The smell of rice wafted through the air; music energized hundreds of young people who gathered around the tables; excitement continued to build as we were getting closer and closer to reaching our goal.  This was the scene of the OCSJM "Helping Hands" workshop at the eighth annual Catholic Youth Spectacular, held at the Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary on September 29th.  Together, over three hundred students and adults helped package 11,232 meals to provide hunger relief for the country of Burkina Faso in western Africa.

Although the workshop was organized by the OCSJM, this hands-on volunteer event was a collaboration between Catholic Relief Services and Stop Hunger Now.  Stop Hunger Now arrived on Sunday morning with a huge truck, carrying all of the meal-packaging materials. Catholic Relief Services offered the educational resources and will be delivering the meals to CRS partners in the West African nation Burkina Faso. 

This tactile event enables people in America to hear the stories of their brothers and sisters in Burkina and, in a way, to spend time with them as they package the meals.  There is a sense of solidarity, an opportunity not to "break bread together," but to create and share a meal none-the-less.  In doing so, the students truly showed that they were acting on the Catholic Youth Spectacular theme of "Affirming Life."

Helping Hands provides for one of the most basic needs of the people in Burkina, relieving chronic hunger and malnutrition. Responding first to the immediate need of hunger through their meal program, Catholic Relief Services can then begin to work with the Burkinabe to implement more sustainable farming practices and help cultivate the landAt the Catholic Youth Spectacular, Archbishop Mansell joined us in meal packing at his station, adding soy cereal to his group's packages.  During Mass, he reflected on this experience saying, "There is hope because of what you did today and what you will continue to do in joy."

Helping Hands Program Facts

• Each meal package costs $0.50
• One meal package feeds 6 people
• With the help of 60 volunteers, your group can package 10,000 meals within a half day program
• For $5,000, you could feed 60,000 people!

If you are interested in bringing Helping Hands to your parish or school, please contact Sarah Hillier at (203) 777-7279 or sarah.hillier@aohct.org.

A sense of celebration and accomplishment filled the room on September 26th when members of the new OCSJM Immigration Team gathered to share dinner and stories of challenges and successes in their recent collective efforts to support Connecticut's Drivers' License legislation for undocumented residents. The evening included the distribution of Certificates of Appreciation to all those who contributed their time and energy to meet with parish groups, public officials and legislators across the state to advocate for this important law, which will take effect early in 2015.

Deacon Edwin Lopez, St. Margaret Church, Waterbury, and Rev. Carlos Zapata, Sagrado Corazon Church, Waterbury, were on hand, along with OCSJM's Lynn Campbell and Arturo Iriarte, to congratulate the team on their successful efforts and to encourage their on-going advocacy for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. 

OCSJM has worked over the past four years to develop Ministry Leadership Teams in a number of areas, inviting individuals to share their passion for social justice in ways that increase the capacity of OCSJM to reach out to parishes and communities with educational programs and resources. These teams have been instrumental in offering workshops at our annual conference, developing resources for parish programming, and in planning events and advocacy opportunities across the Archdiocese.  We are proud of their work, and grateful for their generous commitment to our mission.

If you are interested in participating in a more focused way in the work of OCSJM, we invite you to consider being part of one of our Ministry Teams. Team members have enjoyed their closer connection with OCSJM, and new opportunities to share their interests with others who are equally committed, or interested in learning more about social justice.

Our current Teams include:

• Environmental Justice Ministry Team, Jeanie Graustein, Coordinator
• Bishop Peter Rosazza Conference Committee, Sarah Hillier and Arturo Iriarte, Coordinators
• Cooperative Parish Sharing Committee, Nancy Kiely, Coordinator
• Campaign for Human Development Committee, Lynn Campbell, Coordinator
• Immigration Ministry Team, Arturo Iriarte, Coordinator
• Global Solidarity Ministry Team, Mary O'Brien, Coordinator
• JustFaith Leadership Team, John Ryan, Coordinator
• **NEW** Youth and Young Adult Ministry Team, Sarah Hillier, Coordinator

For more information, or to express interest in joining one of our teams, contact OCSJM at (203) 777-7279 or info.ocsjm@aohct.org.

OCSJM is pleased to welcome Mr. Jack Jezreel as our guest speaker at the 45th Annual Dinner and Awardson Tuesday, October 22nd at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville. Jack will offer reflections on the theme: St. Francis, Pope Francis and a Vision for the 21st Century Church.

A popular and passionate presenter, Jack is the founder and president of JustFaith Ministries, a conversion-based justice formation program that, since its creation in 1989, has touched the lives of over 30,000 people in over 1,500 communities. No stranger to the Hartford Archdiocese, Jack looks forward to reconnecting with JustFaith graduates from our own parish communities, and to challenging us to open our hearts and minds to the call for justice and healing in our world.

Continuing a 45-year tradition, the dinner will also present awards for exceptional efforts in social justice ministry to the Most Reverend Henry J. Mansell, Apostle Immigrant Services (New Haven), and to St. Joseph Parish in Winsted.

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is the domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic Bishops and works to break the cycle of poverty by helping low-income people participate in decisions that affect their lives, families and communities. CCHD offers a hand up, not a hand out. Groups who receive funding from CCHD identify problems that affect them and then work to find just solutions. Two Connecticut groups that will receive national funding this year are the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice and Teach Our Children.

The CT Coalition for Environmental Justice is a grassroots organization whose mission is to improve urban environmental health through educating the community, promoting change in government policy, and promoting responsibility towards the environment. Teach Our Children, a parent-led organization of New Haven parents, organizes to improve the New Haven Public Schools.

Local grant money, disbursed by OCSJM on behalf of CCHD, was also allocated to the following groups: Meriden Children First, Naugatuck Valley Housing Development Corporation, United Action Connecticut, and United Connecticut Action for Neighborhoods, Inc./Caring Families Coalition.

For additional information on CCHD and how it works with local groups, visit the CCHD page on the OCSJM website. If you are interested in learning more about the grant process or would like to become part of our Grant Review Committee, please contact Lynn Campbell at (203) 777-7279.