6
May 26, 2015
The Valley Catholic
community
CRS Rice Bowl Grant Process Opens
The Global Solidarity Team of the
Diocese of San Jose is currently accepting applications from parish and school
programs that would like to receive
local funds through CRS Rice Bowl.
These Grants are awarded to parish or
school-based programs which address
hunger and food insecurity in Santa
Clara County.
This Lent, more than 65 parishes,
schools and communities in our diocese participated in CRS Rice Bowl,
which seeks to build a sense of global
solidarity between U.S. Catholics and
people throughout the world. While
seventy-five percent of the Rice Bowl
donations raised throughout the U.S.
are used for CRS’ international development projects, twenty-five percent
of these Rice Bowl funds collected in
each diocese remain within the diocese
for local hunger and food insecurity
needs. In our diocese, these funds are
distributed through the Global Solidarity Team, which is a committee of the
Diocesan Office of Social Ministries.
Recipients from Most Holy Trinity Parish who received a CRS Rice Bowl Grant for their homeless
outreach program.
Last year, the Global Solidarity
Team awarded more than $20,000 in
CRS Rice Bowl Grants to ten programs
within San Jose Diocese. Most Holy
Trinity Parish received grant money to
assist in their Food Pantry and ministry
to the low-income and homeless people
in their area; St. Justin’s Parish received
funds to enhance their Community
Ministry; Sacred Heart of Jesus used
their grants to provide food for the
students in their after-school homework program and also for Martha’s
Kitchen. Many other parishes received
similar assistance through CRS Rice
Bowl Grants, which are awarded for
up to $2,500.
This year, the GST hopes to distribute grants to many more parishes and
programs. The CRS Rice Bowl Grant
criterion states that the goal of the grant
process is to fund new programs, or
new aspects or needs within existing
programs, with the goal of becoming
self-sufficient and sustainable.
The application process is not complicated and assistance is available
if needed. This year, the application
deadline is being extended to June 15,
with the hope that more people will
apply for these funds. Bishop Patrick
J. McGrath would like to see the good
work of these CRS Rice Bowl Grants
be distributed throughout our diocese
to help in alleviating hunger and food
insecurity in our local communities.
Information about the grant criteria
along with application forms can be
found at www.dsj.org/grant.
Community of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph; Working to Save Families
By Anne LeClair, J.D.
The Catholic Community Foundation
The file room in the basement of
the Cathedral Basilica’s administrative
building is filled with medical records:
13,000 of them. A few dozen are marked
with a neon sticker.
Each folder represents an individual
of the community who receives services from the full-service medical clinic
upstairs, a social ministry outreach
program.
Each neon sticker identifies an indi-
Day Break
Home Care
Respite Care
Light Housekeeping
Errands/Shopping
vidual suffering from a life threatening
illness. When one of those patients does
not appear for treatment, the staff of the
outreach center steps out into the community to locate her.
Only a few feet and a stairway away
is a window that separates a small office
from a line of people forming outside.
Each day, dozens of sandwiches and
toiletry bags are served, along with a
friendly face and compassionate conversation.
Individuals come to receive food and
water and apply for temporary housing.
Personal Care
Companionship
Transportation
408.325.5176
www.DayBreakCares.org
Ask about our Adult Day Centers!
www.valleycatholiconline.com
DBC_Ad_4.937wx4.h_smaller_Feb13_v3.indd 1
2/13/15 10:31 AM
Some 1,000 people come to retrieve their
mail. Many are greeted by name.
Down the hall is the full service medical clinic where many disadvantaged,
undocumented or simply uninsured
members of the community are able to
come and receive medical treatments,
mental health counseling and substance
abuse intervention.
In a nearby room, a dedicated caseworker sits at a mobile workstation,
set up to facilitate a tight budget and
limited space. Some of her clients come
to the program to learn about reentry
into society after incarceration. They
seek employment. They discover the
possibilities that will accompany a faithfilled life. They learn about kindness.
And they learn about hope.
This is the scene that you will observe on any typical day that you take
a trip to 80 South Market Street to visit
or volunteer at The Window homeless
outreach center.
Named after a small window that
sits atop a short walkway next to the
Cathedral, the center has anything but
small effects on the needs of the impoverished members of its surrounding
community.
An average of 200 people receive
services from The Window each day it
is open, five days a week. Over 25,000
disadvantaged members of the community are served each year.
The “Bridges of Hope” program
there assists 1,000 individuals a year in
reintegrating into society, teaching faith,
love, autonomy and compassion.
Sharon Miller, the director of the Office of Social Ministr 䰁