CROSS CATHOLIC OUTREACH & KOBONAL HAITI MISSION present Shine Light YourGala FOR THE POOREST OF THE POOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015 RENAISSANCE BATON ROUGE HOTEL SPONSOR GUIDE Funds raised will support the poorest of the poor in KOBONAL, HAITI
Making an Impact Cross Catholic Outreach is proud to partner with Kobonal Haiti Mission to host the Shine Your Light Gala in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. By getting involved in this worthy event, you will support the Mission s holistic outreach programs in Kobonal, Haiti and provide them with the hope of Christ! The night s activities include dinner prepared by Chef John Folse, and live and silent auctions. Join us to make a difference in the lives of these families in Kobonal. BY GETTING INVOLVED THE NEED Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. In fact, 80 percent of its people live below the poverty line. Many of Families in Kobonal often survive in mere shacks. these people are families in rural communities who depend on subsistence farming just to survive. In the country s rural and impoverished rural villages, a typical house is nothing more than a patched-together shack made of sticks, plastic tarps and mud. Floors turn to mud when it rains; children huddle together to keep warm at night; and families are at constant risk of illness in these conditions. Hunger plagues countless families, especially young children and the elderly. Numerous households lack clean water, health care and schools, and two-thirds of Haiti s people have no formal job. ABOUT KOBONAL HAITI MISSION Kobonal Haiti Mission, led by Father Glenn Meaux, is a holistic ministry serving the physical and spiritual needs of thousands of people. Housing is just one aspect of Fr. Meaux s goal of ministering to the whole person in Christ s name. Kobonal Haiti Mission lifts up the poor through a holistic approach that also includes education, feeding programs for the elderly, microloans, job training, clean water and nourishment for souls through spiritual teachings. THE RESPONSE Cross Catholic has partnered with Kobonal Haiti Mission to help alleviate poverty among Haiti s poorest rural families. The village of Kobonal has undergone a wonderful physical and spiritual conversion thanks to Fr. Meaux s diligent work with the poor. Keeping these programs running will allow the Mission to continue shining the light of Christ in Kobonal and meeting the needs of its impoverished people. The event s goal is to raise $150,000 to provide for the holistic needs of Kobonal s families. WHO WE ARE Cross Catholic is a Catholic relief and development organization working in dozens of developing countries. In addition to providing material aid such as food, clothing, shelter and medicines, Cross Catholic Outreach supports ongoing programs that help the poor lift themselves out of poverty and thus break its vicious cycle. By working together with local priests, Catholic lay missionaries and Catholic parishes around the world, we ensure that the aid reaches those who need it most. Cross Catholic Outreach is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Our detailed level of accountability to donors and our strong ethical practices have earned us ongoing accreditation by the National Catholic Development Conference, the Chronicle of Philanthropy and the International Catholic Stewardship Council. 1
A Letter from Father Glenn Meaux, FOUNDER OF KOBONAL HAITI MISSION Dear Friends, Thank you for considering a sponsorship for Cross Catholic Outreach s 3rd Annual Shine Your Light Gala! I encourage you to become a part of what God is doing in the rural village of Kobonal in the central region of Haiti. By supporting the Kobonal Haiti Mission, you can impact the lives of impoverished villagers with sturdy homes for homeless or destitute families, food for the impoverished elderly and quality Christian education for young children. When I arrived in the Diocese of Hinche in 1989, Kobonal was the poorest and most spiritually starved place I had ever encountered. But God began a good work through the Mission, and Kobonal has been transformed into a beacon of hope to all who gaze upon it. Christ has come, in Word and Sacrament, to free the poor from voodoo superstitions and form them into a vibrant faith community. In partnership with Cross Catholic, safe homes are being built; children are being educated and taught to follow Christ; and the needy are being lifted out of poverty. But there is still much work to be done. The Shine Your Light Gala is an event bringing Catholics together to feed the hungry, house the homeless and advocate for poor villagers who have no one else to turn to. Thank you for considering this opportunity to take part in this high calling of our Savior to minister to those less fortunate. Having worked with Cross since 2003, I can personally speak to their financial integrity and Christian identity. As good stewards of the resources God has entrusted them with, they are changing lives in Haiti and around the world. We share a common purpose: to reach the poor with the good news and lift them out of their misery. Please join our cause and lift up this village in desperate need of hope and light. Let us follow in the footsteps of our Savior and take up this great calling of ministering to the needy. The Lord will certainly not forget those who humble themselves to serve the poor. God bless you! Yours in Christ, Father Glenn Meaux Priest Servant Director 2
Kobonal s Holistic Programs HOUSING The central and largest form of outreach, Fr. Meaux s housing program provides sturdy cement homes for Kobonal s poorest families. Each home has a cement floor, four rooms, cinder block walls and a secure roof. Families also receive a plot of land so they can grow crops for food and income, another path to self-sufficiency. FOOD FOR THE ELDERLY The Mission distributes monthly food staples like corn, beans, and oil and soap to the elderly and destitute in the community. These supplies are a lifeline for the poor and elderly, many of whom are homebound and have no income to buy food and other necessities. A new home dramatically changes a family s future for the better. CLEAN WATER The community s poorest families often rely on contaminated rivers or shallow wells for water. To help improve health and sanitation, Kobonal Haiti Mission digs wells to provide clean water that won t make families sick when they use it for drinking, cooking and bathing. EDUCATION, JOB TRAINING AND MICROENTERPRISE The Mission helps empower the community so its people can improve their lives and provide for their families. The ministry operates a school so children can learn reading, writing and arithmetic; the skills they ll need to find jobs as adults. Through microloans and job training, the Mission assists men and women as they run small businesses and gain the skills to secure jobs with a living wage. A loan of just $150, interest free for three years, is enough to help a family start and keep a successful small business. This highly-effective program that fosters selfsustainability has freed numerous families from poverty s grip and helped them become productive members of their community. Father Meaux has built up a strong spiritual community in Kobonal. SPIRITUAL FORMATION Fr. Meaux s church at the Mission has become a pillar of the community. Hundreds of people attend Mass each Sunday for spiritual nourishment. I come here every Sunday. I never go anywhere else, says 80-year-old Jantylis Augustin. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. HEBREWS 10:23 3
Nurturing Hope Sponsor $25,000 Provide hope by helping to build three houses for three families Two tables of eight at the event Two-page spread in the event program book Corporate or individual name listed in the invitation as a sponsor Corporate or individual name listed in press releases Corporate or individual name listed on event webpage Sponsor recognition in event program book and on event signage Sponsor recognition in audiovisual presentation during event For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat. ISAIAH 25:4 4
Abundance of Hope Sponsor $20,000 Provide hope by helping to build two houses for two families Two tables of eight at the event Two-page spread in the event program book Corporate or individual name listed in the invitation as a sponsor Corporate or individual name listed in press releases Corporate or individual name listed on event webpage Sponsor recognition in event program book and on event signage Sponsor recognition in audio visual presentation during event For I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in MATTHEW 25:35 5
Joy of Hope Sponsor $10,000 Provide hope by helping to build one house for one family One table of eight at the event Two-page spread in the event program book Corporate or individual name listed on event webpage Corporate or individual name listed in press releases Sponsor recognition in event program book and on event signage Sponsor recognition in audio visual presentation during event Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. PSALM 124:8 6
Fulfillment of Hope Sponsor $5,000 Provide hope by helping to feed three families for one year One table of eight at the event Full-page ad in the event program book Corporate or individual name listed in press releases Sponsor recognition in event program book and on event signage Sponsor recognition in audio visual presentation during event With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. ISAIAH 12:3 7
Dream & Hope Table Sponsor $2,500 Provide hope by helping to feed one family for one year One table of eight at the event Corporate or individual name listed in press releases Sponsor recognition in event program book and on event signage Sponsor recognition in audio visual presentation during event May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ROMANS 15:13 8
Notes He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. PROVERBS 19:17 9
OUR MISSION We are a Catholic ministry that serves the poorest of the poor internationally by channeling aid through dioceses, parishes, and Catholic missionaries, cost-effectively helping the poor break the cycle of poverty while advancing Catholic evangelization. HOW WE SERVE Rather than create new institutions to distribute aid, we support existing ministries and churches already serving the poor. In addition to being the most cost-effective way of helping the poor, empowering these ministries allows us to support the Church s spiritual mission and its important position of leadership in poor communities. GOOD STEWARDSHIP We consider every gift we receive as a precious resource from God. We direct every donation to its intended project, provide honest and accurate reports to our donors, and keep overhead costs to an industry low. We handle funds with utmost integrity and hold our ministry partners in the field to the same high standards by asking them to document costs and the impact of their outreach. These detailed accountability measures have earned us ongoing accreditation by the following organizations: 2700 N. Military Trail, Suite 240 PO Box 273908 Boca Raton, Florida 33427-3908 1-800-914-2420 ext. 291 954-657-9001 (fax) LHarding@CrossCatholic.org www.crosscatholic.org/shineyourlight This was produced by Cross Catholic Outreach, Inc. which is recognized as a tax exempt organization under IRC 501(c)(3). Our principal office is 2700 N. Military Trail, Suite 240, PO Box 273908, Boca Raton, FL 33427-3908, Tel: 561-392-9212. Contributions to Cross Catholic Outreach, Inc. are tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Requests for copies of recent financial statements or other information may be directed to Compliance Officer at the address and telephone number listed above. Proceeds from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for Kobonal incurred during the current calendar year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry.