Catholic Relief Services is a non-governmental organisation (NGO), which attempts to assist the poor and disadvantaged ([1]). A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. ...

It is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, while operating numerours field offices on 5 continentsince 1943, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has held the privilege of serving poor and disadvantaged people overseas. Without regard to race, creed, or nationality, CRS provides emergency relief in the wake of natural and man-made disasters. Through development projects in the fields of peace and justice, education, agriculture, microfinance, health and HIV/AIDS, CRS works to uphold human dignity and promote better standards of living. Today, CRS assists people in need in 99 countries and territories across five continents. Motto: BELIEVE (formerly The City That Reads) Nickname: Charm City Mob Town Location in Maryland Founded  -Incorporated 30 July 1729 1797  County Independent city Mayor Martin J. OMalley (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 349. ... Dymaxion map by Buckminster Fuller shows land mass with minimal distortion as only one continuous continent A continent (Latin continere, to hold together) is a large continuous land mass. ...

Last year was truly a remarkable year for the agency. Owing to fifteen years of significant private support for people and families affected by HIV/AIDS, CRS has become a recognized leader in responding to this crisis. In 2003, the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) awarded a multi-million dollar, five-year grant to a CRS-led consortium. In 2004, over $31 million provided medication for people living with AIDS and care and support to orphans in Africa, the Caribbean and South America. A third five-year grant of $6.2 million was awarded to support CRS’ behavior-change education projects for HIV/AIDS prevention in Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda. The following is an overview of CRS’ programmatic highlights in 2004. These activities, and many others, were made possible by the generosity of our individual, private and public supporters. On behalf of all those we serve, we thank you.

January … CRS’ drought-resistant seed fairs in Tanzania’s Lake and Northern zones helped over 15,400 farming families. With support from the Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid, CRS also inaugurated a project to support pigeonpea, chickpea and groundnut farmers. CRS held a series of meetings in Angola, uniting leaders from the American and Angolan Church, our national and international humanitarian partners, the U.S. government and the oil industry to discuss the effects of international drilling in poor Angolan communities, transparency in reporting by extractive industries and CRS’ related publication, Bottom of the Barrel. In Benin, CRS began a five-year HIV/AIDS care and counseling project supporting vulnerable children and orphans. S In Malawi and Zambia, CRS promoted improved agricultural practices and drought preparedness and provided improved seeds for farming families vulnerable to drought and food insecurity. In Ghana, CRS began a five-year initiative to improve the quality of, and access to, basic education for children across the country. February … CRS began managing three refugee camps in Chad: Farchana, Kounoungo and Touloum. With our local partner, CRS began assisting the tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees. In Uganda, after two years’ suspension of activity due to insecurity, CRS and our Caritas partner were able to begin work rehabilitating a dam in the Kitgum District. Meanwhile, CRS formally inaugurated the new commuter’s shelter, children’s library and traditional leaders’ office facility. CRS responded swiftly to Cyclone Elita, which packed winds of 180 to 200 miles per hour, torrential rains and flooding, displacing approximately 56,000 people in Madagascar. CRS distributed corn-soy blend, vegetable oil, rice and beans, mosquito nets, water purification solution, jerry cans, soap, medicines and blankets to 2,700 vulnerable people. March … In Nigeria, CRS was granted landmark funding through the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, allowing provision of medicines that prevent mother-to-child transmission. In Liberia, a total of 302 metric tons of emergency food aid were delivered to 22,894 internally displaced people who were unable to return to their homes due to continued insecurity. An additional shipment fed 5,873 mothers and infants, orphans, the infirm, handicapped and elderly. CRS and our local partners completed reconstruction of the largest bridge rehabilitated since the end of civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Zambia, CRS received official notification of receipt of the presidential award providing treatment for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children. Additionally, CRS received a $7.5 million, two-year grant to provide nutrition and home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Responding to the needs of those affected by devastating Cyclone Gafilo, Madagascar’s second in as many months, CRS delivered aid for 8,000 families–approximately 42,000 people. Nearly 3,000 families received agricultural recovery aid, including repair of irrigation systems and infrastructure. April … In Sierra Leone, on the occasion of the country’s 43rd year of independence, CRS was honored to receive a Presidential Gold Medal for philanthropic service to the country in the field of humanitarian relief, presented by President Kubbah on April 27. In Burundi, CRS completed the installation of irrigation systems and other infrastructure in the Muhembuzi wetland, as well as the distribution of over a million plants, to protect farmland from erosion and feed livestock, and 820 goats to help sustain 410 vulnerable farming families.

CRS and local partners in Ethiopia distributed 30,556 metric tons of grain, 3,028 metric tons of lentils, 3,208 metric tons of corn-soy blend, and 1,018 metric tons of vegetable oil for roughly 2.1 million hungry people. CRS also began implementing the Post Emergency Transitional Recovery initiative and Cash-for-Relief Program. This month, CRS received official word of receipt of presidential grants for anti-retroviral medication for impoverished people living with AIDS in Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Zambia. CRS joined a nation in mourning and reflection and solemnly commemorated the tenth anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda on 7 April. May … In three refugee camps in eastern Chad, CRS continued distributions of emergency aid for some 40,000 people and education for Sudanese refugee children displaced by violent conflict. Reaching roughly 2.2 million people, CRS and our local partners in the Joint Emergency Operations Partnership distributed grain, lentils, corn-soy blend and vegetable oil for 2.2 million chronically hungry families in Ethiopia. Additionally, CRS received a $20 million, five-year award for the care and support of orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS. In partnership with the Justice and Peace Department of the Lesotho Catholic Bishops Conference and the United Nations Children’s Fund, CRS launched a new program to reach out to more than 92,000 orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho. In Madagascar, following the two destructive cyclones earlier in the season, CRS received $2.1 million for construction and infrastructure rehabilitation. In N’Zerekore, Guinea, CRS began managing $6 million in food distributions in four refugee camps, serving nearly 80,000 refugees from Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire. June … For over 2,000 Congolese refugees in Rwanda who were fleeing violence in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, CRS provided blankets, basins, buckets, soap and other essential household items needed for sleeping, cooking and maintaining basic hygiene. The Kenya National Infant Feeding Committee invited CRS to join its membership in recognition of the significant contributions made by CRS and our partners in improving child survival. In Liberia, under the Safety Net Program in Montserrado and Grand Bassa Counties, 45 institutional feeding centers received over 95 metric tons of food to feed over 7,000 vulnerable people. Additionally, in Monrovia, CRS provided food aid, supplies and assistance for Our Lady of Fatima Rehabilitation Center when a fire burned the dormitory roof and walls along with the personal effects of 120 orphans and handicapped children.

CRS began a two-year project in the Casamance region of Senegal to rebuild the conflict-damaged homes of returning displaced families and support affected communities for a return to peace. With attendance and keynote addresses by the U.S. Ambassador and Malagassy President, CRS and partners launched a five-year project to promote democracy and transparency in Madagascar. July … The inaugural run of the “Peace Train” marked the completion of CRS and our partners’ work restoring a total of 300 miles of damaged train track and vital infrastructure—a remarkable twoyear effort—following the cessation of a six-year war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Burundi, CRS and partners began a seed fair program for 50,000 vulnerable farming families. CRS and partners launched a $5 million water and sanitation program in Kitgum, Uganda. CRS delivered food to patients in 20 hospitals in the food-insecure Matebeleland Province, Zimbabwe, with support from the World Food Programme. CRS also provided meals for school children at 29 schools in the rural Chegutu District. August … CRS committed an initial $1 million to the Sudanese refugee relief effort in Chad and to aid those displaced by escalating conflict in Darfur, Sudan. CRS continued managing three refugee camps in Chad, providing monthly food aid and clean water for a swelling refugee population. Additional assistance was provided for women and children, the elderly and disabled refugees. In Ethiopia, CRS and our Joint Emergency Operations Partnership network distributed 30,387 metric tons of grain, 3,038 metric tons of lentils, 3,190 metric tons of corn-soy blend and 1,021 metric tons of vegetable oil, reaching over 2.3 million chronically hungry and malnourished people. CRS began innovative new programs in Burkina Faso to support women’s groups engaged in cooperative farming and marketing, to increase access to formal and informal justice systems for rural populations in three rural dioceses, and to promote education and couples’ peer counseling for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Construction began on 300 homes and three community structures for returning displaced families in the Kailahun District of Sierra Leone. These CRS projects provided employment opportunities for former child soldiers and at-risk youths trained in carpentry and masonry skills. September … In Senegal, CRS and partners responded to a destructive plague of swarming desert locusts by implementing local early warning committees in agricultural villages where seed multiplication projects are active, and linking these to the locust control committee of the Senegalese Plant Protection National Program for quick access to needed pesticides. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, CRS completed five seed and tool fairs, distributing over 135 tons of seeds and 6,000 agricultural tools to 5,553 returning farming families in the eastern Maniema Province, where six years of civil war had forced people to flee their homes. CRS began the two-year Creating a Culture of Peace project in Burundi, working with local Church partners to provide peace education, social and sport activities for youths. For 73,000 vulnerable farming families, CRS and local partners also conducted more than 40 seed fairs in five provinces. In Darfur, Sudan, CRS began a $3.9 million relief effort to provide clean water and sanitation, shelter and counseling services for internally displaced people. With the Ministry of Education and the U.N. Children’s Fund, CRS completed construction of temporary schools to benefit 4,000 displaced children. CRS distributed essential items to 4,000 families in 40 villages around El Geneina, and supplies were distributed to another 3,000 people taking shelter in a deserted building. In South Africa, CRS contributed a total of $2.1 million in private funding to AIDS prevention, treatment and care for AIDS orphans and for people living with or affected by AIDS. This includes an expansion of the Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa’s Home, a hospice in Johannesburg. October … CRS received confirmation of receipt of a $6.2 million, five-year grant from the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief fund to provide behavior-change education to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among 800,000 youth in Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda. With support from CRS and other partners, the Government of Eritrea finalized a National Nutritional Surveillance System. In Sudan, CRS constructed 340 latrines and bathing facilities for 680 families living in makeshift camps. CRS also supplied them with shelter materials and emergency kits. In a two-month agreement with the World Food Programme, CRS distributed food aid to 74,221 vulnerable people. Private donations to CRS’ relief activities in Sudan totaled nearly $5.6 million by the end of October. In Mali and Senegal, CRS continued working to mitigate crop damage by locust swarms. Activities included establishment of Early Warning Committees, distribution of pesticides and spraying equipment, training in pesticide use and safety, and distribution of over 200 tons of seeds. CRS also offered seed fairs in Mauritania, where the crop loss was most severe. In Burkina Faso, CRS received grants from the World Bank and from the U.N. Children’s Fund to promote and improve health and nutrition for elementary and preschool children. November … In Tanzania, CRS increased the household income of rural farmers by 156 percent by introducing them to improved chickpea varieties and collective marketing groups.

In Lesotho, CRS received a grant through the Consortium for Southern Africa Food Security Emergency (C-SAFE) to provide 2,000 metric tons of food to feed chronically hungry families. CRS and six fellow members of the RAPIDS Consortium launched official partnership with the Government of Zambia in a nation-wide effort to improve the quality of life for people affected by HIV/AIDS with home-based care, support for AIDS orphans, skills development and creation of job opportunities for at-risk youth. December … In Sudan, CRS distributed jerry cans, sleeping mats, clothing and blankets, soap and hygiene items for 5,023 displaced families—over 25,000 people—this month. CRS received $110,000 to provide care and support for AIDS orphans in Uganda, and another $50,000 for orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia. In South Africa, CRS supplied anti-retroviral medicine for a total of 1,174 people living with AIDS. In Ghana, CRS helped create a non-governmental partner network to reduce malaria prevalence. CRS committed another $76,000 to agricultural assistance for poor farmers affected by the locust invasion in the Sahel region of Africa, which includes Mauritania, Mali, Senegal and The Gambia, providing water infrastructure development, livestock feed, pesticides with spray pumps and training, cooperative gardening and other technical assistance. SOUTH ASIA January … In Afghanistan, CRS provided approximately $1 million in winter gear for the displaced in need of shelter and clothing, offered teacher training for women from Parwan and Kapisa Provinces and initiated a project to provide irrigation systems for small farmers. Responding to the needs of those affected by heavy flooding in Bangladesh, CRS provided $50,000 in immediate disaster assistance. February … In India, CRS successfully completed the Gujurat Earthquake Rehabilitation Project, which rebuilt 2,699 houses in 26 villages destroyed by the 2001 earthquake in Bhuj. March … CRS increased funding for accelerated courses for out-of-school youth and young women in rural Afghanistan. CRS’ winter training sessions in active learning techniques prepared 170 teachers in Afghanistan this month. April … In Pakistan, vocational and life skills training benefited 80 Afghan refugee women living in Akhtarabad No. 2 and Yousafabad, Peshawar Urban camps.

May … In spite of a fatal attack on two of our partner staff, CRS and partners continued operations in Kandahar, Afghanistan with support from our office in Kabul. CRS began a two-year project to support rural farmers in the western province of Ghor. CRS began a three-year project in southern India to combat child labor and reintroduce children into the formal education system. June … In Pakistan, CRS began a $2.7 million program to strengthen women’s community-based associations by providing opportunities for education, training for institutional development, access to improved health and hygiene services and potable water. July … Northeastern India and Bangladesh experienced the most severe flooding witnessed in the region in 15 years, and more than 28 million people were displaced from their homes. In response, CRS provided $390,000 in immediate food aid and medical supplies for the most vulnerable affected families, over 240,000 people, and worked to reduce the spread of disease in the aftermath. August … In the wake of the floods, CRS contributed an additional $200,000 to help build communities’ resilience and future disaster preparedness in Bangladesh. In Afghanistan, CRS signed a $250,000 contract to provide irrigation for farming families. September … CRS received a grant to conduct children’s health camps, complementing efforts to eradicate polio in India. October … CRS received the Humanitarian Aid Agency of the Year Award from the National Federation of Indian-American Associations for excellence in relief and development in India. November … In Afghanistan, CRS received a $267,000 grant for reintegration of child soldiers. CRS began an $80,000 expansion of polio eradication programming in India, from 12 sub-districts to 20 affected areas in Pradesh State. December … In response to the powerful tsunamis caused by an enormous 9.0 earthquake in the Indian Ocean, CRS and partners acted in India within 24 hours of the disaster. The agency committed $80 million in food aid, potable water, medicine, trauma counseling, temporary shelter supplies and livelihood assistance, targeting the most affected populations in four countries: Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

 CRS oversaw the construction of 328 houses for flood victims and offered courses in 

disaster preparedness in the central provinces of Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh, Vietnam. February … In Cambodia, CRS was able to continue supporting young women and men living with AIDS through the Seedling of Hope project. Participants generated income by making and selling intricate and colorful quilts for a fair wage. April … CRS held a three-day Peace Summit in Mindanao, Philippines, bringing together 114 internally displaced people from Muslim and Tribal groups to discuss conditions for peaceful return. May … In Vietnam, CRS partners from three provinces presented awards of merit to the agency to acknowledge CRS’ support and solidarity with the most vulnerable populations. Over the last decade, CRS has contributed over $12 million to relief and development projects in Vietnam in the fields of education, emergency relief, agriculture and microfinance. June … CRS held a creative workshop for students, teachers and education officials in Vietnam to create illustrations and stories to promote landmine awareness and safety. The pictures and stories will be printed and distributed widely to children in landmine-affected communities. July … In the Philippines, CRS’ Microfinance Regional Learning Center hosted the annual Grameen Partners Meeting to promote information sharing between 14 CRS microfinance partner institutions to benefit microfinance participants throughout Southeast Asia. August … In Cambodia, CRS signed agreements with the U.S. Agency for International Development to fund the Seedling of Hope Program, providing care for people affected by HIV/AIDS, and with Misereor to support the Youth for Peace Program. September … In East Timor, CRS expanded programming to offer small business loans for poor and aspiring entrepreneurs in Viqueque. Before expansion, CRS and our local microfinance partner were serving 1,380 clients with a portfolio of $58,377, savings of 11,573 and 3 percent risk. October … Through the Inclusive Education project in Vietnam, CRS worked with the Ministry of Education and Training to raise awareness of new education guidelines for children with disabilities. November … In the Philippines, four successive typhoons destroyed homes and displaced more than 314,000 people. CRS responded by providing $47,000 in emergency assistance for families. December … On the 26th of this month, an enormous 9.0 earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Sumatra, spawning powerful tsunamis and causing vast destruction and loss of life along the coastlines of South and Southeast Asia. In response, CRS committed $80 million in food aid, potable water, medicine, trauma counseling, temporary shelter supplies and livelihood assistance for the most affected populations in four countries: Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. January … By the end of January, CRS and our partners had mobilized communities into 68 action groups in Basra and Thi-Qar, Iraq, and together with these groups, developed 120 rehabilitation projects, at a total value of over $5 million, to meet community needs. These included school reconstruction, water system and other infrastructure repair initiatives. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, CRS and partners hosted the second national conference of Parent- School Councils, entitled “Partnership for Better Education,” attended by representatives from 200 groups. A National Association of Parent-School Councils was established. February … On the 24th of this month, Al Hoceima, Morocco was rocked by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5. CRS responded with $50,000 in immediate assistance for affected communities. CRS’ microfinance project in Croatia, MikroPlus, registered to become an independent, selfsustaining organization. This month, the project disbursed 220 loans, with a value of $217,667. March … CRS staff in Bulgaria developed a framework for action and initiated work with partners against the trafficking in children. Along with our partners, CRS staff attended the inauguration of the Christian Action Against Trafficking in Women project in Brussels, Belgium. CRS received a total of $293,000 in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development for four Cross-Border Cooperation and Reconciliation projects in the Balkans, working for peaceful development in Bosnia and Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and Kosovo. April … When CRS was forced to pull international staff from Iraq for security reasons, CRS’ Iraq Community Action Program had completed 119 community improvement projects, at a total value of $4,336,646. Jobs were created for 4,159 households, and CRS’ assistance reached 1,103,721 people. Work continued through our local partners. CRS and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau for Cultural and Educational Affairs held the international conference for School Connectivity, entitled “Community Unplugged! Live from Lake Ohrid,” in Macedonia. Teachers and students from 92 participating schools met with U.S. and European government representatives and CRS staff to deepen connections. May … At a value of $2,280,000, three agreements were signed with the Social Fund for Development, allowing CRS to provide four-year microfinance projects for poor families in Egypt. CRS’ microfinance program in Croatia, MicroPlus, became fully independent, registering with the Croatian government as the Croatian Savings and Loan Cooperative.

 In Konjic, Bosnia, CRS provided food and medications for patients at an under-supplied 

hospital through a project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. July … Following the March violence in ethnically divided Kosovo, CRS held a unifying workshop for Albanian, Serb and Bosniak youths in Mitrovica, developing common objectives and action plans for improved school security, school hygiene and extra-curricular activities. August … In Georgia, CRS provided funding for a new roof for the Telavi Orphanage, as well as for the provision of two soup kitchens and a Baku Youth Center to serve marginalized communities. In Azerbaijan, CRS held a press conference covered in eight national newspapers, and with independent filmmakers, produced three documentaries about civil society development. September … CRS began a new Horizonti microfinance initiative with local partners in Macedonia, offering training and microfinance loans to Roma women for the growth of small businesses. October … The CRS Advocacy for Youth Policy Project worked to empower 150 youth from Croatia, Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina to be agents of social change and peaceful development in the region by initiating cross-border understanding and cooperation and advocating for commonly prioritized youth policy issues. November …CRS completed the installation of lights and the addition of an asphalt road top to the bridge connecting Srebrenica, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Bajina Basta, in Serbia. CRS and partners began a $4.5 million, four-year program to deliver potable water and sanitation facilities and healthcare for poor communities in Egypt. December … In Macedonia, CRS staff members were awarded certificates of appreciation by the U.S. Agency for International Development for outstanding efforts in implementing a six-year, $1.8 million civic education program for school children. The project has become fully sustainable and has been handed over to the Macedonian Ministry of Education.

January … In response to deadly mudslides and record flooding in northeastern Brazil, CRS offered $1 million in disaster assistance – including temporary shelter, food, clean water, clothing, bedding, personal hygiene items and basic medicines – for 30,000 of the most severely affected people. February … CRS began a three-year program to inform citizens of Ecuador’s impoverished Chimborazo Province of their civil rights. In response to political unrest that caused the displacement of vulnerable communities in Haiti, CRS provided $150,000 in immediate assistance, including emergency distributions of food, medicine, medical supplies and essential household items for 1,000 families.

In Mexico City, Mexico, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and Mexican Bishops’ Social Action Commission co-sponsored a second bi-national farmer forum. The forum resulted in a joint statement and action plan endorsed by over 20 farming organizations in Mexico and the U.S. March … CRS received confirmation of the presidential award to provide care and therapy for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in Haiti, where CRS has worked for 50 years. April … Through the Pan American Catholic Healthcare Network, CRS delivered a one of three shipments of hospital equipment, this one valued at $105,000, to Honduras. May … In response to flooding and tropical storm damage in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, CRS rushed $222,000 in immediate assistance to displaced people in need. An additional $140,000 in relief was provided with a grant from the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, and 20,000 pounds of food aid was donated by the Diageo Corporation. In Bolivia, CRS and local Caritas partners inaugurated 1,000 houses in the Chagas Disease Prevention Housing Improvement and Construction Project. June … In Mexico, CRS began pilot projects to work with Church partners to address the spread of HIV/AIDS and to offer poor families along the U.S.-Mexican border access to microfinance loans. July … In Guatemala and Costa Rica, CRS began a $1.5 million initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Labor to provide education for out-of-school children and to prevent child labor. A CRS-Caritas consortium launched a $3 million rural development project to benefit 5,000 small cattle ranchers and their families on the El Salvador-Honduras border. August … Following damage caused by Hurricane Charley, CRS and our local partners in Cuba provided $70,000 in potable water, blankets, soap and medicines for affected communities. In Guatemala, a severe two-year drought caused the loss of nearly 80 percent of corn crops, or nearly $4 million in production, and led to widespread food insecurity. CRS responded with $90,000 in emergency food aid, delivering corn, vegetable oil, rice and beans for hungry families. CRS responded with $58,500 in food aid and emergency supplies for poor families affected by a severe cold wave in Peru’s rural Andean region, which caused the deaths of 140 people. September … Hurricane Ivan—the worst to hit the region in a decade—devastated the island nations of Grenada and the Bahamas, as well as Jamaica and Cuba. CRS rapidly responded with emergency food and relief supplies for those most affected by the storm. Initial commitments consisted of $10,000 each for assistance in Grenada and Bahamas, and $30,000 for aid to Jamaica. On the heels of Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Jeanne brought a tragic loss of life and property to the island of Hispañiola, shared by Dominican Republic and Haiti. CRS delivered immediate assistance for survivors of this disaster, including food, potable water and temporary shelter materials. CRS was awarded a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to combat child labor and human trafficking in Ecuador, Brazil and Central America. October … In Nicaragua, CRS signed an agreement with a major fair-trade-certified coffee cooperative, allowing poor coffee growers to sell their coffee beans for fair trade prices. November … In Cochabamaba, Bolivia, CRS’ Earthquake Mitigation Project completed an earthquake simulation for increased disaster preparedness, an event covered on national news. Private gifts enabled CRS to rebuild hurricane-damaged homes in Mandeville, Jamaica. December … In Haiti, CRS’ emergency relief programming continued, offering food-for-work activities for 98 teams of 20 people apiece to remove the remaining 5,115 cubic meters of mud and debris left by Hurricane Jeanne from the main streets of Gonaives. Over 700 of the most affected families received cash disbursements, and more than 2,900 families received mattresses. January … As part of our School Connectivity Project for Southeast Europe and the United States, funded by the U.S. State Department, CRS held a peacebuilding conference at St. Joseph High School in Lakewood, CA. Over 60 high school students and teachers from nine U.S. states participated, as well as high school students from nine Balkan countries and territories via Internet. February … Ash Wednesday, on February 25, saw the launch of our 2004 Operation Rice Bowl (O.R.B.) in nearly 10 million homes, schools and parishes across the U.S. Seventy-five percent of all proceeds supported CRS’ food security programs around the world. Since 1975, O.R.B. has raised over $130 million to feed the hungry in the U.S. and around the world. March … CRS took the historic step of appointing five new lay members and two new bishops to the CRS Board of Directors. This is the first time in the agency’s history that lay members have served on the Board of Directors, thereby offering U.S. Catholics an unprecedented opportunity to become further engaged in CRS’ work for the world’s poor. April … CRS joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American private voluntary organization community in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Public Law 480, the Food for Peace program. This unique program partners the U.S. Government, American farmers, millers, packagers and shippers with private voluntary organizations to offer food aid and development programming for the world’s hungry. Since 1954, more than 72 million metric tons of food has been delivered, touching 750 million lives around the world. May … CRS facilitated the Washington, D.C. visit of a delegation of 21 Burundians, all members of the Burundi Peacebuilding and Reconciliation Commission. July … CRS President and CEO, Ken Hackett, was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate as the first non-governmental member of the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, managing body of the Millennium Challenge Account for U.S. foreign assistance. August … The Campus Advocate, www.CRSCampusConnection.org/advocate.html, was launched by CRS to offer U.S. Catholic college students a non-partisan learning tool to teach the Catholic faith as it relates to civic participation and awareness of international issues. Exercises are based on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ resource document, Faithful Citizenship. September … On the U.S. Public Broadcasting Channel, a three-part British Broadcasting documentary, entitled “Extreme Oil,” featured CRS’ work in Angola to support communities in advocating for transparency in reporting of oil revenues. Angolan Catholic Bishops have called for an oil fund to ensure effective use of oil revenue in the socio-economic development of the country. October … In Washington, D.C., on the 13th of this month, roughly 300 people of diverse ages, nationalities, and faiths gathered at Freedom Plaza for an interfaith candlelight vigil held by CRS to generate greater awareness and response to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. CRS President, Ken Hackett, received the Knight Commander of Saint Gregory the Great medal, one of the highest Papal honors, in a special ceremony on October 31 in the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore, Maryland. Archbishop Cardinal William H. Keeler bestowed the honor upon Hackett for his outstanding service to the papacy and the Archdiocese of Baltimore. November … CRS and coalition partners called on the U.S. Senate to support full funding for Title II food aid, including $100 million for the Global Food for Education - a program that provides U.S. agricultural goods for use in school feeding and pre-school nutrition programs in poor countries - and prompt release of food commodities held in the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust, a food reserve intended to meet emergency humanitarian needs in developing countries. December … CRS solemnly commemorated World AIDS Day on December 1, remembering families affected by the global pandemic with our second annual event in Baltimore, MD. In Chicago, IL, CRS held the inaugural ceremony of “The Children Left Behind” exhibit, featuring the unique artwork and stories of AIDS orphans from diverse countries around the world. Following the devastating tsunamis that resulted in the loss of so many lives in South and Southeast Asia, CRS joined our fellow non-profit relief and development agencies to hold interfaith vigils in Baltimore, MD and in Washington, D.C. We continue to offer our prayers and support for the survivors as they emerge from this tragedy.