The Diocese of Raleigh is encouraging parishes and parishioners who wish to respond quickly to natural disasters, conflicts and other humanitarian crises to consider directing donations through established Catholic relief organizations.
The diocese regularly receives questions about raising funds through second collections or other parish appeals for emergency relief. While formal diocesan-wide collections at the direction of the bishop or at the recommendation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) can provide an important coordinated response, the process may not always move quickly enough for individuals or parishes wishing to provide assistance immediately. Recent disasters, including the earthquake in Colombia, also highlight the personal connections many Catholics have to communities affected by crises around the world.
The diocese, together with the USCCB, strongly recommends Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for international emergency relief and Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) for disasters and emergencies within the continental United States. Both organizations have established Catholic networks and expertise that allow donations to reach communities and people in need efficiently.
Both CRS and CCUSA also emphasize the value of undesignated donations, which give relief organizations flexibility to respond quickly and direct resources where they are most urgently needed, including through local Catholic agencies working on the ground. Donors may also generally designate gifts for a particular emergency, event or geographic area.
Before making a parish or personal donation, the diocese recommends contacting the appropriate organization or reviewing its current online giving information to ensure the donation is designated according to the donor's wishes.
Catholic Relief Services — International Relief
Phone: 877-435-7277
Email: donorservices@crs.org
CRS — Where We Work
Catholic Charities USA — U.S. Disaster Relief
Phone: 703-549-1390
Email: info@catholiccharitiesusa.org
Catholic Charities USA
The diocese encourages parishes to use this approach as appropriate, allowing them to respond generously and efficiently to those affected by disasters and humanitarian crises while making use of the Church's established relief networks.