Welcome to the 2020-2021 Gift of Hope Catalog
For more than 75 years, Catholic Relief Services has rushed lifesaving aid to people overseas during times of disaster.
Along the way, we’ve learned that once immediate needs for food, clean water and health care are met, it’s important to focus on longer-term needs like jobs, infrastructure and education so people have a sustainable way to a better future.
After fleeing devastating conflict and losing their homes, children need safety, and an opportunity to learn, heal and resume the normalcy of childhood with play and social interaction. Support education for refugee children, training for teachers and constructing child-friendly spaces. Boys and girls will receive transportation to and from catch-up classes and recreational activities to interact with other friends, school uniforms and supplies, counseling for their emotional healing and referrals for specialized care.
Many women in labor, and others in medical emergencies, must rely on stretchers, bikes, motorbikes or even their own feet to get to the closest health facility. In remote areas, transportation is inaccessible and walking is impossible. Ambulances made from motorized tricycles save lives.
After immediate needs are met, CRS often builds transitional shelters, semi-permanent housing that gives survivors safety, security and some of the comforts of home while they wait for permanent housing. Transitional shelters often include materials that can be reused in permanent homes.
Kits help families in sub-standard housing survive cold winters. They include blankets, heaters, insulation and tarps to reinforce roofs and keep people dry.
When disaster strikes, CRS rushes in with the necessities people need to take care of their own families. In addition to food, water and medicine, we provide household essentials like cooking pots, containers, blankets, soap and hygiene items. Many items are useful long after the crisis is over.
When homes are badly damaged, Catholic Relief Services helps survivors make them temporarily livable until more permanent repairs or shelter can be provided. From the immediate aftermath of an emergency, CRS works with communities with the goal of moving from relief to sustainable recovery.