World Gifts that gifts that keep on giving

Bicycle for a water mechanic £60

World Gifts are CAFOD’s alternative charity gifts that transform lives and support communities to break free from poverty.These virtual gifts are great presents for friends, family, teachers – and most importantly, make a very real difference to families around the world.World Gifts have already helped over 5,000 children to attend literacy classes – opening doors to education and work and has brought 100,000 animals to families – helping to create countless small businesses.

This year, we have some new gifts for example bicycle for a water mechanic £60. A bike is a classic Christmas gift. This year, why not provide a water pump mechanic with a much needed bike to allow him to reach remote water sources? Without maintenance, wells, boreholes and other water sources can stop working meaning entire communities can no longer access clean life-saving water. The faster a mechanic can reach them the more he can maintain!

Other gifts such as  ‘Change a woman’s world’  £40  ‘Help for a Hardworking Hairdresser’£77 and ‘Sewing kit’  £21 empower women to work – and earn a living – for themselves.  

World gifts range from £4  Happy Queen Bee to £4000 for a Health Clinic so this Christmas why not fundraise as a parish or a school to buy a gift that really makes a difference to people’s lives!

Health clinic

Can you be a voice for the world’s poorest people at the General Election 2019 ?

CAFOD MPC’s with George Hollingbery MP for Meon Valley

Ahead of the general election on Thursday 12 December, it is essential that voters raise issues important to them with local candidates. Here are some issues you can raise with your candidates to help speak up for the world’s poorest communities.

Aid
The aid budget is vital for tackling poverty. We need to ensure that it is focused on the needs of the world’s poorest people.
What can I say? “What will you, and your party, do to continue to tackle poverty overseas and to protect the quality of UK aid?”

Climate change
Thousands of CAFOD supporters from from the SE campaigned to persuade the government to set a new climate change target. Now, politicians need to act.
What can I say? “The government has set a net zero emissions target of 2050. Do you support this target and how will you, and your party, make tackling climate change a priority to prevent more people being pushed into poverty by the climate crisis?”

More thoughts to follow on the General Election in future blogs.

World Day of Poor 17th November Caritas Portsmouth Event

World Day of the Poor poster

“The hope of the poor shall not perish for ever’.

On the World Day of the Poor, Nov 17th, from 1pm to 5:30pm, Caritas Portsmouth are holding an afternoon in St. Peters, Winchester where we can all can come together to share experiences and encourage new ideas around the issue of poverty. The event will include a short play by “Staging Faith” on the life of St. Vincent De Paul, and also some personal testimonies of people who have experienced life on the margins. There will be opportunities to network with others and to see what we can practically do to help those in need around us. Come along and let this event be the place where we begin to open our church doors to those in need and be a voice of the voiceless.

For further information contact Kevin Gallagher from Caritas at caritas@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk or call 07388994057 or book your place here