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In 2015, Keep the Light On for CRS
The story of the Epiphany always seemed to have a little magic in it. There is a newborn baby, three kings, fancy gifts and, of course, the shining star that all could see. It was the moment when Jesus' divine nature was made known to the world. His world stage just happened to be a stable. In...More
Microfinance: Life Savings Save Lives in South Sudan
Savings and lending groups not only help people save money, they can save lives. A modest loan helped James Malueth survive a surprise attack that reduced his home to rubble on December 16, 2013. James, like many of his fellow Jonglei State residents in South Sudan, was caught in the crossfire...More
Ebola Outbreak: Call for Robust Response
Catholic Relief Services is continuing our ramped-up response to the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa by capitalizing on our long history in the region, and our broad community and Church networks.
The Ebola outbreak, which began last March, has killed more than 6,000 people. The...More
Philippines: Typhoon-Resistant Shelters Work
When Typhoon Haiyan wiped out millions of homes last year, CRS decided against a cookie-cutter, single-design approach to building transitional shelter for those who lost their homes. Because of the many variables—urban and rural settings, varying levels of damage to homes, unclear land...More
Typhoon Hagupit Rains Menace Islands in the Philippines
Millions of Filipinos awoke Sunday to the news that the death toll and damage caused by Typhoon Hagupit, known locally as Ruby, was not as catastrophic as first expected. But the slow-moving system, which made landfall late Saturday on the island of Samar, is expected to bring more rain and...More
Syrian and Iraqi Refugees
CRS and our Caritas partners are providing critical services—including trauma counseling and education for children—in Jordan and Lebanon, where millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes because of violence and civil war. Many parents fear that their children may be part of a "lost...More
Coming Soon in the Here and Now
Have you ever wanted something so much you felt like you couldn't wait any longer? Maybe as a child you begged and begged for a toy, but you had to wait for it until Christmas. Maybe you had to wait years—or are still waiting—for a baby to grace your family. Maybe it's the dream vacation that's...More
Sustainable Rwanda: Coffee Growers Diversify
The mud-packed walls of the Mazimpaka's family room show the strong influence of young people: Hanging among the rosaries and pictures of St. Mary are posters of Miss Rwanda, the Rwandan singer Christopher, and the Rwandan boy band Dreamboyz. The room's only window shines a square of light on...More
Rwanda Animal Fair: Goats and Hopes
When Therese Umuhire looks at her new goat, she envisions, well, something else.
"I dream of when I will get a cow from that goat," she says, nodding at her goat as it grazes on a hillside in Nyamirambo village in southern Rwanda....More
Typhoon Haiyan, One Year Later
Even the richest country in the world has trouble recovering from a major natural disaster, as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy demonstrated. So it's no surprise that the same story is playing out in the Philippines after Super Typhoon Haiyan, which hit on November 8, 2013. It was the strongest...More