Cross Catholic Outreach

Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor

Español
Delivering food, shelter and hope to the poorest of the poor.
  • Donate
  • Our Impact
  • Ways to Give
    • Give by Program
      • Greatest Needs
      • Food
      • Education
      • Water
      • Medical
      • Homes
      • Vulnerable Children
      • Elderly Care
      • Microenterprise
      • Disaster Relief
    • Give by Region
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Caribbean
      • Latin America
      • South America
    • Monthly Giving
    • Greatest Needs
    • Major Gifts
      • Water For Life Kenya
      • Kobonal Mission
      • Transform Santa Rosa
      • Help Children Blossom
    • Planned Giving
    • Foundations and Other Grantmakers
  • Get Involved
    • Box of Joy®
    • Invite a Priest
    • Food Packing Events
    • Clergy & Diocese
    • Mission & Vision Trips
  • Church & School
  • Projects Catalog
    • Programs
      • Greatest Needs
      • Food
      • Education
      • Water
      • Medical
      • Homes
      • Vulnerable Children
      • Elderly Care
      • Microenterprise
      • Disaster Relief
    • Regions
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Caribbean
      • Latin America
      • South America
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Board and Leadership
    • Financials
    • What We Do
      • Food
      • Education
      • Housing
      • Disaster Relief
      • Medical
      • Vulnerable Children
      • Water
    • Where We Work
      • Ethiopia
      • Guatemala
      • Haiti
      • Honduras
      • Kenya
      • Malawi
      • Mozambique
      • Nicaragua
      • Zambia
    • Stories and Updates
    • Careers
    • News Center
    • God in Our Office
    • Contact Us

The underbelly of paradise

June 3, 2011 by Cross Catholic Blog

A bird’s eye view of St. Maarten from an arriving plane
A bird’s eye view of St. Maarten from an arriving plane
Tourists are unaware of the poverty just a short drive away from their hotels
Tourists are unaware of the poverty just a short drive away from their hotels

As your plane approaches the airstrip in St. Maarten – a small island 186 miles east of Puerto Rico – you get a clear view of luxury hotels with outdoor pools and gazebos overlooking the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. St. Maarten is a tourist attraction known for its hundreds of gourmet restaurants. But as you can guess, Cross Catholic didn’t go there just to sample the cuisine.

A brief excursion beyond the hotels and tourist traps took us to places never advertised in the glossy brochures. At one poor family’s dilapidated home, we found the front door unhinged and lying on the ground, exposing the inside to the elements and revealing a refrigerator being used, not for groceries, but as a storage closet. Either they couldn’t afford food or their electric bill, or possibly both.

Poverty often lurks in surprising places where you’d never think to look. That’s why we’re so thankful for friends like Fr. Bob Johnson, our ministry partner in St. Maarten who has opened our eyes to the hidden needs in his parish. Cross Catholic is helping Fr. Bob provide food baskets for needy families living in the forgotten side of paradise.

-Tony M.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Food

Project Catalog

  • Greatest Needs
  • Food
  • Education
  • Water
  • Medical
  • Housing
  • Orphans and Vulnerable Children
  • Elderly Care
  • Microenterprise
  • Disaster Relief

Project Regions

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Caribbean
  • Latin America
  • South America

Cross Catholic Outreach
2700 N. Military Trail, Suite 300
PO Box 273908
Boca Raton, Florida 33427-3908
800-914-2420
Cross Catholic Outreach is a 501(c)(3)
EIN 65-1156061

Audited Financial for Fiscal Year 2020

© 2021 Cross Catholic Outreach. All rights reserved.

 
Contact Us | Privacy Policy
Disclosure Statement

Copyright © 2021 · Enterprise Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in