Parish Social Ministry, a Catholic Charities Maine program, is pleased to announce that eleven local parishes will receive Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) Parish Grants totaling $16,500.

Parish Social Ministry provides leadership, guidance, Catholic social teaching education, and training to empower parishioners to compassionately serve people of all faiths living in their communities.

The grants, ranging from $1,000 to $4,000, will be used to support community-based initiatives that empower those in need to make ongoing life changes and become more self-sufficient while offering parishioners the opportunity to serve those less fortunate.

The parishes and ministries receiving the funds are:

• St. Mary of the Visitation Parish in Houlton and St. Agnes Parish in Island Falls for their family nutrition program. The funds will support the newly-formed program that offers basic nutrition education for clients of their food pantry to prepare healthy meals at home.

• St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Scarborough, St. Bartholomew Parish in Cape Elizabeth, and St. John and Holy Cross Parish in South Portland for a new community garden. Parishioners and community members from all three communities will be encouraged to use individual plots, while a community plot will produce food for the South Portland Food Cupboard.

• St. John Vianney Parish in Fort Kent for its “Teaching our Brothers and Sisters How to Fish” program. The funds will be used to create four educational sessions throughout the year to help people with budgeting, dietetics, home safety, and weatherization. The program targets people who have frequent and ongoing financial needs.

• St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Bangor for its “Ministry to Those in Need” initiative. The funds will be used to help build a house for a low-income family.

• St. Michael Parish in Augusta, St. Rose of Lima Parish in Jay, St. Joseph Parish in Farmington, and Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Oquossoc will receive funds to participate in Kennebec Valley Organization programs that will determine the systemic needs of their respective communities and assist in effecting positive change.

The CCHD Parish Grants are designed to fund ministries that make transformational changes for those they serve, not just through direct assistance. The mission of CCHD is made possible by the generous support of Catholics in the United States, especially through an annual collection taken up in most parishes in November. From this collection, 25% of the proceeds remain in Maine, while the remaining 75% is collected by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to distribute for larger national funding opportunities. Maine agencies and organizations that address the systemic root of poverty can also apply for these national funding opportunities.