Catholic Relief Services reaches out to Hispanics in the U.S.
October 14, 2007
Spanish-language Public Service Announcements communicating the life-saving difference charitable donations make will soon will hit the airwaves and online spaces as part of a Catholic Relief Services outreach effort focusing on U.S. Hispanic communities.
The 30 and 15 second television spots, produced by Directo Hispano, highlight some of the programs the U.S.-based Catholic charity sponsors in over 100 countries around the world. These spots will appear on Hispanic TV media and Hispanic networking sites.
Vignettes show disaster emergency relief efforts, food and agricultural programs, the Water for Life project that brings water to rural communities, as well as health and educational initiatives.
Real footage of the actual programs –in Asia, Africa and several Latin American countries– and their beneficiaries was used in crafting this positive, inspiring message under one arching theme: “Make a difference by helping the needy around the world- Dando esperanza a un mundo necesitado.”
A member of Caritas Internationalis, Catholic Relief Services http://www.crs.org> was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe. It now has expanded in size to reach more than 80 million people in over 100 countries on five continents. CRS-sponsored programs include: Emergency Relief, HIV and AIDS, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peace building.
According to figures from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, between 70 and 75 percent of U.S. Hispanics are Catholic (about 25 million) and since 1960 Hispanics have accounted for 71 percent of the Catholic growth in the United States. The total U.S. Catholic population is estimated at 76 million.
Lydia Dibos, Senior Advisor for Hispanic Outreach for Fund Development and Marketing, directs the CRS Hispanic program. The initiative includes Direct Mail targeting Hispanics, development of a soon-to-be unveiled Spanish-language website and more. Stay tuned!
