displaced people in Khartoum, and enabling people affected by the ongoing conflict in Darfur to survive.

A recent addition to the team sent back a holiday reflection on the work of CRS Sudan. You can help bring food, shelter and other necessities to people in Darfur, Sudan.

Food Crisis

Millions of people around the world are slaves to the simple chore of finding food. To make matters worse, prices of many basic foods have skyrocketed in the last two years, leading to a major food crisis affecting millions of poor people throughout the world. Although food prices have come down in some areas, the crisis has exposed a vulnerability in many of the developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which have for years grown accustomed to importing cheap food from abroad. We must continue to invest in agriculture to provide food security and sustainability, as well as providing food for the most vulnerable people, including orphans, the elderly and disabled. One of the important missions of Catholic Relief Services is to feed hungry people overseas through emergency relief and development programs.

Support Catholic Relief Services efforts to help the world's most vulnerable people eat, grow and thrive.

Congo

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, a 10-year war involving a number of combatant groups mainly in the eastern part of the country has left as many as 5 million dead. Most have died from disease and starvation, the result of massive displacements of civilians, and a lack of health services. Sometimes called Africa's first World War, this conflict has disrupted and jeopardized the lives of more than 50 million people.

Catholic Relief Services first established a program in Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1961, shortly after the country's independence. On three occasions since then, CRS has been forced to discontinue work in Congo, but the agency has returned each time and is now expanding its presence in the eastern Congo to help meet the growing need there.

Please keep the people of Democratic Republic of the Congo in your prayers. If you can, donate to CRS so we can continue to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the Congo.

Advocacy

You don't have to be a great singer to add your voice to the growing chorus of concerned citizens who are calling on their government representatives to promote peace, justice and concern for vulnerable people overseas.

Join the CRS Advocacy Network to advocate for issues that support our brothers and sisters around the world.

Stay Informed

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