For Immediate Release February 18, 2014

Contact: Patricia Cole pcole@catholiccharitiesusa.org 703-236-6218

CEO Roundtable Aims to Revolutionize the Way Poverty Reduction is Approached

Serving More Than 100 Million Individuals Combined, Leaders Identify Tangible Opportunities to Educate, Innovate and Act to Address the Needs and Realities of Our Time Alexandria, Va. Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) convened top leaders from several of the nations largest humanitarian organizations and advocates for a CEO Roundtable that resulted in the identification of tangible opportunities to educate, innovate and act to reduce poverty in this country that address the needs and reality of our time.

Throughout our history, the Catholic Charities movement has been a leader in bringing about pivotal social change. That is our legacy and heritage. And the great challenges and needs of today call us to do the same, said Rev. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA. Today, we agreed to work together to make the big ideas we are talking about a reality and create opportunity for the millions of people in this country in need. The nonprofit sector is singularly positioned to truly listen, understand, respect, and engage all people to reduce poverty. It is imperative that we work together for equality of opportunity. This country cannot remain strong by turning its back on those in poverty, said Susan Dreyfus, president and CEO of the Alliance for Children and Families. The organizations who attended the round table released the following statements on fighting poverty in 2014 upon conclusion of the meeting:

Brought together by Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), leadership from Alliance for Children and Families, Bread for the World, Feeding America, the Jewish Council of Public Affairs, Lutheran Services in America, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Save the Children, The Salvation Army, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and United Way all agreed to work together in 2014 to reduce poverty in communities across the country.

The world as a whole has cut poverty in half since 1990, and its happened in countries as different as Bangladesh, Brazil, and Great Britain. So we know that it is also possible to end the kind of poverty we still take for granted here in the United States, said David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World.

Feeding America is confident that this collaboration among the nations leading charities will result in significant progress being made in our combined efforts to help reduce poverty and hunger in our nation, said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America.

Lutheran Services in Americas members have been active in their communities, in some cases for more than 150 years, working to transform lives and communities. Were excited to have this opportunity to leverage our collective strength were all fighting poverty, in a myriad of ways, but to come together at the table gives us the ability to advance progress even further, and faster. LSA is the voice of Lutheran social ministry in the U.S., and now our voice is amplified ten-fold alongside our partners in the fight on poverty. said Charlotte Haberaecker, president and CEO of Lutheran Services in America. "In a nation with the wealth, know-how and compassion of the United States, it is a travesty that people are so poor that they become homeless," said Nan Roman, President and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. "We can do better, and the Alliance welcomes the opportunity to join with the leading humanitarian and advocacy organizations in the nation to chart a course forward."

An obligation to open our hands and hearts to the vulnerable among us is a unifying thread across all our religious traditions, said JCPA President Rabbi Steve Gutow. Today, this must include national advocacy for the programs that are proven to reduce poverty. The religious community, as a moral voice and community mobilizer of unmatched reach in this country, has a vital role to play in ending poverty. I am pleased to be joining with such a group of humanitarian and religious leaders to elevate this conversation. Together, we can and must forge a more just world.

United Way is committed to partner and work together to revolutionize the way poverty reduction is approached, said Stacey D. Stewart, U.S. president, United Way Worldwide. A collaborative approach to reducing our nations poverty and helping those families in need achieve their full potential ensures that the results we achieve are both inclusive and sustainable.

"The Salvation Army has been committed to ending poverty for nearly 150 years, since its start in 1865 in London, England, "said Commissioner David Jeffrey, National Commander for The Salvation Army. "It was inspirational today to converse with other like minded organizations that share our focus to discuss how we can collectively address issues surrounding poverty and what we can do to take the necessary steps to reduce - and eventually eradicate it."

Poverty is taking an incredibly heavy toll on 16 million children in America today. Their health, wellbeing, education and future prospects are all in jeopardy from the very beginning, said Carolyn Miles, Save the Childrens president and CEO. Save the Children is committed to getting children the early education and opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. But we cannot do it alone. Breaking the vicious cycle of poverty will take the concerted efforts of committed organizations and individuals willing to raise their voices for our nations most vulnerable children.

About Catholic Charities USA Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) is leading a national movement to end poverty in America. In communities across the country, Catholic Charities member agencies are helping individuals and families in poverty achieve their full potential. Together we are dedicated to creating a life of opportunity and self-sufficiency for each of the 46 million of our brothers and sisters who live in poverty. CCUSA was founded in 1910 on the campus of Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. as the National Conference of Catholic Charities. For more than 100 years, CCUSA has guided and supported the vast network of Catholic Charities agencies nationwide in a common mission to serve, advocate, and convene. For additional information, please visit www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.

About Bread for the World Bread for the World (www.bread.org) is a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.

About The Alliance for Children and Families The Alliance for Children and Families is a national organization dedicated to achieving a vision of a healthy society and strong communities for all children, adults, and families. The Alliance works for transformational change by representing and supporting its network of hundreds of nonprofit human serving organizations across North America as they translate knowledge into best practices that improve their communities. Working with and through its member network on leadership and advocacy, the Alliance strives to achieve high impact by reducing the number of people living in poverty; increasing the number of people with opportunities to live healthy lives; and increasing the number of people with access to educational and employment success. Visit alliance1.org for more information.

About the Jewish Council for Public Affairs The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) is the united voice of the organized Jewish community. For seventy years, the JCPA has identified issues, formulated policy, developed strategies and programs, and given expression to a strongly united Jewish communal voice. JCPA's has an unparalleled capacity to mobilize grassroots activism, through our network of 15 national and 125 local member agencies. The JCPA serves as a catalyst that heightens community awareness, encourages civic and social involvement, and deliberates key issues of importance to the Jewish community. About Lutheran Services in America Lutheran Services in America (LSA) is one of the largest health and human services networks in the country with more than 300 members that provide a broad range of critical services from health care to children and family services, senior services, disaster relief, refugee services, disability support, housing, and employment support, among others. Collectively, LSA members serve 1 in 50 Americans each year in thousands of communities across the United States and are open to all regardless of their religious affiliation or social or economic background. LSA is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, please visit www.lutheranservices.org. About National Alliance to End Homelessness The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonprofit, non-partisan, organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. By improving policy, building capacity, and educating opinion leaders, the Alliance has become a leading voice on this issue.

About Feeding America Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/ Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

About The Society of St. Vincent de Paul The largest social assistance organization in the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (http://www.svdpusa.org) is an international, nonprofit, Catholic lay organization of more than 770,000 men and women who voluntarily join together to grow spiritually and offer person-to-person service to the needy

About Save the Children Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in 120 countries, including the United States. We aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters.

About United Way United Way, a worldwide movement in 41 countries and territories, includes nearly 1,200 local organizations in the United States. It advances the common good by focusing on education, income and health the building blocks for a good quality life. LIVE UNITED is United Ways call to action for everyone to give, to advocate and to volunteer to improve conditions in their local community. For more information about United Way, please visit: UnitedWay.org.

About The Salvation Army The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a range of social services: providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

and people living in poverty in 149 countries on five continents. With the U.S. headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., membership in the United States totals more than 148,000 in 4,300 communities. Programs include home visits, housing assistance, disaster relief, job training and placement, food pantries, dining halls, clothing, transportation and utility costs, care for the elderly and medicine. Providing more than $755 million in tangible and in-kind services, made more than 1.6 million person-to-person visits (homes, hospitals, prisons), and helped almost 15 million people regardless of race, religion or national origin.

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