For Immediate Release August 12, 2011

Contact: Roger Conner (703) 236-6218 (301) 252-7912

USA Catholic Charities USA Names Annie E. Casey Foundation Family Strengthening Award Winners
Catholic Charities Programs in Philadelphia, Anchorage, and Phoenix will receive $25,000 Award
Alexandria, VACatholic Charities USA (CCUSA) announces three winners of the 2011 Catholic Charities USA/Annie E. Casey Foundation Family Strengthening Award. Programs from Philadelphia, PA, Anchorage, AK, and Phoenix, AZ were selected for their holistic approaches to providing services that support healthy family relationships, improve family finances, and enhance surrounding communities. I am delighted to announce the 2011 winners, said Jane Stenson, Senior Director of Poverty Reduction Strategies of Catholic Charities USA. These programs exemplify agencies efforts at connecting families to the support and opportunities that they need to be economically stable. The programs are also helping people to build better lives and, as a result, strengthening communities across the country, continued Stenson. The three winning programs will each receive $25,000 and will be formally honored at CCUSAs Centennial Gathering, September 18-21, 2011, in Fort Worth, TX. Each program will also host a site visit with participants from the Catholic Charities network. The winners are:

Philadelphia Family Service Centers Catholic Social Services (CSS), Philadelphia CSS of Philadelphia operates three family service centers in inner-city neighborhoods. Their service model was developed to strengthen families that face numerous barriers to prosperity, and their programs are flexible and responsive to the unique needs of each family. Refugee Assistance & Immigration Services Catholic Social Services (CSS), Anchorage, AK This program is the sole provider of refugee resettlement services in Alaska and focuses on comprehensive family support to newly arrived refugees and families from over 10 different countries. Paths of Hope Catholic Charities Community Services, Phoenix, AZ This program helps the surrounding community's most vulnerable families to develop their own plans for accessing the resources of prosperity through financial education, personal development, planning and mentoring.

The annual awards program is made possible by the support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The foundation was founded in 1948 to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of todays vulnerable children and families.

To learn more about the 2011 award winners and finalists, visit the Casey Awards Webpage. About Catholic Charities USA Catholic Charities USA is the national office for Catholic Charities agencies nationwide. Catholic Charities USAs members provide help and create hope for more than 10 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds. For almost 300 years, Catholic Charities agencies have worked to reduce poverty by providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from health care and job training to food and housing.

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