'This is Harder Than Rocket Science'

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Jun 24, 2010, 09:58 ET

Catholic Charities USA President, Rev. Larry Snyder, Says Solving Pervasive Poverty Much Harder

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Citing comments of Harlem Children's Zone founder Geoffrey Canada—"It's not rocket science we're doing here; it's harder than rocket science," Rev. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, in his most recent blog post says solving pervasive poverty is definitely much harder than rocket science.

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"Overcoming an issue as complicated as poverty is incredibly difficult, and certainly not very attractive," said Fr. Snyder. "Can we muster that same sense of 'can do' that got us to the moon to create solutions for poverty? Will we be judged by what we invented, cured, or built; or what we did for the least among us?"

Fifteen million Americans are unemployed, and according to CCUSA's most recent quarterly Snap Shot survey the number of poor continues to grow, while already 39 million are in poverty. Fr. Snyder added, "I think we have arrived at a moment in our history when the key to our future is not some new super technology, but how we act as a people."

Fr. Larry Snyder's blog—Think and Act Anew—can be found at http://www.thinkandactanew.org. Any and all comments to assist in the reduction of poverty are solicited and welcomed.

Catholic Charities USA's members—more than 1,700 local Catholic Charities agencies and institutions nationwide—provide help and create hope for over 9 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 celebrates its centennial anniversary. For more information, visit www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org.

SOURCE Catholic Charities USA