A New Look at ACORN and the USCCB CCHD

With ACORN back in the headlines front and center, I think it is important to anticipate the upcoming USCCB Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) which usually takes place near Thanksgiving.

Please read last year's +Pondering+ on ACORN and the CCHD. Millions and millions of dollars have passed from the well-intentioned envelope of a Catholic parishioner to ACORN via the CCHD.

The CCHD lists all who received funds for the current year HERE and it is a .pdf file. Though they no longer fund ACORN, can you trust a Chicago community organizer to do what is right with your charitable contribution? Take for example, a Chicago organization called Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. I chose it randomly from the list of recipients. They were awarded a grant for $40,000 this past year. What is their mission? According to the CCHD document:

"Our mission is to work with our families, co-workers, and neighbors to improve our environment and lives in Little Village and Chicago through democracy in action. Our environment is where we live, work, study, play and pray. We believe democracy means giving time and space for every voice to be heard and counted in everyday matters, full participation in all types of decision-making that affects our lives, and determining the future of our neighborhood and city."

They may very well be an organization which helps others to improve their lives, but how do you know? We have been burnt, as a nation and Church, by so-called community organizers. When you look at what Catholic Charities has done for Americans from all corners, how can you trust handing your envelope over to a campaign which has shown poor judgment in the past? Catholic Charities came through after Hurricane Katrina while the local, state and federal governments all dropped the ball.

Prayerfully discern whether you want to hand money over to this year's campaign come November. Hat-tip to Jean who brought this article to my attention:

ACORN and the Catholic Church: A Legacy of Big Hearts and Small Brains

In part:

"Today, the CCHD continues to state that ACORN receives no money, and that better safeguards are in place. However, one must ask the following questions:

1. Why did anyone think it was a good idea to fund ACORN in the first place?
2. Did those decision makers get fired, or are they still appropriating our money?
3. Why would anyone be stupid enough to give to this collection ever again?
4. Why haven’t the bishops disbanded CCHD, or at least made the collection optional for parishes?"

The author goes on to explain what he plans to do with his contribution this year. What do you plan to do?


Jog on over to American Papist and read about a new movement pushing to disband the CCHD.
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And a reminder of a campaign promise made by then candidate Obama to ACORN leaders and other community organizers:



Skip ahead in video to 2:02 and hear the President explain how during the transition prior to his inauguration, he would have community organizers help to shape his agenda. No mighty oak is sprouting from this bunch of nuts.

Read all +Ponderings on CCHD here. There are updates included.