Volunteer
· Volunteer at Catholic Charities,
· Volunteer at local food shelves or clothing banks and the like
· Volunteer with domestic violence shelters or treatment programs
· Provide meals for shelters, or partner with faith communities to offer free community meals
· Become a Big Brother-Big Sister, a Foster Grandparent, or volunteer with other mentoring programs
· Pro-bono or low-bono services if you are a professional in the community (ie. Attorneys, accounting, health care professionals, relators)
· Join your faith community’s Social Concerns team, or consider starting one up if you don’t have one already!
Donate*
· Donate items to Foster Care programs, or consider fostering yourself
· Donate items to local food shelves, pregnancy resource centers, shelters, resettlement agencies or other valuable charities
· Donate funds to support charities that are working to alleviate poverty, especially those who include people with lived experience on their boards or staff
· Support organizations working with migrants and displaced persons around the world
· Donate to Catholic Relief Services to aid in relief from global disasters, or Catholic Charities USA for domestic crisis relief
Advocate
· Join advocacy networks such as the MN Catholic Conference, Joint Religious Legislative Coalition, Bread for the World, Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services
· Write to your elected officials at the national level regarding the “presidential determination” (the number of refugees and asylum-seekers who can enter the United States each year); ask your city if they have a “welcoming city” memorandum
· Ask your local law enforcement if they have a community policing agreement, and if it includes training and work with persons with mental health conditions
· Invest in Micro-credit to lift up women and others in poverty in a dignified, sustainable way
· Reach out to your local ministerial association to hear if and what process they have in place for community members who come to churches for help
· Speak up to reduce stigma – if you hear undignified talk about immigrants and refugees, our homeless neighbors or others dealing with situations of poverty, counter it with the love and compassion (and if necessary, accurate facts) that Christ asks us to extend to all
*Most commonly requested/needed donation items for community members experiencing poverty or homelessness:
· Food (canned items, peanut butter and pasta most requested; microwavable soup or similar meal cups)
· Diapers (all sizes)
· Baby formula
· Socks
· Underwear
· Winter gear
· Shoelaces
· Ziplock bags (gallon or quart size)
· Deodorant (men’s and women’s)
· Snacks (granola bars, nuts)
· Toothbrushes
· Femanine hygiene products
· Personal hygiene products (soap, shampoo, shaving supplies)
· Gas cards
· Gift cards (Walgreens, Target, Walmart, CVS)
· Sleeping bags
· Suitcases/small luggage (kids luggage for foster children)
· Can openers
· Pet food
· Rain gear (coats, umbrellas, boots for people; tarps for their things)
· Over the counter pain relief
· Hand warmers