www.crs.org

www.crsespanol.org

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States. CRS's mission is to assist the poor and disadvantaged, leveraging the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to alleviate human suffering, promote development of all people, and to foster charity and justice throughout the world.

Working through local offices and an extensive network of partners, CRS operates on five continents and in 98 countries. We aid the poor by first providing direct assistance where needed, then encouraging people to help with their own development. Together, these approaches foster secure, productive, just communities that enable people to realize their potential.

As the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community, CRS is also committed to educating the people of the United States to help them fulfill their moral responsibilities toward our global brothers and sisters by helping the poor, working to remove the causes of poverty, and promoting social justice.   

After Ike, Haiti's Needs Mount

Throughout sections of Haiti, high floodwaters have turned neighborhoods into murky rivers. Crops that would have provided relief from the food crisis lay ruined under water. The northern coastal city of Gonaives, capital of Haiti's Artibonite department, was one of the hardest hit areas with nearly 10 feet of flood water in some sections. Over 3,000 homes were destroyed in the city alone.

"When we got to the city, it was clear that the water had gone up as high as 10 feet. You could see grass and debris stuck above entryways of houses, trucks flipped over. Since it was drying out, we saw people trying to restart their lives. They were laying out papers and clothes," said Holly Inurreta, a CRS regional technical advisor for emergencies.

"Think of your images of people after Katrina: You have people sitting on roofs just waiting for the water to go down. There were people crawling on top of vehicles trying to get to the second floor. Where there was no water, there was 3 to 6 inches of mud,"

CRS programs include:

• Catholic Relief Services Collection, which takes place every Lent, gives hope to a world in need through both emergency relief and long-term development projects including agricultural partnerships, microfinance projects and health initiatives.
  
  
• Catholic Relief Services Programs and Outreach includes Food Fast, CRS Econcomic Justice Program and Operation Rice Bowl, Cyberbridges, Campus Connection, Rebuilding Hope After the Tsunami and Sudan: Remembering, Responding Rebuilding.
  
  
• Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade including Fair Trade Coffee, Fair Trade Crafts, Fair Trade Chocolate and the Fair Trade Fund. CRS Fair Trade products can be ordered online!
  
  
• Catholic Relief Services Campaigns including; Africa Rising, Hope and Healing; Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty; Justice for Immigrants and Peace in the Holy Land.