Hands Together
Inspirational and Educational Presentation at Sunday, July 27 Masses

Each year the Society of the Propagation of the Faith invites a mission group to speak one Sunday at each parish in the United States. It is called the Missionary Cooperative Appeal, and it is a chance for us to talk about what is going on with our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. 

This year, the Diocese of Sacramento has invited Hands Together to make an appeal. Hands Together works alongside the Catholic Missions in one of the most desperate area of the world: Haiti. 

Some Basic Facts About Haiti

• 7 million people live in an area smaller than the state of Maryland.
• 70% of these people cannot read.
• 85% live below the poverty level.
• In slum areas 4 out of 5 children do not reach the age of five.
• Nationally 1 in 3 children are chronically malnourished.

Hands Together sponsors schools, orphanages, elderly care facilities, hospices, and clinics. In addition to providing food at each of its schools and orphanages, Hands Together also runs an emergency relief food distribution program to help those communities in the mountains that have suffered from extended periods of drought. 

Hands Together lay missionaries work alongside priests, sisters, and other Haitian staff at projects that reach out to the poorest people of Haiti — both in rural villages and urban slums. Hands Together also provides college students with an opportunity to participate as missionaries on a short-term basis, offering them a very powerful and positive faith experience.