In
most dioceses this weekend the second collections at Mass will go toward the
Diocese support for the Philippines. The dioceses will be using the Catholic
Relief Services (CRS) to distribute the funds collected. Many of you have asked
me for an alternative to the CRS as the CRS has a reputation for donating some
of the funds to other organizations who are in conflict with Catholic
doctrine. Some have suggested the cause
of this is due to the fact CRS also collects funds from the government and must
follow government requirements and not Catholic doctrine.
I
wish to point out the Knights of Columbus are also collecting donations for
their organization and the money collected
will be given directly to the Knights in the Philippines. The Knights
are a fantastic and reputable organizations and I suggest all members and
others who may wish to donate to them do so. More Information, and how you can
donate to them, will be provided at the end of this email. The Knights do not
advocate anyone donating entirely to them and ignoring other appeals.
Several
of us have investigated a number of alternatives to CRS and we are providing
information on our recommended organization.
This organization does not collect any government funds and a whopping 97 percent of its income is spent
for the purposes intended. It has a top rating by Catholic Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org). Check it out!
The
organization we recommend is the Catholic
Medical Mission Board (CMMB). The CMMB appears to be a solid and faithful
Catholic group. Not only are their
moneys well spent, but when checking them out under their FAQs they responded
very positively to a question on their policy regarding condoms as a means to
prevent HIV/AIDS. They stated CMMB does not purchase or receive donations of
condoms. They further stated CMMB follows national guidelines established by
the ministry of health, and those of the presiding Conference of Catholic
Bishops in each country where they have HIV and AIDS programs. I believe we can
make the assumption that providing
complete and accurate information about condoms as part of our
prevention efforts means they educate
people with the fact condoms are not a fool-proof way of protection against
HIV, AIDS, & other STDs.
The
response to the immense need in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan CMMB has made
shipments of essential meds and hygiene kits of over $2 million earlier this
week. They are also preparing additional shipments of medicines at the request
of the Philippine Consul General for airlift.
Check
them out on their website www.cmmb.org. You can donate online
or mail them a check to Catholic Medical Mission Board, PO Box 4715, New York
NY 10164-3549.
In regard to donations
to the Knights of Columbus, please check out this link to read about their emergency relief
fund. http://www.kofc.org/un/en/charities/articles/disasterrelief.html.
Be
sure and watch the short video. The K of C is well established with councils in
the Philippines so the relief will be provided to the councils and churches in
the immediate area. If you have questions you can call the number at the bottom
of their web page.
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