Miriam celebrates life-changing access to clean water in her Zambian village.
A lack of clean, accessible water is one of the greatest burdens facing people worldwide. When water is not readily available, negative effects ripple through a family’s daily life. Unsafe drinking sources increase the risk of dangerous waterborne diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera. Meanwhile, limited access to well-equipped hospitals and clinics prevents families from receiving the healthcare they need.
Thankfully, Cross Catholic Outreach’s ministry partners are making a difference in impoverished communities all over the world. In 2025 alone, we were able to bless 240,039 people with clean water and 2,351 people with medical procedures. Through the support of friends like you, many of our brothers and sisters have experienced God’s mercy and are giving him praise!
Still, many more remain in urgent need. Working together, we can reach families in over 10 countries with clean water and critically needed medical aid.
Don’t wait to change a life — give now to share hope and healing with entire communities in Jesus’ mighty name!
A gift of $98 can provide one person with a lifetime supply of clean, safe water.
Since 2018, we have partnered with Good Samaritan Water Sanitation Services to bless villages in Kenya with community water systems. Cross Catholic Outreach President Michele Sagarino (shown above) recently visited families in need of water and witnessed the incredible transformation that takes place when clean water sources become available.
Just last year, our partnership funded 45 life-changing water systems, blessing more than 380,000 people with clean water. The systems’ deep borehole wells and water distribution kiosks make an incredible difference. In addition to the fundamental, necessary commitment to installing more accessible wells, the ministry educates people in water management, hygiene and highly beneficial activities like community farming.
Good Samaritan Water Sanitation Services has brought transformation to so many communities, but there are still many that are waiting for relief. Every morning, women and children continue to walk long distances to collect whatever water they can find, risking their physical safety. With your support, this ministry can continue restoring health and hope to thousands of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Gloria dreams of a bright, expansive future — but there was a time when it seemed those dreams would never come true. Growing up in the small village of Kwa Kilui, she had become used to walking as far as nine miles to get water for her family. By the time she returned, moving quickly to get back before dark, she would feel exhausted. Despite carrying more responsibility than any child should, Gloria remained a passionate, kind girl focused on getting an education and caring for her family.
Now that a water system has been installed in her community, Gloria’s childhood has been restored. With contributions from thoughtful people like you, her mother can quickly collect clean water for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Gloria has been able to refocus on her studies and even wrote a poem called “Water Is Life” to express her gratitude for this gift!
Expanding Water Access
The effective water systems include deep wells, solar-powered pumps, secure storage tanks and sanitary water distribution kiosks, ensuring processes run smoothly and water remains readily available.
Transforming Culture
With more than 100 water systems installed since 2018, families’ lives and community environments have transformed. People now have the time and energy to pursue gainful activities like farming, prioritize spiritual formation and care for their neighbors.
With more than 300 wells installed over the past several years in Zambia, over 180,000 people have received access to clear water. Families’ daily lives have become easier and anxiety has decreased. With rousing support from their local Catholic community, families celebrate the gift that has been given to them.
The Diocese of Chipata imagines a Zambia free of poverty. Alarmed by the lack of clean drinking water and recognizing the danger of poor sanitation, the diocese promotes best hygiene practices and the provision of water. The communities’ Catholic leaders care for their neighbors holistically, attending to their physical and spiritual well-being.
As the tribal leader of Chibeteka, a village in Zambia, Jairos didn’t believe what he was hearing.
Despite the good news that clean water was on the way, he had reason to doubt. “We didn’t believe it because in the past we tried to get others to do the same,” Jairos said. “But no one came to our aid.”
His longtime prayers have finally been answered. His village now has a borehole that draws water from deep underground, making it free from contamination and safe to drink.
Jairos feels relieved for his village and his own family, happy to share the gift with his wife and eight children. “It is a dream come true,” he said.
Clean Environments
Sanitary laundry pads have been provided to the villages blessed with new wells. As they begin to freely use the water for a variety of needs, the dignity of each person is honored. Families are equipped to care for themselves and feel more comfortable.
Practical Solutions
All wells built are operated by a hand pump. Everyone, from parents to young children, can use them conveniently! Splashing water on their faces, refilling buckets and preparing to cook meals, entire villages rejoice at the dramatic increase in accessibility.
Father Gift Kambani Chisi blesses a new well in Zambia and celebrates with the community.
Pope Leo XIV tells how the Church Fathers “recognized in the poor a privileged way to reach God, a special way to connect with him.” He emphasized the value of showing charity to those in need, identifying it as an expression of faith. Today, we can connect with Christ by being his hands and feet to our neighbors in need. Please join us to fill cups with safe, clean water and lead our struggling brothers and sisters into a new era of health, hope and life. Donate and cause change around the world today!
Use it for reflections and notes to grow in your spiritual life. You’ll also receive a prayer request form to mail back so that we can pray for your needs. In effect, this creates a spiritual bridge to connect you to our sisters and brothers in Christ in the developing world!
Cross Mission Partners also receive a semiannual Mission Update with news, insights and information about the good work and accomplishments made possible by your support.
Every dollar helps us bless the least of our brothers and sisters throughout Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Mexico & Central America and South America.
Thank You for Your Special Commitment to Serving the Poor!
It’s easy to shop through the Cross Catholic Outreach Project Catalog. Simply browse the categories and choose an item within your budget and close to your heart, such as Anti-Trafficking and Girls’ Rescue or Most Urgent Needs. Select and sponsor one or more of these gifts, and you’ll make a meaningful impact on the life of a needy child or family. It’s that simple!
Absolutely! Once you select your items, you’ll be given the option of sending an e-card or printing a customizable certificate. This is a meaningful way to share Christ’s love with others while also honoring friends and family.
We are a Catholic ministry that partners with bishops, priests, religious and lay workers to provide Food, Water & Health, Housing, Kids & Education, Women & Girls, Disaster Relief, Farming & Loans opportunities and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ to the poor and vulnerable in over 30 countries around the world.
Donations from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for this project incurred through June 30, 2027, 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.
