CRS Launches Hispanic Initiative

As part of this comprehensive strategy to engage U.S. Hispanics, CRS will also roll out Spanish-language public service announcements.

BALTIMORE, MD (CRS) - Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community, today announced the launch of its new initiative designed to reach out and engage U.S. Hispanics in a tangible way through donations, public policy advocacy and global solidarity.

The initiative will be spearheaded by the newly unveiled CRS Spanish-language website (www.crsespanol.org) developed specifically to expand the agency's outreach and enable it to more effectively interact with U.S. Hispanics.

As part of this comprehensive strategy to engage U.S. Hispanics, CRS will also roll out Spanish-language public service announcements for TV, radio and internet sites across the country, direct mail campaigns, and print ads.

Additionally, CRS has hired internal marketing and public relations advisors specifically tasked with improving the agency's communications efforts to U.S. Hispanics.

"The new website will allow U.S. Hispanics to learn more about CRS' work in their home countries and how they can help our efforts to empower citizens on a local level around the world," stated Lydia M. Dibos, Senior Advisor for Hispanic Outreach for CRS.

"For decades Catholic Relief Services has been running on-the-ground long term development projects throughout Latin America and the rest of the world, while also carrying out major emergency relief efforts after natural disasters such as Hurricanes Mitch and Stan."

Online and en español

CRS' Spanish-language site contains informative articles on the agency's outreach initiatives in Latin America and across the globe, such as its efforts to help Mexican apple growers earn a living wage, assisting women owned coffee cooperatives in Nicaragua and the 2007 CRS support to flood victims in Tabasco, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

The site also lists activities that people can participate in from the United States to make a difference in the lives of others, such as the CRS Fair Trade network to ensure fair wages for disadvantaged farmers, workers and artisans as well as the recent Hispanic Food Fast, that saw Hispanics from several Catholic parishes around the country fast for a day to empathize with the plight of the undernourished in Latin America.

Many of CRS' robust overseas programs will also be showcased on the site, including the following sectors: Emergency Response, Agriculture, Health, HIV and AIDS, Education, Microfinance, Peace Building and Public Policy advocacy.

Hispanic Snapshot

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that as of July 1, 2007, the nation's Hispanic population had reached 45.5 million, representing 15.1 percent of the total U.S. population of 301.6 million. Hispanics are also the fastest-growing ethnic group, increasing in size at a rate of 3.3 percent year-to-year and currently comprise 39% of the U.S. Catholic Church.

As the U.S. Hispanic population grows, the number of Spanish-language and bi-lingual speakers remains constant. U.S. Hispanic purchasing power is also forecast to grow from 897 billion to 1.3 trillion by 2015.

CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community. The agency provides assistance to people in more than 100 countries and territories based on need, regardless of race, nationality or creed. For more information, please visit www.crsespanol.org (in Spanish) and www.crs.org.

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Reprinted by Catholic Online with permission of Catholic Relief Services (www.crs.org)