WHEELING—Catholic Charities West Virginia announces that second collections taken at all parishes in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston on Nov. 21 and 22 will benefit the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). Monies raised from these collections allow Catholic Charities West Virginia to facilitate the awarding of grants to nonprofit corporations in West Virginia whose missions are to reduce poverty in the Mountain State. CCHD works to affect the root causes of poverty and partners itself with groups that align with Catholic Social Teaching. It has awarded nearly 8,000 grants nationwide promoting self-reliance as a means to end poverty. These projects aim to improve lifestyles and promote financial stability through fair housing, education, accessible health care and childcare, and vocational training. Often projects are created and managed by people with low incomes. “Working with CCHD gives us the opportunity to learn about attacking poverty from every angle. How do we fight poverty? It is not one thing, but a web of choices and opportunities that each person has to work within. The answer could be a job, a steady place to live, a better diet and exercise, basic equal rights or seeking mental health help. More likely it is a combination of things,” said Susan Hollis, the CCHD Wheeling-Charleston diocesan director. “CCHD is the domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic Bishops. CCHD works to break the cycle of poverty by helping low-income people participate in decisions that affect their lives, families and communities. CCHD offers a hand up, not a hand out,” said Hollis. Forty million people in the United States live in poverty. This collection supports programs to empower local communities to address the challenges they face. CCHD identifies and addresses the unique obstacles people face as they work to lift themselves out of poverty. In the past, grantee Try This WV, a statewide grassroots movement, works to knock West Virginia off the top of the worst health lists, community by community. They also work to enable local groups to make positive changes in their communities. Another grantee, Coalfield Development, inspires growth, and activates creativity to innovate and cultivate communities of opportunity in central Appalachia. In addition to making a donation at parishes this weekend, donors may also send a check to their parish with the notation “CCHD” in the memo line.