Sep 16, 2009 / 22:26 pm
Catholic Charities USA and its member agencies have released its 2008 Annual Survey, reporting an “alarming” rate of increase in poverty in the United States.
The number of clients served in 2008 by Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) increased by 10.2 percent, from about 8 million to 8.5 million, the charity reports. This substantially reversed the reduction in poverty trends reported in previous Annual Surveys from the organization.
"The 2008 increase moved at an alarming rate, and it doesn't even include the first nine months of this year," said Rev. Larry Snyder, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA. "Our agencies are being confronted head on by more need and less resources -- an unacceptable scenario.”
He said that observations indicate that the 2009 numbers of people in poverty “will only grow.”