Cross International

Helping the poor to break their cycle of poverty

Cross International Catholic Outreach gives the poor "a hand up" rather than "a hand out"—through "self-help" programs that enable impoverished families to eventually provide for themselves. As more and more families produce income and become self-sufficient, they are able to get ample food, shelter, education and medical care. Poverty, and the problems associated with it, is inherently eliminated and entire communities transformed.

Self-help projects vary by area and need. A farming initiative in Kenya allows mothers to earn income to feed their families and send their children to school. Carpentry and sewing skills become the basis for income-producing businesses in Mozambique. Chicken or pig farming in Belize can feed a family and provide income from sales of piglets, meat or eggs.

Micro-lending also helps the poor to help themselves. In basic terms, a micro-lending program is a simple, localized system of borrowing and repaying small loans for poor people who would never be able to establish credit trough conventional means.

Through a gift to Cross for self-help programs, you can help poor families improve their standard of living, break their cycle of poverty, and restore their dignity and hope.