More
News
Across Pacific Magazine | Humour | God at Work | Across Asia | Marine Reach | Rancho de la Paz
|
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE
PRESENTS $25,000 GRANT TO CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES: WILL AID INDIA, PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS By Michael Ireland Wednesday, November 2, 2005 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND (ANS) -- The American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) have long had a cooperative partnership in responding to natural disasters. Yesterday, (Nov. 1), the American Jewish Committee gave a $25,000 grant to Catholic Relief Services to assist the survivors of the massive earthquake that recently hit Pakistan and India. The grant will be directed toward the construction of winterized shelters that will be built with local materials. The check was presented to CRS President Ken Hackett, who expressed appreciation to AJC for "this wonderful gift" during a meeting at AJC headquarters in New York. Accompanying Mr. Hackett was Jack Griffin, a member of the CRS board of directors. "The American Jewish Committee has a long tradition of responding to humanitarian crises," said David A. Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee. "Among our most cherished partners, whether in Africa or the Balkans or now Asia, has been Catholic Relief Services. We admire the efficient and compassionate relief work of this fine organization. Moreover, in a world too often divided by faith, we wish to underscore our enduring commitment to inter-religious cooperation, all the more so in the face of natural calamities that don't discriminate by religion in their path of destruction." The cooperative relationship between AJC and CRS goes back more than 20 years, and Harris and Hackett both recalled the collaboration in responding to hunger in Ethiopia in the mid-1980s, and then spoke about addressing the current needs in the Kashmir region along the India-Pakistan border where CRS staff are providing humanitarian aid. "I am thankful to the American Jewish Committee for this wonderful gift," said Hackett. "It represents an important interfaith collaboration that we need to highlight more. People can come together, while respecting their own beliefs, for the betterment of humankind. "Coming on this 40th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Vatican document that sparked a breakthrough in Catholic-Jewish relations, it is a perfect example of interfaith dialogue turned into action," he said. CRS has been operating in Pakistan for 50 years, and in India for nearly 60 years. The agency is working closely with its in-country partners, Caritas Pakistan and Caritas India, to help facilitate an immediate and comprehensive response. Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency provides assistance to people in 99 countries and territories based on need, regardless of race, nationality or creed. How to help: Donate online at www.crs.org Call 1-800-736-3467 Mail a check to: Catholic Relief Services - P.O. Box 17090 - Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7090 Memo line: South Asian Earthquake Response MEDIA CONTACT: John Rivera Catholic Relief Services - (410) 951-7399 - cell: (443) 604-2918 - jrivera@crs.org
|
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - E-mail
Across Pacific Magazine | Humour | God at Work | Across Asia | Marine Reach | Rancho de la Paz