Opportunity Nation Joins Non-profit Partners to Host the 2nd Annual National Summit on Opportunity and Poverty in Washington, D.C.

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Nov 04, 2011, 07:49 ET

Rev. Larry Snyder Makes Announcement during Conference Addressing Lack of Economic Opportunity for all Americans

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) announced today that Opportunity Nation will be joining the organizing partners of the Inaugural Poverty Summit to host the 2nd Annual National Summit on Opportunity and Poverty on September 17, 2012, in Washington, D.C. Father Larry Snyder made the announcement during this year's Opportunity Summit, an event that brought together leaders from sectors of all society to participate in action-oriented dialogue on what opportunity means, make commitments about how their institutions can create opportunity and share innovative examples of how this is already being done at the community level.

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Rev. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA, said, "I am excited to announce that we are bringing together the forces behind the National Poverty Summit with the power of the Opportunity Nation coalition." He added, "On September 17, 2012, Catholic Charities and its network of social service providers will join forces with Opportunity Nation to jointly convene the National Summit on Opportunity and Poverty -- as an action-forcing event to report to the nation on the progress we are making in creating an opportunity society and helping more Americans out of poverty."

The Poverty Summit was designed to launch a national conversation about how to better serve the needs of individuals living in poverty. Last year's inaugural event featured White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, as well as a keynote address by Mark Shriver, Senior Vice President of U.S. Operations for Save the Children. Organizing partners included: The American Human Development Project, Bread for the World, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, CCUSA, the Corporation for Enterprise Development, the Coalition on Human Needs, Feeding America, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Save the Children, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

"Reducing poverty is essential if we are going to achieve our goal of improving social mobility in this country," said Mark Edwards, executive director of Opportunity Nation. "Through their Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America, National Summit on Opportunity and Poverty, and other impactful efforts, Catholic Charities USA has been a true leader in helping to serve our low-income communities. We are excited to partner with them for this important event and look forward to continued collaboration as we work toward the shared goals of lifting people up and helping them achieve their American Dream."

The 2nd Annual Poverty Summit will bring participants together in small groups to discuss specific issues, initiatives, and ideas related to poverty reduction, alleviation and prevention. It will include remarks by individuals on the frontlines of innovation in addressing poverty.

CCUSA's partnership in this and future summits will contribute to the organization's ongoing Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America. Specific details around the event will be posted at www.catholiccharitiesusa.org as they become available.

About CCUSA

Catholic Charities USA's members provide help and create hope for more than 10 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds. For almost 300 years, Catholic Charities agencies have worked to reduce poverty by providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from health care and job training to food and housing. In 2010, Catholic Charities USA celebrated its centennial anniversary.

SOURCE Catholic Charities USA