AT YOUR PARISH - Caritas Australia

WHAT ISCARITASAUSTRALIA?Caritas Australia is the official aid and developmentagency of the Catholic Church in Australia anda member of Caritas Internationalis, one of theworld’s largest aid and development networks. We work inpartnership with local communities, helping people to helpthemselves, regardless of race, political beliefs, gender orreligion. Our work is focused in three areas:1. Encouraging self-reliance via long term developmentprograms in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America andwith Indigenous Australians. Our focus is on providingintegrated development through water and sanitation,housing, education, literacy, women’s empowerment,income generation and sustainable agriculture.2. Responding to emergencies whenever and whereverdisaster occurs. As part of one of the world’s largest andmost effective emergency response networks, Caritascan respond almost immediately through local partners,providing food, clothing, housing and medical attentionto those who need it most.3. Changing attitudes in Australia to promote a just andcompassionate society at home and abroad. We work inCatholic parishes, schools, universities and communitygroups around Australia to raise awareness of the realityand causes of poverty, hunger, oppression and injusticeand the interdependence of poverty and affluence.Find out more about Caritas Australia’s work atwww.caritas.org.auIn Latin, ‘Caritas’means love andcompassion –qualities that arecentral to our work.Every Catholic parish, school and all Australiansare invited to be part of the Project Compassioncampaign each Lent. It’s the biggest humanitarianfundraiser in Australia!Reflecting the principles of CatholicSocial Teaching, Caritas Australia workswith the local people of a particularcountry in all of its programs. Thepartnership approach is central to ourphilosophy - international partnersare best placed to identify their owncommunity’s needs and are central toensuring development sustainability.The international aid and development work of CaritasAuststralia is reflective of the life of Jesus Christ, andshapedby the tradition of Catholic Social Teachingprinciples including: preferential option for the poor,solidarity, the common good and stewardship of theearth’s resources.Administration costsare kept low – at or below10% of our income so as muchassistance as possible reachesthose who need it.6FIND OUT MOREabout CaritasAustralia’s work atwww.caritas.org.au