Take Action for Social Justice

 Places to volunteer and/or contribute locally

Catholic Social Services, Diocese of Fall River. Through its offices in Hyannis (261 South Street, 508-771-6771), Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, Attleboro, and Tiverton CSS provides services for housing, family and adoption, mental health, immigration, advocacy, and food pantries.

Network: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. A Catholic leader in the global movement for justice and peace—educates, organizes and lobbies for economic and social transformation.

The Family Pantry (Harwich). The Family Pantry is a non-profit, non-denominational activity dedicated to serving the needs of the less fortunate of Cape Cod.  Its philosophy is helping people in need regardless of race, religion, or residency by providing food and clothing.

The Greater Boston Food Bank (operates a distribution center in Harwich, with space leased from the Family Pantry). The Greater Boston Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, and one of the largest food banks in the country.

Cape Cod Children’s Place. A non-profit family resource center that supports and helps to strengthen families with young children.

Lower Cape Outreach Council. The mission of the Lower Cape Outreach Council is to provide emergency assistance of food clothing and financial support to individuals and families in Brewster, Chatham, Eastham, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet which will lead to healthy, productive and self-sustaining lives as part of the Cape Cod community.

Soup Kitchen in Provincetown (SKIP). SKIP's goal is to provide nutritious and healthful meals in a welcoming and warm atmosphere to all individuals in the community who are either in need or seek community.

Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod is an ecumenical housing ministry that seeks to eliminate homelessness and substandard housing by making decent affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action for all people.

Housing Assistance Corporation. A nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the housing needs of all Cape Codders. HAC operates homeless shelters for adults and families, administers rental subsidies, offers education and training and develops new affordable housing. Our vision is a community where everyone has a safe, stable and decent place to live.

Cape Cod Medical Reserve Corps (CCMRC). A local volunteer organization established in 2002 through a federal grant to respond to emergencies and assist with on-going public health needs by using and coordinating available community resources.

American Red Cross of Cape Cod and Islands Chapter works within communities, providing relief to people who have suffered a disaster. We also help people prevent, prepare for and respond to a variety of emergencies. With your help, the promise of neighbor helping neighbor in times of trouble becomes a reality and our communities become safer places to live.
 

Resources for information and ideas for action

US Conference of Catholic Bishops: Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Here’s where you can make a real difference. Find out the facts. Find out how you can get involved.

Catholic Charities Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America (Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good). Calling poverty in America a moral and social crisis for our country and one that threatens the health and economic well-being of both families and our nation as a whole, Catholic Charities has launched a new multi-year initiative to cut poverty in half by 2020.

Tools for Reflection and Action: a study guide based on the Poverty in America paper, above (see the list of resources excerpted from this guide)

Salt of the Earth. Your on-line resource for social justice. Of particular interest is “The busy Christian's guide to Catholic social teaching.”

Catholic Relief Services. 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 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.

Liberation theology is the effort to think clearly about the meaning of religious faith in the context of oppression, war, poverty, inequality and environmental destruction, and the effort to live a compassionate, courageous and life-sustaining response to those conditions, a response that both addresses the needs of those who are injured and oppressed, and also works to change the structures and ongoing processes of injury and oppression.