Money well spent

By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

"Put your tax rebate to good use."

There it was, right in the local newspaper in red, white and blue on an official-looking shield: a suggestion for the tax rebate stimulus checks people started receiving late last month.

Unfortunately, the "good use suggestion" came from the local adult superstore.

However, putting your $300, $600 or $1,200 tax rebate to good use really is a good idea. Where to put it to good use is another.

Most economic experts predict most of us will use our tax rebates to pay bills, from credit cards to gas bills. Some of us may be able to put it in savings, for future bills. And about 20 percent of Americans will actually go out and spend their rebates - immediately stimulating an economy teetering on recession.

So how about a different suggestion about where to put your rebate check to a good use, while truly helping the economy for more people?

Donate some of your rebate check to Catholic Charities USA (www.catholiccharitiesusa.org).

Last year, Catholic Charities launched its Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America. The goal is to reduce, by half, poverty in this country by the year 2020. Catholic Charities USA is targeting four main areas with this campaign: increasing access to health care, enabling more affordable housing, strengthening nutrition assistance programs and promoting greater economic security for the poor and vulnerable through programs that support work and strengthen families.

Catholic Charities USA reports that 36.5 million people - including one in six children - live below the official federal poverty level, which was $20,000 for a family of four in 2006.

Those directing the campaign will work in conjunction with other relief agencies, such as the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and local Catholic Charities offices, such as Catholic Charities of the Green Bay Diocese, which has branch offices across northeast Wisconsin.

A donation to Catholic Charities from your tax rebate check would help stimulate the economic lives of the 7.4 million Americans Catholic Charities USA helps each year.

Now that's putting your rebate check to good use.