The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week aims high indeed: ending poverty.
The campaign quotes Martin Luther King Jr., who spent the last months of his life organizing the Poor People’s Campaign, uniting haves and have-nots from diverse backgrounds to fight the scourge.
“I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies; education and culture for their minds; and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits,” King said.
Low income and lack of resources hinder human development and limit access to proper health care, nutrition and education.
The Urban Institute projects a U.S. poverty rate of 13.7 percent for 2021, or 1 in 7 Americans, and more than 4 in 10 children live in a home struggling to meet basic needs, according to the Center for American Progress.
Outside the United States the situation is even more dire, with 734 million people living below the international poverty line, currently a mere $1.90 a day.
The campaign, also known as the CFC, lists an array of causes under the poverty umbrella, including economic development, infrastructure, human trafficking and clean water.
While there is no specific category for “poverty” or “ending poverty” on the website’s charity search tool, a broad search can be of help if you’re unsure where to focus your giving.
For example, the categories “Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy,” “Housing & Shelter” and “Public & Societal Benefit” are topic areas that are sure to include relevant charities.
The Combined Federal Campaign is the federal government’s workplace charity drive. The latest campaign began Sept. 1 and runs through Jan. 15.
Participation in the CFC is voluntary.
The GiveCFC.org website has more information.
This is the fourth in a series of articles spotlighting the Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week. Next week: arts and humanities.
