Hmong program receives grant

A program that helps the Hmong educate the city of Green Bay, Brown County and state officials about who they are and their needs has been awarded a $30,000 grant by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

This is the second national grant from the campaign awarded to Hmong Voices Program of the Ft. Howard Jefferson Neighborhood Resource Center.

Grant money was collected from Catholic parishes in the 16-county area served by the Green Bay Diocese and from Catholic parishes across the U.S. The campaign, operated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has funded some 4,000 programs across the United States over the last 30 years.

The U.S. bishops started the Catholic Campaign for Human Development out of the belief that organized groups of the poor could use these grants as seed money to develop economic strength and power. Local and national grants are awarded annually to groups who work to solve the causes of poverty and injustice in such categories as economic and social development, legal aid, housing, health, communications and education.

The campaign helps the poor and marginalized people to work together to make decisions, seeking solutions to local problems and finding ways to improve their lives and neighborhoods, said Tom Rinkoski, diocesan director of CCHD.

"The Hmong Voices Project is an excellent example of such community organizing to meet local needs," Rinkoski said. "This program empowers the Hmong of the Ft Howard Jefferson Neighborhood through the development of language skills, leadership development, and community building."

Area residents began the Ft. Howard Jefferson Neighborhood Center in 1992 as a way to break down barriers of neighborhood isolation and create networks of support. Their efforts have revitalized downtown Green Bay. The center has been the model for other centers in Green Bay.

For more information, write to Tom Rinkoski, Diocesan Director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, at P.O. Box 23825, Green Bay WI, 54305-3825; phone (920)437-7531 or 1-877-500-3580 (toll free), ext. 8304, or by e-mail, trinkoski@gbdioc.org.