By Patrick Downes

Two Hawaii community groups received grants this year from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), which conducts its next annual national parish appeal over the Nov. 18-19 weekend.

Faith Action for Community Equity, or FACE, an Oahu faith-based organization that fights against social inequality, received $30,000. Hawaii ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), the local arm of the national organization that works for social justice for low income families, received $20,000. The grants were issued July 1.

CCHD, an anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic bishops, since 1970 has funded self-help programs initiated and run by poor people in the United States.

Seventy-five percent of the money collected in local dioceses goes to a national CCHD fund which disseminates grant money across the country. The rest of the collection, 25 percent, remains in the diocese to fund local grants.

Last year, Hawaii Catholics donated $69,104.54 to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development through its second collection traditionally timed around Thanksgiving Day. It was the largest local CCHD collection since at least 1999.

Of that amount, $51,828.40 went to the national fund and $17,276.14 remained in Hawaii.

This year’s grants to FACE and Hawaii ACORN were national allocations.

This is the first year since 2003 that a Hawaii organization has received any grant money. “No one applied” for grants during 2004 and 2005, said Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet Roselani Enomoto, Hawaii CCHD director.

She also said that no grants have been distributed from the local fund since 2002.

According to Sister Roselani, the local money has been used “for educational and administrative expenses” including local workshops, travel to mainland conferences and local meetings.

However, she said the Hawaii CCHD board is reviewing at least two potential recipients of local funding.

“As of today, our local grant fund could support one or two grants up to a total of $25,000,” she said.

The Campaign for Human Development supports more than 4,000 small self-help programs which create jobs, preserve affordable housing, improve neighborhoods, enhance opportunities for youth and help people find a way out of poverty.

Over the years, the campaign has funded more than 7,800 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

FACE is a 10-year-old grass-roots organization representing more than 28,000 people on Oahu. Its membership is made up of 22 churches, including five Catholic parishes, a Buddhist temple, a synagogue and a labor union. The group has received CCHD grants before.

Hawaii ACORN offers community services for its members and the public, including housing, tax preparation and financial literacy services. National ACORN helps the economically disadvantaged in more than 75 cities.