Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor
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HAITI, PERU, KENYA & ETHIOPIA
Help Children Blossom
Change Lives With Education, Food and Hope
Fully Funded!
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Catholic Education: A Unique and Powerful Gift
On behalf of the children you’ve impacted, thank you for making education, food and hope your almsgiving priority!
Success Stories
Meet Young People You’ve Blessed
UPDATE: Duncan
Duncan Ejikon is 18 years old but could easily pass for a preteen. This is tragically common in Kenya, where nearly 1 in 4 people are malnourished.
As a Turkana refugee, Duncan missed out on years of school. Thanks to your support of the St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center, Duncan is enrolled at one of the best boarding schools in Kitale and recently took the national high school entrance exam.
Use the arrows to slide between before and after pictures of Duncan Ejikon. His life is transformed thanks to your support of the St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center in Kenya.
Thank you for giving children like Gelana the foundation for success in school — and a path to a brighter future!
UPDATE: Gelana
When we first introduced you to Gelana Reta, this 5-year-old was responsible for helping to feed his family. Gelana spent his days collecting and selling firewood with his mother — but they barely earned enough to survive.
Gelana attended Shambu Catholic Kindergarten in Ethiopia, where he received a full academic scholarship. Gelana says he enjoyed learning the Oromifa language, playing sports and being with his teachers.
The Need Is Great, But God Is Greater
Explore More Ways to Help Children in Crisis
Blessing Today’s Children and Tomorrow’s Leaders
A Three-Pronged Approach to Eradicate Poverty
Education
Building a Foundation for Success
All six ministries we identified for support offer a quality education. At St. Joseph Training Institute in Haiti and Brother Beausang Catholic Education Center in Kenya, teachers equipped children with accelerated learning opportunities. From kindergarten through high school, a solid Catholic education yields bright futures — and empowers children with the skills and knowledge to break the cycle of poverty once and for all.
Support Schools for the Poor This Year.
tuition scholarships
40 children received full academic scholarships to Shambu Catholic Kindergarten in Ethiopia.
technology
Teachers used online platforms and tutored by phone at Heart of Jesus School in Peru.
job training
115 students took vocational and computer science classes at St. Joseph Training Institute in Haiti.
Meet Ricky
Ricky Kleny Pierre, age 11, had a spotty education at best. The grandmother who raised him couldn’t read, so Ricky had to figure things out on his own. In 2019, this bright-eyed boy from Jacmel, Haiti, had to restart first grade to cover the fundamentals. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, Ricky could have easily slipped through the cracks.
Your gift empowered Ricky to stay on track with his education. Thanks to the accelerated program at St. Joseph Training Institute, he is now finishing up 4th grade and has received the Sacrament of First Communion. Ricky is also learning French and English and will receive vocational training to prepare him for future employment. Ricky is optimistic about his future and is grateful for the guidance and religious training he has received.
Ricky Kleny Pierre’s life has been transformed through the education he has received at St. Joseph Training Institute in Haiti.
Be a Blessing. Send Children Like Ricky to School.
One of the cornerstones of Heart of Jesus School in Peru is ensuring that children have enough food to eat.
Food
Learning on a Full Stomach
All six partners you empowered provide nutritious food as a part of their ministry. At Marie Louise Bayle Center in Haiti, daily nutritious meals are provided to all students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Heart of Jesus School in Peru distributed food to families. These balanced meals helped students excel at their studies and allowed Heart of Jesus School to meet its goal of zero hunger among students.
DAILY MEALS
832 families received food at Heart of Jesus School to prevent malnutrition.
BRAIN BENEFITS
Meals included the right blend of nutrients to boost brain development and improve memory.
IMPROVED HEALTH
Healthy meals promote heart health, stronger muscles, and a reduced risk of certain diseases such as cancer.
Children in a 5-year-old class at the Marie Louise Bayle Center are learning to read and write. Thanks to you, healthy meals are fueling their education.
Success Spotlight
Marie Louise Bayle Center
At the Marie Louise Bayle Education Center in Haiti, children received dignified care and nutritious food to grow healthy and strong. A total of 275 children, ages 3 to 13, enrolled in primary school classes and received nutritious meals free of charge. The wellness center provided breastfeeding classes for mothers, maternity classes for pregnant women and childrearing classes for caregivers, as well as nutritional and medical monitoring and fortified milk for children under age 5. During periods of home confinement, center staff increased home visits to address health concerns such as anemia and malnutrition.
Learn more about other feeding programs.
Sister Tereza Gabriel believes that building bonds with children at Shambu Catholic Kindergarten will fill them with God’s love.
Hope
Discovering Christ’s Light
At Shambu Catholic Kindergarten in Ethiopia and St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center in Kenya, religious sisters and lay staff modeled works of charity. By infusing education and food with the gift of hope, children were able to begin transforming into well-rounded, faith-driven adults. All six Catholic ministries laid a foundation of Catholic values — and you have made an incredible difference!
Students at St. John Bosco Rehabilitation Center in Kenya know that spiritual formation is key to a brighter future — and will guide them to eternal life in Christ!
jennifer
“I have learned the 10 Commandments and that we are all made in God’s image.”
brian
“Our school is needed, because it helps us grow spiritually.”
agnes
“At school, I have learned to be humble.”
Meet Brian
From Embulbul to Harvard
To call Brian Nzuki an inspiration would be an understatement. This young man is now a Harvard student, but his education began thousands of miles away in Embulbul, Kenya, where he received scholarships throughout primary and secondary school to attend the Brother Beausang Catholic Catholic Education Center. Brian graduated at the top of his class and excelled at extracurricular activities, including debate and choir.
Right now, 635 boys and girls at Brother Beausang Catholic Education Center are praying for a brighter future. They deserve to seize their God-given destiny, just like Brian has. Thank you for showing these children that God hears their prayers and has a special plan for their lives. You’ve blessed them with the gift of hope!
Brian Nzuki – now a Harvard student – attended Brother Beausang Catholic Education Center in Kenya.
Be a Blessing of Hope for Children in Need.
Children Will Blossom, Thanks to Your Help
Thank You for Blessing Young Souls With Education, Food and Hope
“If a little flower could speak, it seems to me that it would tell us quite simply all that God has done for it, without hiding any of its gifts.”
- St. Therese of Lisieux -
As Catholics, we believe even children born into the humblest of conditions should be able to achieve their full potential. Thank you for giving little ones this opportunity to discover their God-given talents. By supporting and nurturing them, you have allowed them to blossom!
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You Are in Our Prayers
Cross Catholic Outreach’s staff prays daily for friends of the ministry. Click below to submit your prayer intentions.
What Is Your Legacy Mission?
When you include Cross Catholic Outreach as a beneficiary in your will, trust, retirement account or life insurance policy, you will make a difference for poor communities by meeting both material and spiritual needs for generations to come.
Answer the Call
Learn how you can engage in projects serving the poor and their communities around the world.
Cross Catholic Outreach
Our mission is to mobilize the global Catholic Church to transform the poor and their communities materially and spiritually for the glory of Jesus Christ. Your gift empowers us to serve the poorest of the poor by channeling life-changing aid through an international network of dioceses, parishes and Catholic missionaries. This cost-effective approach helps break the cycle of poverty and advance Catholic evangelization.
Proceeds from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures incurred through June 30, 2024, the close of our ministry’s fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry.