Closure of USAID

As you may have heard, in an effort to "cut waste, fraud and abuse," the current administration took immediate efforts to shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). While USAID accounts for a mere 1% of our national budget, it covers up to 50% of the budgets of religious and other organizations engaged in charitable work internationally.

This closure is seriously affecting the global work of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), one of the largest relief organizations in the world, forcing it to cut as much as 50% of staff and programs. The mission of CRS is to serve the poorest and most vulnerable overseas. In 2023, it worked in about 120 countries serving over 200 million people through 1,000 projects. It serves people on the basis of need, not creed. USAID has provided funding and non-financial support to CRS for decades, accounting for about 50 to 60 percent of its budget, or between $500 million and $700 million per year. Grants from USAID enable CRS to undertake emergency assistance and long-term transformational development. The work covers food, health, livelihoods, agriculture, education, water and sanitation, child development, and access to capital.

In addition, Lutheran and Catholics are being targeted domestically for their work with migrants. Their work is being called “illegal.” Funds have already been cut from multiple Lutheran organizations that work in the United States to provide health care to homeless people, run food pantries, and help migrants and refugees. Time will tell if our local Catholic Community Services, which provides transportations services to people on our island, will have their government funded programs eliminated as well.

Following are links to articles from America magazine, The Catholic National Reporter, The Washington Post, Time, and Catholic News Agency. They are a good start to educating ourselves about this vital matter. I don’t think anyone voted for this. If you are interested in saving the work of Catholic Relief Services and other aid groups, please make your voices heard in the US Congress.