November 14, 2019
Take Action: Support the Dream Act of 2019 (S. 874)

Catholic Charities joins with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Charities USA in asking you to contact your U.S. Senators to request their support for the Dream Act of 2019 (S. 874).

For more than 100 years, Catholic Charities has welcomed the stranger, believing that all people deserve respect and compassion. The young people impacted by the proposed legislation are contributors to our economy, veterans of our military, academic standouts in our universities, and leaders in our parishes and communities.

As Catholics, we have long supported Dreamers as we believe in protecting the dignity of every human being, especially that of our children.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program that has benefited over 800,000 young people by ensuring that recipients are able to live their lives free of the anxiety that they could be deported at any time to a country they do not know and separated from their families.

Your voice matters. Contact your U.S. Senators regarding this important piece of legislation. Senator Richard Durbin has signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill. Contact Senator Durbin and communicate this message:

As a resident of Illinois, I thank you for your support of the Dream Act of 2019 – S. 874. I respectfully ask you to encourage your colleagues in the Senate to show the leadership necessary to find a just and humane solution for these young people, who daily face mounting anxiety and uncertainty. I appreciate your commitment to protecting Dreamers from deportation, providing them a path to citizenship, and avoiding any damage to existing protections for families and unaccompanied minors in the process.

Senator Tammy Duckworth has not signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill. Contact Senator Duckworth and communicate this message.

As a resident of Illinois, I ask you to support the Dream Act of 2019 – S. 874. I respectfully urge you to show the leadership necessary to find a just and humane solution for these young people, who daily face mounting anxiety and uncertainty. Protect Dreamers from deportation, provide them a path to citizenship, and avoid any damage to existing protections for families and unaccompanied minors in the process.

Please provide Catholic Charities Government Relations staff with feedback regarding any conversations or interactions that you have: (312) 655-7930 or email agreleck@catholiccharities.net.

Thank you for your attention and your willingness to advocate for the well-being of families.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced last week that the Cook County Justice Advisory Council was awarding Catholic Charities a grant of $250,000 to provide services to pregnant and postpartum women and their young children. Such services include counseling, parenting skills, drug treatment, job placement and medical care.

Read more on the Cook County Justice Advisory Council page here.

Catholic Charities staff members Marie Jochum and Michael Bare will be teaming up as co-hosts of our The Voice of Charity radio show! The show broadcasts live every Tuesday morning at 8:30 on WNDZ- 750 AM, and addresses important issues affecting the work of Catholic Charities and the world around us. We hope that a healthy mix of intelligence and compassion will inspire thought-provoking discussions on a wide range of topics that matter to our listeners.

November 17, 2019 is "World Day of the Poor." We invite you to mark the occasion through prayer and generosity by donating food, clothes, and Christmas gifts for children to the Catholic Charities office located at 721 N. LaSalle, Chicago. You may drop off items from 11 a.m — 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 17.

We will also be holding a brief prayer service outside of the 721 N. LaSalle offices that same day in front of the “Homeless Jesus” statue, in solidarity with more than 40 international cities (like Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Sydney, Dublin, and more) who also display a “Homeless Jesus” statue by sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz as a focal point for World Day of the Poor events.

Join tens of thousands of people around the world in sowing tangible seeds of hope with simple acts of giving and prayer on this Sunday before the start of Advent.