Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia welcomes the Brake the Cycle bicycle tour as it rides through Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 as part of a 4000 mile journey to raise awareness of poverty in the United States. On June 1, 2003, a group of 20 bicyclists left San Francisco, California to ride to Washington, D.C. to promote the work needed to "break the cycle" of poverty.

This unique educational event is sponsored by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development which is the national social justice program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The cyclists are a group of committed Catholics: lay persons and religious, 19 to 73 years old. They will encourage Catholics to think about poverty in the United States. For more information visit www.usccb.org/cchd

Reverend Monsignor Timothy Senior, Secretary for Catholic Human Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, along with other local supporters, will welcome the riders to Philadelphia. Monsignor Senior will also announce the nine organizations in the Archdiocese awarded a total of $177,500 in Catholic Campaign for Human Development grants for 2003-2004 for their anti-poverty work.

Wednesday, July 30, 2003
8:30 a.m.
Russo Park (across from St. Hubert Catholic H.S. for Girls)
Cottman and Torresdale Avenues
Philadelphia

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops founded the Catholic Campaign for Human Development in 1970. Through grants and education programs, CCHD seeks to promote a more just society, one in which all people, but especially the poor, are empowered to participate in the social and civic lives of their communities. It supports the efforts of organized groups of poor and low income people to attack the basic causes of poverty through institutional change and leadership development models.

CCHD is funded through the donations of parishioners. Some of the 2003-2004 recipients in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia include groups that focus on affordable housing, elimination of the death penalty and hunger issues. Others include those that work with welfare mothers, develop affordable housing for the poor and seek to expand accessible mental health services for seniors.

Catholic Social Services is the largest private provider of social services in Pennsylvania

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Donna Farrell
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215-587-3747