For those of us who work in the office here at Cross International Catholic Outreach, it’s a treat when one of our partners from across the globe pays us a visit. We were pleasantly surprised when Father Bob Johnson stopped by on the way back to St. Maarten. He led our morning staff prayer and devotion time, and shared some firsthand insights from the field.
An Enduring Voice for the Poor
Don’t forget to wish a happy birthday to Charles Dickens, who turns 199 next Monday – but doesn’t look a day over 40! You may remember the British novelist as one of those “dead white males” you were forced to read in high school, but hopefully you paid attention, because his voice still strikes a relevant chord on issues of poverty, greed, and charity.
Emergency Relief From…Tropical Snowstorms?
Imagine a guy from Iceland arrives at your doorstep. He says he heard you needed help and he came to provide it. He tries to show you how to ice-fish and how to insulate your home against the weather, and how to grow hearty varieties of vegetables, and how to collect glacial runoff for drinking water. He’s brought boatloads of equipment, seeds, and buckets, and a team of Icelandic volunteers to pitch in.
Reflecting on 10 Years of Serving the Poor
Cross International Catholic Outreach was founded in 2001 with a staff of three sharing one donated office space. Today the organization has more than 100 employees, and has served the poor in more than 30 countries through more than $1 billion in donations over the last decade.
Their New Year’s Resolution: Survive
I have a friend who used to work in the fitness industry, selling exercise equipment. He told me that his company put almost all of its marketing budget and sales energy into selling products during December and January. Why? – because New Year’s resolutions about physical fitness are what stimulate most of their profits.
Give a Fish or Teach to Fish?
There is an old saying that goes: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The second part of that saying is the goal of much of the work we do to help the poor here at Cross Catholic.