WASHINGTON, DC - The annual collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) will be held in most parishes the weekend of November 19-20, on the Solemnity of Christ the King and the close of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

"The Year of Mercy, a time of extraordinary grace, is also a fitting time for the annual CCHD collection. The Mercy of Jesus is abiding and always urgent. CCHD sustains the Holy Father's initiative to bring the joy of the gospel to our brothers and sisters living on the margins of American life," said Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, chair of the CCHD Subcommittee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

An estimated 43 million people live in poverty in the United States. This collection supports the work of groups that empower low-income people to participate in decisions that affect their lives and break the cycle of poverty. Many of the projects supported by CCHD embody the corporal works of mercy, including the protection of worker rights, expanding access to healthcare and reforming the criminal justice system.

This national collection is the primary source of funding for the CCHD's anti-poverty grants and education programs aimed at providing fostering a culture of life and hope in communities across the nation. Twenty-five percent of funds collected remain in each diocese to support local projects.

Easy-to-use resources for the collection can be found at: http://www.usccb.org/about/catholic-campaign-for-human-development/collection/collection-resources.cfm

Additional resources to learn about poverty in the United States can be found at www.povertyusa.org. Materials include a "Poverty USA Tour" video, a Poverty Map, Stories of Hope from groups supported through the annual collection, and a digital resource toolkit.